I started this blog in year 2005 just to check out what's the deal with blogs anyway, and left it eversince. Today, again coming in for 'testing' purposes, and I've realized that blog providers have come a long way. I am a web developer and I've even developed my own blog system (at http://www.myhappyclub.com/) - not yet comparable to Blogger and the like but serves its function. Just a little too busy to upgrade it. I've always loved the idea of blogging but never really had the time.
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| MHC Profile Page - MySpace&FB-inspired |
Nonetheless, here I am joining the bandwagon of bloggers, promissing myself to make some time for sharing the things I've learnt and read about online business, e-commerce, and more importantly, WORKING FROM HOME WITH CHILDREN - a colorful life I've been living for some years now. How qualified am I to write on e-commerce? Well, I've done academic research in e-commerce for my thesis in MIT (if this even counts), and run my own online business (with my hubby), a virtual shopping mall, which I developed myself from scratch - My1Stop Virtual Shopping Mall @ http://www.my1stop.com.my/ ... and that's all I've got in my portfolio. But this is the world of blogging and one doesn't have to have PhD to blog, but more importantly, live it and love it.
Do I believe in the potential of e-commerce? YES. Do I believe online business can produce millionaires? YES. Is that my objective? NO. And if you think of embarking into e-commerce with a mindset that you'll end up as a millionaire, I wouldn't say 'dream-on!' but I'll say ... keep up with the spirit, the dreams ... and * work your butts of doing plenty of research, strategize & restrategize ... coz WHILE IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE, NOT EVERYONE HAS A HEART & SOUL BIG ENOUGH TO REALLY BECOME VERY SUCCEESFUL. Heart & soul? Yeah, coz without it, you're nowhere near success in whatever you do.
When deciding to do online business, we tend to be over ambitious and see things only pretty. We'd think everything will fall in its place and work like a charm. As soon as we launch our website, gazellions of customers will pour money into our pockets simply because we're selling on the internet where there are gazellions of users online ... NOT!!!
Bottom line is online business is still a business and it follows the typical recipe:-
1 tbsp good product
1 tbsp good marketing
1 tbsp good customer service
1 bowl of enthusiasm
1 bowl of perseverence
a pinch of luck and a whole lot of prayer
Of course doing business online has some advantages over traditional brick-and-mortar business that cuts short your route to success by probably 1%. Businesses need not be geographically bounded, marketing becomes more affordable and flexible, just to name a few.
Disadvantages? There are a few, but only a problem for the weak-spirited. Most prominent disadvantage would be the mighty tough competition where your competitor (be it from Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, UK, US) is just a click away. That's what you get from a borderless market --> a borderless competition. * While it becomes easier for you to research others' strategies, others can easily copy you!
If you're wondering whether or not to embark in online business, my answer is JUST DO IT! What to do and where to start? ... boy I've got plenty to share ... in my next posts. Till later!
* I keep this in my head
#1: Dreams are dreams until you do something to make them come true, with Allah's consent of course.
#2: In the fast-evolving & borderless world of the internet where new trends surface as we speak, the creative and innovative will top the league.
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