SME

By FedEx | First published: May 24, 2022    Updated: January 8, 2025

Female entrepreneurs are driving economic growth in Asia. Meet a female-owned SME from China using digital technology to grow her sportswear e-commerce business to new heights.

• Female entrepreneurship in China has surged with the growth of e-commerce.
• As more businesses become online-first, female-owned brands like China’s Musesonly are appealing to new generations of shoppers across the border.
• For Musesonly founder Guo Zhuojun, adopting the latest technology as soon as it emerges is key to staying at the front of the pack.

In the last decade, record numbers of women in China have started their own businesses. The global e-commerce boom has opened many doors. According to Xinhua Net, the proportion of female entrepreneurs in China’s online sector has reached 55%. As well as transforming China’s e-commerce industry, women entrepreneurship presents more ways for females of all generations to get into business.

One successful female entrepreneur is Guo Zhuojun, a FedEx customer who spotted the opportunities that new digital technologies can bring early on.

The growth of female entrepreneurs in China

In 2019, Guo quit her IT job at a software development company to venture into the cross-border e-commerce business. Guo established her sports clothing brand, Musesonly, in response to the growing trend for female sports fashion and athleisure.

Using digital technology, big data analysis and the power of e-commerce to scale up, Guo now exports her brand to more than 10 countries internationally, including the US, Canada and Germany. Annual export volume has reached 350,000 pieces, a remarkable business achievement. To Guo, sports represents the universal spirit of always pushing to achieve better. 

Guo believes that advanced IT and digital integration capabilities are her brand’s biggest competitive advantages. The business environment is constantly changing. Cross-border e-commerce companies need to continue to innovate and take advantage of emergent technologies like AI. What’s more, strong connectivity between digital technology and logistics support is crucial for success.

Digitalization has helped Musesonly improve operational efficiency, reducing costs and increasing productivity. At the same time, the company relies on experienced logistics providers to gain access to global markets.

More ways female entrepreneurs can grow in China

Guo believes that e-commerce presents both opportunities and challenges. In the past, Chinese e-commerce merchants have faced down pressures stemming from COVID-19, business compliance and international relations. 

However, as the international e-commerce market matures, the Chinese government has implemented several supportive policies. Private venture capitalists have also become involved. As a result, more and more Chinese e-commerce brands are appearing on the international stage.

Guo shared advice for female entrepreneurs dealing with the opportunities and challenges of cross-border e-commerce: “Remember to always keep learning. Uncertain circumstances and factors will always exist, so try to accept them. Stick to the original intention of the company and focus on doing business that is helpful to people. If you do that, your company will be invincible.”

How successful women entrepreneurs are inspiring others

As a female leader, Guo believes that gender differences are less of an issue in today’s workplace because businesses are more results-oriented. 

If more female leaders emerge and lead by example in the workplace, they will influence more women entrepreneurs to follow. In China especially, more and more women are breaking the gender barrier and leading the way in industries they love.

When it comes to work-life balance, Guo organizes her work time wisely so she can hang out with friends and family. This focus on balance is reflected in Musesonly’s brand motto: “relax and be inspired in the moment.” Thanks to e-commerce, Guo can share her love of sports with people across the world as she connects with customers in ever-expanding markets. 

In an increasingly digitalized world, female entrepreneurs in China are proving their immense value to customers, the economy and the wider community. Empowered by e-commerce and digital innovation, they are now able to do so on the global stage.