Mentorship

We're proud to be the first logistics company to offer Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with GoGreen Plus, a service that helps small businesses to lower the carbon emissions associated with their shipments. So whether you're already using recyclable packaging or participating in carbon offsetting, you now have another opportunity to take steps towards a more sustainable future. 

Ready to Ship Yellow to GoGreen? Reach out to learn more about GoGreen Plus. 

What is and Why SAF?

Unlike conventional kerosene-based aviation fuel, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is derived from more environmentally friendly sources such as waste cooking oil, and forest and agricultural residue. Once processed, it is blended with traditional aviation fuel and supplied to airports and aircraft. A remarkable innovation in aviation is that an airplane flying on SAF emits up to 80% less CO2 over time than flying on traditional fossil fuels.

We've established a goal to achieve a minimum 30% SAF fuel blend by 2030 as part of our sustainability roadmap. This is a high bar for sustainability in logistics, and we are the only logistics company currently utilizing SAF, leading the charge toward greener operations.

GoGreen Plus: Simplifying Sustainability for Canadian SMEs

We've heard from many small businesses that the quest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can be fraught with challenges. You're already juggling running your business and having to wade through complex environmental regulations, a lack of governmental support, overhead costs, and information overload. 

But you know sustainability isn't just the right thing to do—it's also a business advantage.

50% of digital buyers state that environmental concerns impact their purchasing decisions¹ and 77% of buyers are willing to pay more for a product that is sustainable². 

GoGreen Plus addresses these challenges and opportunities for you head-on by making it easy for you to commit to change:

Simplified Process:
DHL's GoGreen Plus service streamlines emissions reduction by removing the barriers that typically prevent small businesses from taking action. 

Certifiable Benefits:
When you ship with GoGreen Plus, you receive a certificate detailing the emission reduction value. You can use this certificate for your reporting, brand marketing, and more.

From Offsetting to Embracing Insetting:
Offsetting and CO2 compensation, like planting trees, don’t cut CO2 emissions. In contrast, insetting, such as through GoGreen Plus, involves investing in reducing CO2 within your supply chain.

Contribution to a Green Future:
By choosing GoGreen Plus, small businesses directly contribute to a more sustainable future, aligning with the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly business practices.

The Horizon Ahead: Embracing Sustainability with GoGreen Plus

The message is clear: sustainability is within reach, and it doesn't have to be complicated. Our GoGreen Plus initiative is more than just a service; it's a movement towards a more sustainable logistics industry. By leveraging SAF, we're reducing our carbon footprint and empowering small businesses to do the same.

Ready to Ship Yellow to GoGreen? Reach out to learn more about GoGreen Plus and start making a positive impact with your next shipment. 

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We spoke with Nile Coffee Club founders Jahmal, Sandrine, and Taher to learn more about their plans for using the $20K prize—$10K dedicated to international shipping and support and $10K to work with a business coach. 

Here's a glimpse into their journey and their vision for growing global.

Pouring Potential, the Caffeinated Expansion

Nile Coffee Club envisions using the winnings to further prove their concept in Toronto before expanding to other parts of Canada and, notably, the world. "The stipend will help offset some of the shipping costs that often hold us back from doing other things," they explained. "For many Canadian small businesses, shipping is very tight and difficult. This support will help big time." Most of their business happens online, and they see this program as an opportunity to expand. "We met as friends – on a coffee bench. So, coffee and community are our first loves. We're looking to expand our lifestyle offering to reach new audiences and surprise and delight our current ones."

Brewing Beyond Local Borders

Nile's founders emphasized the necessity for Canadian small businesses to look beyond local markets. "For Nile, especially as a Black business, it's about creating a brand that appeals to folks like us and connecting with like-minded, creative individuals globally." There's a lot to love in Toronto, and Nile's founders want to share that. "It's a big wide world with many people, and we all see this brand as an opportunity to talk to those people and connect with them."

Tips for Small Businesses Looking to Go Global

The founders of Nile Coffee Club shared some valuable insights for other small businesses aiming to expand internationally:

• Brand Partnerships: Testing new markets through partnerships can provide a nice welcome. For example, Nile Coffee Club did a pop-up inside KOTN in New York, which helped validate their entry into a new market: "We didn't have a brand presence in New York, but we could see through our collaboration that there was an audience there for us."
• Community Feedback: Nile Coffee Club is a big advocate of bringing their community into building their brand. Some brands use fun surveys to engage with their audience collaboratively to help determine interest. "Asking questions like, 'Where do you want to see us next?' can reveal new opportunities through your community."
• Phased Approach: Nile Coffee Club has been operating for four years now, growing their presence with other like-minded and unexpected partners and has an eye on opening up a physical location in the near future. "We want to do everything all at once, but we recognize our ambition needs to be tempered in a very thoughtful way, which is why we're very intentional about how we scale."

Feeling inspired to take your business global? We're here to support your ambitions for growth and keep you connected to the world.

Pouring Into New Markets with a $20K Prize

With the $20K winnings provided by DHL, Wild Folk is looking to expand its global reach by enhancing its logistics. "We're aiming to streamline our distribution and marketing efforts in new regions where we don't have a physical presence," says founder Dalia Kohen. “Figuring out how to position our product in unfamiliar markets is crucial. This fund will support everything from business logistics to ensuring our products reach new customers smoothly and efficiently."

Navigating the Global Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Scene

As a small business, Wild Folk has faced significant hurdles in their journey toward international expansion. "Financing and funding are major challenges," Kohen explains. "Ensuring a smooth flow of funds while managing stock before it reaches customers is tough. The payment waiting period can be up to 60 days, which adds another layer of complexity."The $10K of business coaching services will help Wild Folk navigate these issues, ensuring they have the resources to manage growth effectively. Dalia is looking to coordinate various logistical aspects, such as border licensing, to ensure shipments make it to their destination. "I have an export plan in place thanks to a trade accelerator program, but piecing it all together is another challenge — the guidance of a business coach helping me out with regional marketing strategies will be invaluable."

Botanical Wisdom for Fellow SMEs with
Global Ambitions

For Wild Folk, thinking beyond local markets is essential for growth. "Calgary has been a very supportive community — and community support is vital," says Dalia. "However, there's potential for more growth and more significant impact in larger, international markets, providing an exciting opportunity for us."

As a Grow Your Global campaign winner, Dalia encourages other Canadian small businesses to remain open to support and new opportunities. "It's easy to get bogged down in daily operations," Dalia advises. "Seek out connections and socialize with others who can uplift you. There will always be ups and downs, but staying connected and thinking big can make all the difference."

Ready to grow global?  We're here to fuel your growth and connect you with opportunities around the world.

WHAT IS SINGLES' DAY?

Move over Valentine’s Day, the singles want some fun, too! China’s Singles’ Day on 11 November (11/11 – all the singles!) was originally conceived by a group of college bachelors who wanted a dedicated holiday to celebrate their singledom. Then in 2009, spotting an opportunity, China’s leading e-commerce marketplace Alibaba began marketing Singles’ Day as a special sales event. Since then, it's become an annual shopping bonanza where it’s not unusual for sales to reach ten times that of an average shopping day in China.

So, how can your e-commerce business take a slice of this very lucrative pie?

Perhaps you’re already selling to Chinese buyers through an online marketplace such as Amazon or Alibaba, or maybe you ship internationally to customers there via your own e-commerce website. Either way now is the time to prepare. Here’s how…

SINGLES’ DAY 2023: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

It’s the world’s biggest shopping day

Singles’ Day sales are bigger than Amazon’s Prime Day and Black Friday combined!(1) In 2021, online sales on JD.com and Alibaba – the country’s leading e-commerce sites – reached US$139 billion(2), setting a new record.

It’s not just restricted to China

The shopping bonanza is gaining momentum across the world. One analysis tracked 290,000 brands from over 90 countries and regions participating in Tmall’s Singles’ Day sales in 2022(3). Of those, 70,000 were doing so for the first time. Will your business join them this year?

Tmall Global is your gateway to the Chinese market

As the largest e-commerce platform in China, you’ve probably heard of Alibaba⁴, a B2B business connecting wholesale exporters in China with countries around the world. The bit you should know about is Tmall Global⁵, Alibaba’s dedicated B2C platform specifically set up for foreign businesses. It allows cross-border sellers to build virtual storefronts and ship products to Chinese customers without the need for a physical entity in the country or a Chinese business license. You can also accept payments in your local currency.

There’s room for everyone

Singles’ Day isn’t just for the big retailers. In the first 28 hours of 2022’s sales, the transaction volumes of 50k small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and 70k SME merchants increased 100%(6).

Chinese shoppers like to buy from overseas brands

According to a survey of Tmall Global shoppers⁷, the leading reasons they buy from cross-border brands are:

Important information to consider when you’re planning your Singles’ Day marketing campaign!

Livestreaming is BIG business

Though relatively new in the West, livestreaming has been hugely popular in China for years. Customers enjoy being able to learn about a product in-depth, whilst for businesses, this engagement leads to greater conversions.

The challenge for overseas brands is to find a video hosting platform with the relevant clearance in China. Instead, they could focus on ensuring their product listings feature plenty of high-res photos, video tutorials and how-to guides, whilst being quick to respond to customer queries on social media.

Sustainability is entering the conversation

Despite Singles’ Day being associated with excessive consumption, in 2021, Alibaba turned its focus towards sustainability by partnering with 14 brands to promote greener production.

Consumers are embracing more considered choices, too: over 33 million of them purchased eco-friendly products on Tmall and Taobao during the 2022 Singles’ Day sales⁸. Meanwhile, keyword searches for green topics including “energy-saving” and “low carbon” surged on JD.com⁹.

Singles’ Day Strategies to Focus on This Year

• Do your research

To appeal to Chinese consumers, you need to know their buying behaviors and preferences. Luckily, we’ve done the research for you: dive into our dedicated China country guide for all the local insights you’ll need.

• Optimize your e-commerce website for mobile

Mobile commerce dominates Singles’ Day, so ensure your customers have an easy, fast and intuitive experience – otherwise they’ll abandon their carts.

• Translate your content

Ensure your website copy and marketing messaging is converted into the local language for foreign browsers.

• Offer payment in Yuan

Provide payment options and gateways where transactions can be done in the Chinese currency.

• Use the number 11 as a hook

Offering a 11% discount on sale items, for example, will show your brand is joining in the fun!

• Offer fast shipping

Chinese consumers may be deterred from buying from overseas brands as they think their orders will be delayed. By partnering with DHL, you can offer customers Express international delivery. Just be sure to highlight it on your homepage to incentivize shoppers.

• Monitor your inventory closely

If something sells out, you need to be ready to quickly pivot to promote another item instead.

The fun doesn’t stop after Singles’ Day! Peak Season is upon us, with Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas still to come too. For advice to help you prepare, check out our dedicated holiday shipping tips.

References

1 – Forbes , November 2022

2 – CNBC, November 2021

3 - Queue.it, September 2023

4 - Alibaba

5 - Tmall Global

6 - Queue.it, September 2023

7 - Digital Commerce, June 2022

8 & 9 - Queue.it, September 2023