The co-founder realised that small businesses are overshadowed by large retail chains and is looking to change that narrative through her startup
Lennise Ng has always been interested in creating something new be it an innovative technology or anything to do with disrupting the status quo. Though she initially pursued a career in music, going as far as transferring to the Berklee College of Music, she came to realise that entrepreneurship was her true calling.
As it turns out, entrepreneurship runs in Ng’s family. Her grandfather, a hardworking and dedicated micro-entrepreneur, built his wholesale and distribution business from the ground up and never hesitated to lend capital or support to small and medium-sized enterprise owners.
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Inspired by his act of selflessness, Ng co-founded Dropee, a business-to-business (B2B) wholesale marketplace with fellow co-founder Aizat Rahim in 2017. We speak to Ng about how she is helping local businesses thrive and serve their community by improving their access to fast-moving consumer goods.
I am a big believer in levelling the playing field so that small players can stand equally with the big boys. The key value we provide at Dropee to our customers, most of whom are SMEs, is that we provide them access to stock that would otherwise be difficult for them to access. Many of these retail outlets have a finite shelf space so we also help them figure out the right types of products that are in demand by their community and more likely to be sold fast.
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During the pandemic, many SMEs struggled with cash flow and getting access to financial services. We partnered with financial players and helped our SMEs to get business financing and this include allowing them to order stock and pay back for it at a later date.