She had gone to London in 2018 to pursue her studies. One year later and armed with a Master’s degree, she settled into her job at a fintech company – until the pandemic hit, that is.
The 39-year-old found out soon enough that securing freelance work was next to impossible and growing more desperate by the day, she worried about how she’d make it through the pandemic.
Then an idea struck! She recalled the many friends she knew who loved shopping in London but couldn’t now because international borders were closed.
Believing that she could make a business out of being their personal shopper, she took a chance and set up “bits.ldn”.
“I asked if they wanted anything from here, and I offered to courier it to them. I also noticed that people were cooking more since they were stuck at home, and given that there are a lot of kitchen utensils here which are cheaper and of better quality, I started promoting these to friends and family,” she said.
Despite the initial stops and starts, her business grew by word of mouth and soon her client list got longer. Among the more popular items ordered were English tea sets, place mats, dinnerware, handbags, perfumes, chocolates and even continental car parts.
“These items are either hard to find in Malaysia, or are more expensive,” she told FMT.
Her business strategy is simple – rather than shop directly from a merchant in London, Fazlynn offers her services to shop on behalf of her clients’ and ship the goods to them in Malaysia. Needless to say, she earns a commission for all her hard work.
All a client need do is pick their desired items from the “bits.ldn” Instagram account or from online shopping catalogues. Then send the list to her before transferring the payment. She will take care of the rest.
Besides buying antiques and vintage items for her clients during her travels around England, Fazlynn also puts together personalised gift boxes for those wishing to send them to friends and family living in Malaysia and England.
After enjoying a good run, Fazlynn admitted that business has slowed, now that borders have reopened and courier charges are higher because of the war in Ukraine.
Still, she’s optimistic her clients will appreciate the plus points of using her services instead of shopping themselves while on holiday.
“In addition to the high fees for excess baggage, you also risk breaking fragile items. Plus, I live about thirty minutes from Heathrow Airport, so it’s rather convenient for me to collect the things and courier them on their behalf.
“At the end of the day, if you want something delivered urgently, I can still be of service,” she said, adding that she also has clients from Singapore and Indonesia.
Fazlynn said she finds her job rewarding, especially when clients give her positive feedback. “Even though I did things on a larger scale while I was working in the corporate sector, this job is more personalised, and people are more appreciative of my work; I love that feeling.”
What advice does she have for those wishing to start a business? Research the market and “offer something better” to your client that your competitor isn’t, she said.
“It would be difficult in the beginning as people would have not heard of you, but testimonials and social media posts from your clients can really help spread the word.
“Just take the first step, and deal with problems as they come; don’t overthink or you will never take the plunge,” she said, adding that one never knows the opportunities that lie ahead.
Fazlynn said that she doesn’t come from a wealthy family, having lost her dad when she was six. She also used her own savings to fund her move to London.
She said she realised just how short and fragile life is after her grandma passed away in 2018 and a friend committed suicide soon after. “It made me take the leap and move here,” she said of her life in London.
“With determination and strong will, I think people can get through anything; nothing is impossible. And if you don’t like your current situation, you should try to change that, because your happiness is important.”