Chapters

Summary

Dominique Thatcher had joined us in this episode. He shared his insight about the logistics space in Perth. It comes from his rich experience of working in the logistics space. Make sure you don’t overlook logistics when you are running your ecommerce business!

This episode started with the topic of Fremantle Port. According to Dominique, most of the trade volume is coming from by sea. At Fremantle Port, they divide the cargo into four main types. Containerised, non-containerised, liquid bulk and dry bulk.

Ports play a crucial role in the Western Australian economy. It is an economic gateway that receives and distributes goods that are needed for future trade. The port contributes to the state with over $100 million worth of taxes and dividends. The port also ensures the goods are distributed with minimal impact on the environment.

Simon asked about Dominique’s 25 years’ worth of experience at Australia Post. He said he learned about three focus points. Your customers, your people and how you do your business. A business won’t exist without its customers. Therefore, Dominique said it is crucial to understand their needs. However, he warned to not over promise and under deliver.

During his time at Australia Post, the team found out that being the best in the industry is hard. Therefore, they decided to do something unique and new. Dominique emphasised the significance of having a company culture that is innovative and creative. Go through trial and error and celebrate mistakes.

The next topic was the impact of the U.S. and China Trade War. Dominique estimated the war will likely have a severe impact on smaller ecommerce businesses. Tariffs are affected by economic changes. Which then affects the cost of exporting and importing. Since these costs have increased, smaller ecommerce businesses will suffer from lower profit margins.

Continuing on the topic of China, Simon asked about the process of exporting orders to China from Australia. Dominique shared his humble opinion on how to tackle this process. He recommended making a connection with a trusted and recommended Chinese company. However, you will need to pick up the language, policies and business ethics.

Lastly, Dominique shared his opinion on the future of ecommerce. He said in 10 years, ecommerce websites will have AIs that will read our digital tracks. This will help the business predict its stock movement and give ideas for new products. He also recommended utilising the off-peak window for delivery.