Today, my company launched a microsite, IntroducingSuccess.com, dedicated to providing free, practical advice to aspiring entrepreneurs and small and medium retailers.

You can read more about how the site works in the press release pasted below or by logging on to the site here, but what I wanted to talk about in this post is how the launch represents my attitude to business growth.

As frequent readers will know, when I started DHgate I did so to help small and medium business enjoy the same opportunities which had previously only been available to Big Box retailers. We were the first company to fully integrate all aspects of the cross-border wholesale trade with China on a single ecommerce platform, allowing cross-border trade to be conducted entirely online. This process involved (amongst many other things) designing proprietary technology, attracting the web best systems development professionals, securing investors, educating the market and doing everything we could to make it actually work. It hasn’t always been easy, and the work is far from over, but it has certainly been rewarding to watch it, and its users, flourish.

Creating a healthy, prosperous environment where SMEs have the tools they need to thrive fuels good business for everyone. And I know that that extends beyond transactions; SMEs face other challenges where help is also welcome.

I’m not claiming that one microsite will hold all the answers, but perhaps it is a step in the right direction and may inspire others to invest their time and expertise, too. Being open, proactive and supportive is win-win for all involved – and I’m prepared to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak.

So please log on to the site, offer your opinions or suggestions for improvement here and let me know if it helps. It was created to help you, and I want to make sure it does.

DHgate.com First in China to Launch Virtual Office

New Website is Geared to Help New and Growing Online Retailers

Navigate an Ever-Evolving Industry

China’s leading wholesale marketplace and champions of small businesses, DHgate.com, today launched IntroducingSuccess.com, a virtual office created exclusively to support America’s aspiring entrepreneurs and SME retailers.

The free site serves as a repository of information about starting and running a successful online business. IntroducingSuccess includes detailed guidance on all avenues from website tips to international product sourcing – including practical know-how on increasing profits through easy dealings with China-based suppliers.

The site, a first of its kind in this market, features a team of animated professionals all working for fictional start-up company, ‘SuccessCo’. Each team member has a specific area of expertise, such as Susan Oliviera in Accounting and Richard Cooke in Operations, all headed by CEO and Founder, Maggie Succesco. They share their insights and resources with visitors in an easy-to-navigate virtual office space.

Introducing Success is broken into three primary areas. The first is for ecommerce novices and provides a questionnaire for would-be-entrepreneurs and details on starting a business. The second section which provides content ranging from web design tricks to shipping options is geared towards those who might already be retailing, just not online using an international sourcing model. The last section includes marketing and sales tips that can be used by newcomers or experienced sellers. The site also features valuable information on doing business with China.

Ecommerce pioneer, DHgate.com, is the first Chinese company to specifically focus on helping western business owners get the most out of trade with China by addressing everything from “Chinese Business Practices” and “Choosing the Right Supplier”, to useful resources such as ““Taxes, Duties and Customs Considerations”.

This innovative thinking is typical of DHgate.com and Founder and CEO, Diane Wang.

Diane is an experienced entrepreneur who left senior management at Cisco and Microsoft to start Joyo.com, which she grew to China’s most successful B2C site and was subsequently acquired by Amazon in 2004. Having been an ambitious online retailer with little start-up capital, Diane learned the hard way that international trade with China could be made much easier. She launched DHgate.com that same year.

“DHgate.com takes the hassle out of cross-border trade with China, allowing safe transactions to take place in a few clicks of the mouse. 1.5 million small businesses have been able to grow their profits through purchasing from the 500,000 China suppliers on DHgate.com, and IntroducingSuccess.com has been created to take that further.”

IntroducingSuccess.com is a resource hub that helps with the other fundamentals, and is designed to save businesses time and money.

“It was also important to me that the site doesn’t just cater to those businesses which use DHgate.com to buy their inventory – we wanted it to be a place that ANYONE interested in starting an online shop could go for information. That’s why we used a virtual office and separate URL. “

As a market-maker, DHgate.com adopts a forward thinking business model, based on providing “freemium” (free and premium) services to business owners. IntroducingSuccess.com is a free, value-added service which complements the free membership model offered by the DHgate platform. On DHgate.com buyers pay nothing upfront; DHgate earns its revenue through commissions paid by the seller—only after a transaction is completed successfully.

The company is focused on providing easy access for buyers to learn more about making the most of China’s supplier base and making the most of the boom in ecommerce. They frequently update their Facebook page and Twitter accounts as well as running two popular blogs. Blog.dhgate.com focuses on wholesale trends and The Gateway Blog (www.thegatewayblog.com) shares Diane’s personal advice to entrepreneurs and retailers. With webinars, podcasts and even a YouTube Channel in store for 2010, buyers will find DHgate.com a hub for all their business needs. And starting this month, Diane will also host a regular blog entitled “The View from China” on PracticalEcommerce.com.

As Diane says, “It’s not just about transactions – It’s about leveling the playing field for businesses of all sizes and opening up China to the world.”