Creative Idea Powerhouse

After yesterday event, everything seems settle down perfectly as what we have decided and expected.

Me and Edward stay back at hotel for breakfast while Dr. Ola has his morning work out session. Perhaps due to exciting event last night, our brain experience the reluctant session and not stay in pace with the time passing by.

We head back to office at 10am and Ron, one of our new partner already waiting for us in the office. I really like this person. He shared with excitement that he has his new facebook account setup and e has added 50 of his friends while waiting for us. Ron is the above 60 man with strong energy and from his military background, I bet he is the man with strong decipline.

As we promised Ron, we go through with him the basic fundamental process for how to setup the account and we can see his passion in learning to master this new toys – SMilDS. We spent 2 hours together to learn through the SMilDS and nothing get more excited to see his passion in SMilDS. I wish we can stay longer here and really push through the SMilDS here.

It does not take long to reach the lunch time and we have a great time enjoying our westerning dining.

Nothing much happen on noon and evening time. We have some brainstorming session with Chris and Lawrence on the system setup site and that’s interesting to share te same passion with them on the same area.

Now, we have a few interesting tasks to work on and we know once all these are done, everything will get very very cool, exciting and crazy! We will make it happen!

Dinner in TGi, as usual, time is passing so fast where we do not have the chance to stop, check in and look back. Enjoy!!!

Today is the judgement day for SMilDS in states because we going to launch our solution to a group of pioneer people who will be endorsing the system. Their action and decision will
decide our destination in USA. We decide to not going out for breakfast and instead having it at hotel.

I took a heavy breakfast and follow Edward and Dr. Ola to office and start to get the hands on the slides. While I’m tuning the site, Ola came by and join me to go through the entire slides. meanwhile, Scot is aside helping us on the preparation of the entire stuffs in putting together tonight event.

Dr. Ola gave a very fruitful and powerful insight to me, and i have to admit that I have learn alot from him through his bold and solid experience in public speaking and human behavior. Am very please to have so many mentors in my life to continue assist me and grow me in every expects of my life. Thank you!

When come to noon time, the biological effect in my body start to drive me into a sleepy mode. Since monday that I was in LA till thursday, I have total 17hrs of sleeping time. I know I need to get my body a rest so I can maintain a good performing state for tonight presentation. Good enough, Dr. Ola drive us back to hotel for a short rest after lunch that took place at the Grill Noodle- a Korean noodle store. it was one of the favorite store for Edward but I think due to my sleepy mood, I didn’t really enjoy the meal well- for first time.

Back in hotel, it took me less then 10min to enter my dreamland. It was a great rest of 2hrs perfect condition sleeps for me. At 6pm, me and Edward is all set and ready to go back office for tonight event.

When we reach at the office, some of the old friends of Edward are already there. Scot, Chris, Lawrence and Norman are busy setup the entire event area. I get to know that Chris will join us in the presentation and that really make me excited. What’s more cool to have the techie experts to share his experience and view on this industry in United States and groom the audience before I was introduce in for my presentation

Both Dr. Ola and Edwards did a great sharing. As usual, Dr. Ola starts the event by giving a strong motivation to the audience, leaving them with high state and introduce Edward into the event. On the other side Edwards drive the audience into a very exciting mood by sharing his passion in building a Long Term value company- a great vision that has inspire me alot and has enroll me completely into his vision and passion all these while beside listen to Datuk. Edward end his talks by sharing the latest Live Camp for So Easy in Philippines to the audience. Again the audience are entertained and inspired.

Dr. Ola continue to introduce Chris into the event and his introduction was very interesting. I like Chris pretty much because he has the kick and passion in what he did. Can see through his eye that this brilliant guy will be someone who can rock the world!

I was introduce by Chris into the event and I have to admit I’m pretty amaze with Chris public speaking skill. He did a great jobs for any speaker who are still very fresh in this area. He did much better than me compare to my time that I jus started to give talks in front of audience.

This will be the first time I stand in front of a group of American doing my presentation and I really enjoy the moment. Truely, American response to the speaker well and there are dynamic and bonding within the speaker and audience, compare to other Asian countries. My talks took more than 1hour, slightly longer than my expecation and time slot given to me but I know I need an hour in nature to keep the audience rock! I think the result and response from the audience are pretty impress and everyone know what the right decision to make at the end of the event, thanks to the powerful closing done by Dr. Ola. He is really a great speaker always!

As result, the first presentation of Platform2u.com and SMilDS.com in United States was declared successful and we achieved more than 100% than our expectation. Next thing, we will go all out and start to promote entrepreneurships, and as always-heropreneurs!! Also, we declare the birth and rise of Platform2u.com USA in 4th March 2010!!

Thank you Datuk, and Edward! Thank you Dr. Ola, and all his committed team including Scot, Chris, Lawrence, Norman and others! You guys ROCKS!!!

The entire event end at 11.15pm. Me and Edward went back to hotel and spend ourselves a luxury dinner at TGI Friday. It was one of the great meals too for the night. Because of our good mood, the dinner also taste beter! Good night America, Good night Carlifornia, and Good morning Malaysia!

We start our third day by havig twice breakfast. Once inside our Embassy Suites Hotel, where we enjoy the yogurt alot, and head back to Corner Bakery for our usual coffee.

This morning marked as one of the most exciting morning in the Entire Platform2u.com USA history until today. We have our entire Platform2u.com USA roadmap draw out and we are once again reaffirming that all the strategies we going to execute in next 9 months until end of Dec 2010 will help us to get at least 1500 merchants in US. It is surely a great start and three of us can surely virtualized the entire end pictures infront of us that we going to celebrate during Christmas this year.

Our entire afternoon was spent in office constructing the slides of the presentation for tomorrow evening. Scot is getting same level of passion with us and all of us are ready to go all out to mark this impactful day of tomorrow for Platform2u.com USA.

Our evening dinner were spent in Cheesecake Factory again and all our mind and passion are focus on tomorrow event. After having our favorite Miso Salmon for third time, I feel I still like it!

We continue to spend the balance of the night preparing for tomorrow content and it is always great to work with passion!!

Good morning LA and I wake up at 4am to experience the early breath of nice air here. Is kinda cold in the morning.

We head to Edward’s favorite breakfast restaurant, Corner Bakery for our first breakfast. I really love the coffee there! Having 2 cups of hasselnut coffee, and it taste yummy! I ordered the combo breakfast and it perfectly suit my Asian taste. We having great discussion in the restaurant for more than an hour before we head to our office at Lambert Rd. West.

It is a nice office at Easy Phamax USA and looking that this office is going to be partly serve as our Platform2u.com USA office, I am getting really excited.

All the team in USA are really cool and great person. I will be working very closely with Chris, Lawrence and Norman on the initial setup of Platform2u USA, of course with help from Dr. Ola and Scot.

I spent my entire afternoon with Chris, Lawrence and Norman in further understand about SMilDS and Dr. Ola is right, he has a great team of people that are perfectly match for this project. Chris and Lawrence shared lots of insight from their experiences and I can see that with these people, SMilDS will able to create a huge impact in US in near future soon.

We head back to Cheesecake Factory for our favorite Miso Salmon as lunch. For diner, we have a great time at CTK restaurant for Dr. Ola’s great recommendation- chicken ‘poh piah’ with slices chicken salad. It taste great yummy and very healthy. I think this is the first time I eat a big bowl of mix vege at one time in my entire live .

The entire trip until today goes very ooth, no jet lack, and full with tons of great news and positive impact. I just can’t tell how much I’m excited about this! Anyway.. It is still early as it is our second day here..

Philippines is a very interesting country when come to everything related to Internet and Digital. Filipino is one of the top 3 countries for reading blog online, texting SMS, posting photo, and top countries with Friendster usage, and growth from below 50th country for Facebook usage to top 8th in just a 12 months period, with more than 2000% growth, topping to more than 8million users. 24million internet users in Philippines right now, aproximately 34% of them are in Facebook now.

While we seeing everything is green in Filipino digital and internet development, there is one single sector that are not been fully develop; or perhaps we should say, has been in ground ZERO since it start. That is the e-Commerce sector. The Philippines e-Commerce has merely reach Peso 5billion (US$ 100M) transaction in Year 2009. Lack of secure payment option, high risk control been installed from Banking Sector to ‘Prevent’ online transaction fraud by impose higher % of transaction, pay the money to merchant after 30 days of transaction, and impose a strict 10% witholding for 90 days period. In short; if you sell something online through VISA or MASTER, you will recieve your payment after 30 days (only 90%) and the balance 10% will pay to you after 90 days. Is this impressive in fraud control? Yes! And think what, which merchant is willing to use your online payment services in this way?

On the other end, integration with Philippines logistic company is time consuming and challenging, and huge fees been imposed for integration charges. So what is the end result. We see some creative merchants who eager to do e-Commerce setting some creative pricing in their product. It set a different price tag for different zoning of customers in term of location. If you from Manila, Cebu or Davao, you all have different price tag of 1 single same product. What else, if you are from USA, you have a new price tag because the merchant need to cost in not only the shipment, but also the additional currencies conversion fees into the price.  

As result, we see a very huge potential for e-Commerce in Philippines. Only 4% of Internet users or less than 1 million internet users in Philippines buy online; where 96% more does not buy online due to payment or logistic challenge. Just imagine, can you accept the concept of meeting up face to face and trade product called as e-Commerce?

Starting from Year 2010, we think we should have a new vision for e-Commerce, where we called it ‘Bridging the e-Commerce Divide for Filipino’. In next 5 years, we wish to close the e-Commerce adoption rate of Philippines as par as in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. On top of that, we also aims to let Filipino exports their local products to the world through the B2C model. Every merchant should easily setup their own e-Commerce webstore, having complete payment gateway that pay them in less than a week, not a month, and not to say a QUARTER! Every e-Commerce webstore should have integrated with e-Logistic calculator to calculate the shipping fees automatically, regardless then consumer is from Philippines, or other part of the world.

In early Year 2010, we make our first announcement during 2 days ago. SMilDS.COM, is now making a call for action. A call for Action for all SME/SMIs to deeply considering to expand their business to Internet. The consumer market is mature, the payment is ready, and the logistic is here to support you.

In conclusion, we have sum up 3 key points to share with you why we believe that in Year 2010, the e-Commerce in Philippines will rise, of course, with SMilDS.com presence and the efforts of our big group of partners to awake this market and make it reborn. It is not 10 years ago in Year 2000 where Internet bubble is booming; not 5 years ago where friendster is making every Filipino crazy about ‘sharing their life stories and photo’; but it is now, this year, where the consumer are seeking for a change, a transformation will rise.  

1. Internet consumer is reaching the point where it is enough to create a strong demand to consume any product sell online. More over, we are introducing our SMilDS VISA card in this coming months, where it will allow any of the consumers to access to a common and easy online payment method.

2. The merchants are more prepared compare to Y2000 or Y2005. Further more, the availability of internet marketing experts and digital experts are widely available in the market. Courses and training can easily find to asssit and develop the merchant into a competence e-Retailer.

3. SMilDS.COM will facilitate a complete e-Commerce platform for Filipino merchants and retailers who looking to expand their business into e-Commerce era with limited budget. If you seek for a simple to use and easy to manage; yet complete e-Commerce solution; SMilDS.COM can offer you a complete solution with only at the price of 1 Starbucks Frap Coffee a day only; which is easily 90% cheaper than any of your daily outlet operating expenses.

To find out more about how SMilDS.COM offers the Filipino merchants a new way to expand their business with very effective costing structure, feel free to contact us at sales@platform2u.com.ph or follow our slide below to understand more!