The Startup Magazine Toine Rodenburg: Moving Merchandise with MyMalls
Toine Rodenburg is a seasoned international investor and entrepreneur with a knack for spotting trends and opportunities. He has been a driving force in online innovation since the initial dot-com boom of the late 1990s. Originally from Amsterdam, he has conducted his affairs in several global locations over the years, including Curacao and Miami, although he is presently based in Lisbon, Portugal.
These days, Toine Rodenburg is best known as the co-founder of MyMalls, a top-tier online delivery service catering to the Caribbean, Canadian, and Latin American markets. Rodenburg’s vision for a hassle-free, streamlined international shipping service has grown MyMalls into a leading fashion and electronics e-commerce platform, retailing over a thousand brands worldwide.
An avid traveler, Toine Rodenburg credits his experiences absorbing the nuances of different cultures with shaping his business outlook and opening his mind to new opportunities.
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Q: MyMalls has grown significantly under your leadership. What do you attribute this success to?
Toine Rodenburg: It’s a combination of two fundamental elements. First, the idea behind the enterprise was sound. There are lots of people in Canada, the Caribbean nations, and Central and South America who want to purchase certain products but can’t without an American or European shipping address. MyMalls provides a simple solution to that problem, at a low cost and with little inconvenience.
Second, we have an amazing team working for us. Without them, our success would not have happened. Our team is incredibly dedicated and brings a diverse range of skills and expertise to the table. They’re an innovative and adaptable bunch, and always ready to go the extra mile to ensure our customers receive the best service possible. From our customer support staff to our logistics experts who manage the complex shipping processes, each member plays an important role, and recognizing their contributions is only right and proper.
Q: What strategies do you use to maintain strong business relationships with your partners and stakeholders?
Toine Rodenburg: Aside from making sure the business is on solid ground and continuously bringing in a profit—which accounts for a good chunk of maintaining our business relationships—I make sure to engage with our partners, suppliers, and shippers on a wants more than a needs level. You try to go a little beyond what’s expected to make things easier for them – whether that’s through easier communication channels, in-person office visits or lunch meetings, anything where you get a more personal understanding of how they prefer to operate. Those strategies for forming genuine connections are just as important internally.
Q: How do you leverage technology to stay competitive?
Toine Rodenburg: MyMalls is an e-commerce business. We use advanced logistics software to streamline our shipping processes, ensuring our packages are delivered quickly and efficiently. We rely on data analytics to understand customer behavior, allowing us to tailor our services and marketing strategies more effectively. We always look for improvements in our processes, including our systems. We want to optimize our efficiency, enhance our customer experience and stay competitive in our market.
Q: What do you do to keep up with the latest trends and innovations in the tech and e-commerce sectors?
Toine Rodenburg: I read a lot. I keep up with industry and trade publications. I’m always talking to colleagues in the company and outside of it, swapping insights and advice on perspectives we haven’t considered. I’ve got conferences on my schedule to network and learn about new opportunities and innovations. It’s part of the joy of the business, the necessity to stay fresh with information and skills.
Q: You’ve mentioned your travels have informed your business philosophy. How have they shaped your entrepreneurial outlook?
Toine Rodenburg: Travel has shaped my philosophy by expanding my understanding of the human experience, and the vast expressions of it. So it’s just shaped my outlook as a person. But as an entrepreneur, it’s opened me up to opportunities I would never have considered or had access to. Some have worked out very well, some not at all, and that’s to be expected. But to go through the process of evaluating a diversity of business opportunities and markets – that’s what’s given me lessons on the importance of adaptability and open-mindedness, very important traits to cultivate in the business world and in our own lives.
