November 23, 2017 – Last week was a very special one for everyone at Twill; we achieved our biggest internal business goal, much earlier than expected. I feel very lucky to be the person writing a blog post after such a great milestone was achieved!
I can tell you that there is no one ‘hero’ in our story that made it all happen. Instead, there is a beginning, which is like a hesitant leaf falling on a calm pond. Then after many leaves have fallen, many waves have been made, and a lot of hard work, we feel the sweetness of a momentary success.
Building momentum for change
Our latest milestone moment made me reflect about the difference Twill can make in the world. Will we make any change in the way people go about their lives if we achieve our craziest dreams? Or are we just one more thing out there filling a forgotten space of the market?
It can be a scary thing to ask, but it is something we must answer to ourselves with bold determination. It is only with clarity on the potential impact we can have that we can build the momentum to drive massive change for good. And in order to answer this question we need to look at the helm of Twill: its customers.
The potential of SMEs
Today, our customers are predominantly small and medium companies (SMEs) that are focused on sourcing the best products around the world and bringing them to their customers. These goods imported with Twill include furniture for the tourism industry, tools for home improvement, exciting decorations for celebrations and many others. Our customers enable their local economies to thrive by providing the best products available in the global market while generating jobs and wealth simultaneously.
SMEs are considered to be the backbone of the economy. According to the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), 95% of companies in its member countries are SMEs and they generate 60%-70% of employment in those countries. Around 20% of these companies are also involved in international trade and contribute to 25%-35% of world trade – that’s a huge statistic!
So how does Twill create a level playing field?
When an SME is trying to access global trade it faces many issues. According to the EU Eurobarometer in 2015, the three main issues are: complicated administrative processes (i.e. excessive paperwork), high delivery costs and finding suitable business partners.
Something everybody knows in freight forwarding is that if you are a big player you will get the best service at the lowest price. So guess what you get when you are a small player? That’s right, not the best service for the price paid.
Twill has the potential to level up the ground for SMEs, increasing the level of service value relative to price. We provide access to global trade and enable our customers to win by simplifying the shipping process and building economies of scale so that they can stay focused on growing and scaling their core business.
It is not usual that you get to be part of a venture with so much potential. Tomorrow, when I show up in the office, I will have a big smile and sense of fulfillment because I know with certainty that we are enabling our customers to build local strength with global reach.
– By Juan Cajiao, Twill’s Head of Growth