Creative Idea Powerhouse

Raising the Philippines Entrepreneurship Competitiveness Index in Global Outlook

I’ve been on and off fly into Philippines for business trip since May last year when we kick start our Philippines operation in May 09. Recently, when I checked back my passport (due to some reason I have to carefully look into my passport, my team mates in SMilDS will know why..) I’ve been entering this country for a total of 12 times (counting the airport custom stamps …) since May last year, practically more than 1 time a month on average. Good enough and thank god, our Philippines operations has started from 2 persons in June 09 to approximately 20 people right now, and have our own operation office in the heart of Makati City. It is never an easy job and thanks to our be loving Platform2u.com Philippines CEO, Mr. Edward’s support, everything come into pictures in less than 6 months.

 The more I get to know this country – Philippines, the more I get to appreciate the setup, support and structure I have enjoyed back in my country – Malaysia. Fellow Malaysian, we have government grant to support and grow entrepreneurs, we have facilities that given to the entrepreneurs for free to use, and we have many programs prepared to groom local entrepreneurs to be competitive in APEC. We have MDeC that keep engaging regional top trainers to train the local entrepreneurs to think out of the box, be innovative, and yet, we heard complaints from everywhere that money is not enough, government is not supportive and so forth. Until now, after I step out from Malaysia and explore the regional opportunities, I will really need to say this truly from my heart, I’m fortunately and proud to be Malaysian. Thank you! When times come, I will for sure contribute back to the country J

This year, SMilDS is planning to launch a massive and large scale program to help raise the local entrepreneurs in Philippines, where we called it SMilDS Connect Program. The program is designed with the objectives to raise the awareness of Filipino towards ‘Run Your Global Business – RYGB’ initiative; groom local entrepreneurs into become social e-Entrepreneurs; and ultimately, create jobs opportunities for the country. There will be training, sharing, workshops, and one after another events to introduce the SMilDS Connect into the community starting from Q2 this year. Anyway, our first SMilDS Connect event falls on this coming Tuesday in the one of the high class hotel in Makati City.  It is a by-invitation function to a group of selective future entrepreneurs in Philippines.  To ensure the future events’ success rate, we will need to be selective on our BETA program participants and keep the ball rolling effects. It is not an easy task to groom and raise the local entrepreneurship in a country, but I know I have a team of experts behind supporting our efforts. What’s more, it is always fun to work with young, energetic, and visionary entrepreneurs, and when we can visionalize the ‘end results’, hundreds over thousands of young entrepreneurs celebrating their achievements!

It all starts from one step at a time. Our first milestone, 19^th Jan 2010 – First SMilDS Connect Program – Your passport to Social Commerce will be live in Inter Continental Hotel, Makati City, 6:00pm sharp (no matter what, we aim to start sharp at 6:00pm Philippines time). Lets the journey begin…

Last year (to be exect, Nov 09), I get to know this book The Presentation Secrets of Steves Jobs from a Slideshare Intro and have post a sharing about this title. Since then, I’ve been searching about this title in many book stores and hardly find any.

1 week ago when I about to fly from KL to Manila, I happen to find this title at one of the bookstore in KL International Airport, and when I looked at the price tag, it was far expensive then I think it should be tag. It was selling at Price Tag of US$40, where the original RP is only $22. I have to give up the book due to the greedy bookstore owner try to make fat margin there…

Today, since I touched down in Manila for a week, finally have times to go and shop for my ‘dream book’ of Y2010.. haha. I am kinda surprise that when I am in Greenbelt, I cant find this title in National Bookstore, or even Fully Booked. Finally I check out my last ‘hope’ at Power Book and yes! I got the last available book in the store… yeppie!

Well, think I am running out of time to crunch out the knowledge inside this book for my coming Tuesday and Saturday presentation, but… hmmm… perhaps my next next presentation.. maybe Can take my sweet time to read this book.

Pretty satisfy wif my slide prepared for this coming Tuesday’s SMilDS Connect, and to my loving and hardworking SMilDS Crews that are still busy preparing for this upcoming event, thank you, and we know this event gonna be an exciting one – a great start for Year 2010!!

SMilDS.COM, the brainchild introduced by Platform2u.com during April in Malaysia, is one of the latest e-Commerce tradding engine. With the complete e-Commerce features and functions build in and bundle with Cross Selling Model, it is the first of its kind in e-Commerce world that able to deliver a mess cross selling machanism, and easily to enable merchants to sell their products to the world without hassle.

SMilDS.COM has been introduced in Malaysia during April, Hong Kong in May, and Philippines in July 4th. Its a remarkable day for the United States for celebrating their national day, and to us, it is the remarkable day for Platform2u.com too, because through Philippines where SMilDS.COM will start to connect to the world marketplaces such as United States, UK, Europe and other Asia countries.

In business today, one must adapt to survive intense competition, rising consumer demands and rapid technology change. The Internet is the next frontier in business where people everywhere can make millions, even from the comforts of their homes. This same power is harnessed by multinationals everywhere who are taking their businesses to the net, servicing consumers’ needs 24/7 all over the world. But how can a start up enterprise, a micro entrepreneur or a struggling local business adapt this change or even compete with that kind of advantage, and how much would that “Solution” be worth?

Platform2U.com Berhard, the rising star of Malaysia’s IT industry launches SMILDS.COM, is the latest 4th generation e-commerce system that makes it easy for anyone to start their very own e-commerce business in minutes. SMILDS.COM is a complete e-commerce software system that offers web tools, customer relations management system, complete inventory management system, payment processing and more. SMILDS.COM lets you to expand your business to the internet with minimal fuss, lets you fully program your web store to update inventory, greet loyal customers, conduct promotions and store customer data that is essential to any internet business. Highly advanced, it is the only e-commerce system that can accommodate cross-selling whereby you can easily have your e-commerce business even without your own products or inventory -perfect start up venture for fresh graduates and budding entrepreneurs.

Developed and operated by Platform2U.com Berhard, SMILDS.COM was awarded MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor) status by the Malaysian government for its innovation and development of this new e-commerce solution. Platform2U.com Berhard processes all transactions of SMILDS.COM from payment, shipping, currency conversion, customer relations and after sales service. SMILDS.COM is definitely a complete e-commerce solution to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and a hugely profitable opportunity for investors. Platform2u.com Philippines, Inc. launches SMILDS.com in the Philippines on July 4, 2009 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. For reservations/inquiries, call Mr. Edgar Canlas, COO of Platform2U.com Philippines. Tel. 875-8558; 886-6190; cel: 0920-9601711; e-mail: edgar@platform2u.com

Today when we having the discussion with one of the editor from local business magazine, something came up at my mind, the yet another buzz word ‘glocalization’ – the combination of the globalization and localization.

I first notice the real big MNC been practicing these, by seperating the operation and management of individual countries into regional, and let the local management team to handle the day to day works base on local culture and organization structure. HSBC, one of the pioneer in introducing glocalization concept, global expertise, local presence sort of stuffs.

When I try to look back into e-Commerce, how many of the big players in Asia really successfully crossing their own countries borders and expand to oversea market? Rakuten is one of the millions who does that up to now. It has been in Japan for a very long time – 10 years, and really step strongly before it make the bold decision to expand its Rakuten Ichiba out to oversea – particulary Taiwan. Who else in this region has ever ‘try’ before? Is that the local market is ‘big’ enough for them, or it is very difficult for these players to take the bold decision to move out? Lelong has passed its 10th year presence and look back, it is still Malaysia boleh only company in Malaysia. That really make us think again, is that being the largest in Malaysia good enough for us? My answer is NO for sure.

Our vision, in Platform2u.com, is to realize the e-Commerce dream in Asia, to be the largest e-Commerce Platform provider that from Malaysia, and cross over to the entire Asia countries. It never be easy. After landing our foot print in Hong Kong, follow by next in Philippines during this coming July, it is the time we take a bold and aggresive move again to reinforce our marketplace in Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Glocalization, will be the spirit, the value, the core of our entire e-Commerce attempt. Be the global e-Commerce provider to help all the SME and SMIs to find the new global marketplace, and continue to help those SME and SMIs to localize their presence each and every countries we establish our foot print. It sounds imposible to help all our SMEs and SMIs to be glocalization companies in past, but during today interview, I have the new insight, yes, we going for glocalization model, to help all our partners merchant to transform them into glocalization companies – IN ZERO ADDITIONAL COST to them. It is a new thing where even Rakuten won’t able to achieve easily, but we will try. When Rakuten bring over few hundreds merchants from Japan to enter Taiwan market, they work very closely and hard to help those Japanese firms to have a local presence in Taiwan through their glocalization attempt, but I believe our model will make a different from Rakuten, easier, faster, and more dynamic.

Glocalization – it will be our brand new focus…. We wish to be to first in China to introduce Glocalization e-Commerce, are we able to buy enough time on this? Is our speed fast enough then the speed of Internet? Let’s the result reveal end of this year 2009…