Delphine Lau is using an MBA program in France to drive her e-commerce design start-up to new heights.
Delphine Lau used to work for the listed French energy major EDF and has a background in civil engineering. Now she is a start-up founder, running MyCreationDesign.Com from a shop front in Paris where she sells Scandinavian inspired furniture with her husband.The start-up, founded 2012, has grown to have 18,000 visitors to its site each month, which accounts for two-thirds of sales, and has about 500 products listed which cater for homes and offices.
She began the Global MBA at ESSEC Business School earlier this year and says she has benefited from the diverse student cohort as well as interactions with successful alumni-entrepreneurs.
She plans to open a second showroom and expand her product range, and broaden its focus to include children’s furniture.
Why did you decide to begin an MBA at ESSEC Business School, and when will you finish the program?
I worked for EDF since 2008 as a civil engineer. My last project was the construction of a new nuclear power plant reactor in France. From 2012, parallel to my position at EDF, during my time off, I developed a business with my husband.
In 2013, I decided to change my career path because I feel that, although I was passionate about civil engineering, I really wanted to work on my own projects and my own ideas.
But I understood that our business had weak points and I lacked some essential skills. Our strategy, and marketing and communication plans, were not strong enough.
So an MBA program was [an] obvious [choice] for me, as it offered a high-level education and allowed me to enter a network. The Global MBA at ESSEC helps me to have a good understanding of the overall business.
The Global MBA lasts 12 months, but as I got pregnant just before the beginning, my education was re-arranged to last 24 months.
How did you come up with the idea for MyCreationDesign.com?
My husband and I have always been passionate about home decoration. We started to think about setting up a business years ago. We founded the company in 2012.
At the beginning we decided to [trade from] an e-commerce [platform]. We opened the e-commerce store in December 2012, after three months of preparation.
How was the company funded?
We started with our own capital, which came from previous family businesses.
How many online users do you have?
We have around 600 visitors per day; around 18,000 per month.
Do you have mobile access?
No. It is our plan to develop this access.
What percentage of your sales are from the showroom and what percentage are from the online store?
It is hard to say because a lot of customers see the products online, and then buy them in the showroom. Or it could be the contrary. I can estimate that two-thirds come from the website and one-third from the showroom.
Your MBA program was geared towards global business. Do you plan to expand into international markets?
MyCreationDesign.com is a French website and we sell to the French market only. We plan to sell to Belgium and Switzerland from next year.
But our products come from all over the world – China, Taiwan and [other] European countries.
Students in the MBA class come from all over the world, which is a big advantage. I enjoy really sharing my experiences with them and learning from their backgrounds or their different visions of business. The variety of the students is a real wealth and is as valuable as the classes taught.
Paris is seen as hub for design and fashion. Have you been able to leverage your store's location?
Our clients are mostly Parisian, from 30 to 55 years old, with a high level of education. They like our products because they have a unique design, small prices and are perfectly designed for smaller interiors.
Many successful entrepreneurs say an MBA isn't necessary. Do you feel it prepared you well for start-up business?
I have been on this MBA program since September and I already feel more prepared for running a start-up business.
It helps me to be an employer. For example, we have studied management in class. Through the different and diversified case studies, I [now] understand what successful HR [human resources] policies are, what the needs of the employees are in general, and how you can match these needs to the employer’s needs.
Working on leadership also helps me to understand entrepreneurship and how you can transmit it to your team. The global MBA focuses, from the first day, on improving your leadership.
Indeed, in the beginning of the program we went to a three day military boot camp. We did a lot of team exercises to develop our leadership skills in a difficult atmosphere. Not only did the camp help you to develop your decision making skills, but working in team also creates strong links between students.
The Global MBA program also focuses on finance, which helps me to understand the needs of investors.
Finally, the strategy class is very interesting for me. Through the case studies, it helps me to understand how to create value in a ccompany, and to develop analytical excellence, problem-solving skills, and conceptual clarity.
I now better understand what the competitive advantage of a company is, and I apply what I learn to my own company to assess our strengths and weaknesses.
Any there any other ways in which the MBA has benefited you?
ESSEC Business School regularly organizes events for successful alumni who are entrepreneurs to come to speak with current students. These events are rich in information. They share their difficulties and successes.
For me, I now understand how they created their networks, and how they found investors or loans.
Student Reviews
The best intercultural university
There are more than 50 nationality in the grade, so there are opportunities to interact with people from all around the world. In terms of academics, the BBA course offers diverse courses for the 1st
Creativity, adaptability and entrepreneurship
The Master in Management program at the ESSEC Business School allows the students to choose their courses accordingly to their preferences and their professional targets. We can also go through international exchange and take part in internships with companies that are also partners with the school. The school is also next to the city of Paris.
Top business school in France
Doing PhD in essec took some time, to be precise about five years. But the experience was very good and cost effective too. There are opportunities for the student for teaching assistantship and that helps both financially and in career. In the final year I could manage to teach marketing to M1 students and this helped shape my career
Great college
The program is well suited for early professionals with an engineering degree preferably or a degree in economics. I would suggest taking the ceasure irrespective of the experience level as it helps you take your time to adjust to the job market.
Good school in France
I am currently enrolled in M2 in Essec business school. I am specialising in marketing management. The Grande Ecole programme is valued in France and my school ranks very high up. There are a lot of opportunities for internships and CDD.
The program curriculum
BBA program. The program is really practical and useful, provide us many international opportunities. Like internship and humanitarian experience, and the flexibility is also really cool, we can choose different campus and tracks as we want.
International Course
This school is very international and business oriented. Highly recognized by the companies The campus has been renovated and is very functional and modern from now on. Excellent atmosphere. Reputation of essec is a plus
Friends, Career opportunities.
The program I did gave me the opportunity to start in Singapore. I got the chance to know all the students that started there and we bonded and made some friends for life. The career opportunities that ESSEC also gave me were unbelievable.
Practical and useful
I think the best thing about Essec is that it's not focusing on academics rather it emphasizes on future job mindset and professional experiences..
The classes are interesting and we have plenty of workshops attributing to different sectors..
The campus is very nice with a good cafe and wonderful library.
The only problem is the location of the campus. It's quite far from Paris.
Amazing experience! Must try
I think its a very amazing school with great and experienced faculty. Also the alumni network is very solid and useful. The school has a great balance of studies and work experience which is really essential for a student.
GBBA: Diverse, Enriching, and Career-Boosting
My experience at ESSEC Business School has been outstanding. The Global BBA program offers a rich academic curriculum and diverse learning opportunities. I appreciated the chance to study on different campuses, including an international exchange, which broadened my perspective. The social environment is culturally diverse and vibrant, enhancing both my personal and professional growth. The administration is attentive, constantly offering new academic and student life opportunities. The campus facilities and classrooms are excellent. I highly recommend ESSEC for its excellence, global exposure, and career opportunities.
ESSEC BS BBA REVIEW
The English track BBA program at ESSEC is simply exceptional. Courses are taught by internationally renowned professors who are experts in their field. The subjects taught cover a wide range of disciplines from marketing to finance, strategy and entrepreneurship. The English track is a major asset because it allows you to develop perfect mastery of professional English, essential in today's globalized business world. Some students love student life at Essec, which is one of the best in France, but it all depends on taste.
Great program, incredible school
I love almost everything about this school, from the student life to the academic program and the opportunities it provides.
I'm currently at the Paris campus, in Cergy, and I'm really enjoying it.
The BBA program is very rich and diversified, you can start with geopolitics and then finance, what I mean is that there's a great balance between the subjects in this program.
I was also lucky enough to spend a semester at the Singapore campus, and I loved that experience on the other side of the world.
ESSEC is also known for its dynamic and rich student life, with access to several parties a week and the various associations within the school.
If I could recommend just one school, it would be this one - I'm 100% satisfied.
Great experience
First of all, what I appreciate the most is the academic environment. The courses are extremely stimulating and are taught by high-level professors, often experts in their field. The diversity of subjects offered, ranging from marketing to finance, including entrepreneurship, allows you to acquire a complete and versatile education. The group projects, although sometimes stressful, are also an opportunity to learn to work in a team, which is essential in the professional world. One area that I feel could be improved is the management of student events. Although many activities are organized, I have noticed that some events can lack organization or communication, which can frustrate those who want to get involved. Better coordination between the different student associations and the administration could really improve the overall experience.
