Here are some useful slides about Web entrepreneurship models.
The author is Adnan Ali, from UMT.
http://www.slideshare.net/adnanbwp/web-entrepreneurship-models
Monday, June 28, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Dr Anita Greenhill makes a presentation about Blogshops
Dr Anita Greenhill (a co-author of the first known academic paper on blogshops, available here) presented a lecture on her work on the Singapore Blogshop at the American University of Beirut recently. The following is a write up of the event from the AUB website:
From: http://alignwithosb.com/2010/06/anita-greenhill-blogshops/
In order to maximize consumption and purchasing power, young Singaporean girls use blogs to sell used goods or items they had originally purchased, but did not use. These blogs are a perfect example of marketing, as they are highly visually oriented and utilize pictures from mobile phones or graphics from websites or other blogs to feature items.
“What are blogshops?” Greenhill asked. These are pages on host websites, typically www.blogspot.com, and used by females between the ages of 13 to 25, and are widespread in Singapore. In her study, Greenhill sought to study the demography of the process to see if it can be replicated elsewhere. The blogshops tend to market fashion items, and the sellers determine their own rules for merchandising their products; claims such as “If the goods bear any defects or do not look like their photos, I am not responsible,” are quite common. Some sellers also charge fines to their buyers if the buyer is late to their meeting. Meet-ups among the sellers are an obvious networking phenomenon of the process, and represent a cultural component of the business that deviates from traditional meet-ups in which teenagers would otherwise meet up to gossip or discuss the latest fashions.
Greenhill described women’s shopping behavior as determined and irrational. “Women over-purchase, and when they are calm and out of the consumption mode, they find that some of the goods are useless and quite redundant.” Thus, these female teenagers use the web to sell clothing or accessories that they found, after their shopping high, to be useless. The selling of these extras is entrepreneurial in its focus and uses technology to resist capitalist hegemonies. The blogshops business has no budget or investment, and so it is accessible to the masses. On a social level, according to Greenhill, this is a grassroots project which acts as a political form of resistance or participation. Their expertise is local and particular to Singapore. Notably, the youngest female seller that has used the interface was aged twelve, suggesting that the population is becoming more accessible to younger age groups.
For transportation, the sellers utilize the metro system, which is complex and well-organized in Singapore, and therefore increases the sellers’ efficiency. Singaporean female teenagers also make use of social contexts to complete their transactions, as their business practices typically occur without their parents’ knowledge. For instance, some take advantage of paying visits to grandparents, whereby, they would deviate to make a quick transaction in the metro station and then continue their route.
However, the process bears some disadvantages. There is absolutely no privacy involved, and a huge amount of trust is required. “I would not feel comfortable having my twelve-year-old daughter go unwatched with money or goods to some far place in the city to buy or sell items, with all blog users aware of her destination and transaction,” said Greenhill. Moreover, the government of Singapore does not encourage the process because it does not make a profit from the transactions because no taxes or records are involved in the trade.
Though blogshops have their disadvantages in terms of safety, privacy, and trust, the blogshops are truly inspiring as an alternative model of community e-commerce and are admirable as an entrepreneurial initiative for their profit maximization and utility optimization.
From: http://alignwithosb.com/2010/06/anita-greenhill-blogshops/
Blogshops: Singaporean Youth’s e-Commerce Model
Dr. Anita Greenhill of the Manchester University Business School recently gave a lecture on “Blogshops: Technology and Social Networking in e-Commerce.” Dr. Greenhill’s research interests include digital cultural practices, space, virtuality, technology fairness and equity, and e-Government and governance. She presented on blogshops in Singapore in which female teens use technology, particularly blogs, to manage retail and take advantage of e-commerce.In order to maximize consumption and purchasing power, young Singaporean girls use blogs to sell used goods or items they had originally purchased, but did not use. These blogs are a perfect example of marketing, as they are highly visually oriented and utilize pictures from mobile phones or graphics from websites or other blogs to feature items.
“What are blogshops?” Greenhill asked. These are pages on host websites, typically www.blogspot.com, and used by females between the ages of 13 to 25, and are widespread in Singapore. In her study, Greenhill sought to study the demography of the process to see if it can be replicated elsewhere. The blogshops tend to market fashion items, and the sellers determine their own rules for merchandising their products; claims such as “If the goods bear any defects or do not look like their photos, I am not responsible,” are quite common. Some sellers also charge fines to their buyers if the buyer is late to their meeting. Meet-ups among the sellers are an obvious networking phenomenon of the process, and represent a cultural component of the business that deviates from traditional meet-ups in which teenagers would otherwise meet up to gossip or discuss the latest fashions.
Greenhill described women’s shopping behavior as determined and irrational. “Women over-purchase, and when they are calm and out of the consumption mode, they find that some of the goods are useless and quite redundant.” Thus, these female teenagers use the web to sell clothing or accessories that they found, after their shopping high, to be useless. The selling of these extras is entrepreneurial in its focus and uses technology to resist capitalist hegemonies. The blogshops business has no budget or investment, and so it is accessible to the masses. On a social level, according to Greenhill, this is a grassroots project which acts as a political form of resistance or participation. Their expertise is local and particular to Singapore. Notably, the youngest female seller that has used the interface was aged twelve, suggesting that the population is becoming more accessible to younger age groups.
Greenhill says that the girls take no responsibility over any defect in the items they sell.
An example of the highly-visual, graphical blogshops.
However, the process bears some disadvantages. There is absolutely no privacy involved, and a huge amount of trust is required. “I would not feel comfortable having my twelve-year-old daughter go unwatched with money or goods to some far place in the city to buy or sell items, with all blog users aware of her destination and transaction,” said Greenhill. Moreover, the government of Singapore does not encourage the process because it does not make a profit from the transactions because no taxes or records are involved in the trade.
Though blogshops have their disadvantages in terms of safety, privacy, and trust, the blogshops are truly inspiring as an alternative model of community e-commerce and are admirable as an entrepreneurial initiative for their profit maximization and utility optimization.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Blogshops for Men?
That blogshops are predominantly owned and visited by women begs the question: Why not men?
Here is an article from the Spree Crunch website that argues for blogshops for guys.
From: http://spreecrunch.com/2009/06/08/is-blog-shop-only-women-paradise-what-happened-to-male-blogshop-owner/
Here is an article from the Spree Crunch website that argues for blogshops for guys.
From: http://spreecrunch.com/2009/06/08/is-blog-shop-only-women-paradise-what-happened-to-male-blogshop-owner/
Have you always think that sales and marketing is always so natural for women? It’s like they are born to do it? Well, there are no doubt a lot of successful male counterparts, but sales and marketing always seems to rhythm so well with the ladies.
In these instances, blog shop owners are mostly ladies, they ranged from high school teens to middle-aged mums. Occasionally, there are a few men who have also ventured into the blog shop entrepreneurship. Its may be true that most people like to shop based on the service rather than on the gender of the blog shop owner, but women are perceived to be more delicate and patient when it comes to service.
Why should guys start a blog shop too?
There are plenty of reasons to start a blog shop and most of them we have discussed previously before. Of all the reasons, it still came down to earning an extra income and firsthand taste on business.
- Less Competition
Perhaps it’s easier now to be a guy blog shop owner than in the near future, reason being, there are still relatively less men products on blog shops which generally means less competition. If you managed to get hold of some great men products, you may want to contemplate on starting a purely male blog shop. - Different Opinions
You may not realize but some people might just like to buy from male sales personnel. They may like you to offer them another gender opinion. - Huge Demands
In fact, researches have shown that not only females love to shop online, males are equally interested as well and they are getting more. The spending power of males should not be disregarded and there are lot of impulse males shoppers as much as females. - Great Stepping Stone Platform
Starting an online blog shop gave you a great opportunity to test your business skills. You will take charge from sourcing for products to sales and marketing, this is a good training to gage yourself and see if you ready for doing business alone or need partnership.
There may be more benefits for a male to start a blog shop however it will be good for male blog shop owners to share with us those benefits themselves.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Easy Breezy Shopping
Here is an article from The Malay Mail newspaper. It is an interview with a blogshop directory owner whose site Emmagem is one of the most established blogshop directories in Malaysia.
Worthwhile points to note:
1. Blogshops collaborate with other sites (like Emmagem) to create online business ecosystems that bring value to customers.
2. Blogshops do relate to or integrate with increasingly wider ranges of businesses in the fashion industry, for example the evolution of Emmashoppe connects the blogshop culture to local fashion design. This is something worthwhile to track.
3. There are over 2000 blogshops in Emmagem.
Follow-up article is also interesting, about a blogshop owned by a Muslim woman. It is interesting to note her motivations to start the business.
From: http://www.mmail.com.my/content/40080-easy-breezy-shopping
Online shopping has proven itself to be more than a trend in today's fast changing world.
http://theshopaholicsbar.blogspot.com/
http://chicettes.wordpress.com/
FIRST STOP: Head to www.emmashoppe.com (above) to check out a collection of designs by local
designers and more!
3 What if the item has a defect? - "Report it to the blogshop. For those listed in emmagem.com, we do not govern them as we do not take any payment from them but we push home the point that it is important to be honest when in business."
www.kipswit.blogspot.com
Want to set up your own blogshop? It is really not as tough as it seems. Why not follow in the footsteps of this online entrepreneur, mother and wife (by the way, she has a day job too!) and try your hand at online commerce. She makes it sound so easy!
3. What are the major problems a blogshop owner would face?
Worthwhile points to note:
1. Blogshops collaborate with other sites (like Emmagem) to create online business ecosystems that bring value to customers.
2. Blogshops do relate to or integrate with increasingly wider ranges of businesses in the fashion industry, for example the evolution of Emmashoppe connects the blogshop culture to local fashion design. This is something worthwhile to track.
3. There are over 2000 blogshops in Emmagem.
Follow-up article is also interesting, about a blogshop owned by a Muslim woman. It is interesting to note her motivations to start the business.
From: http://www.mmail.com.my/content/40080-easy-breezy-shopping
Easy breezy shopping
Submitted by dominah on Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
Wednesday, June 16th, 2010 12:37:00
Online shopping has proven itself to be more than a trend in today's fast changing world.
In fact, it looks like it is something that will be around for a long time to come.
It provides convenience and affordable clothing, making anyone who has an Internet connection its target market.
What goes on behind the scenes? For a more in-depth look on the mechanics of online shopping as well as some important factors to take note of when we decide upon a picture of a pretty blouse online, we speak to Tan Yet Mee.
She is the owner of www.emmagem.com, an online hub for all things fashion, beauty and lifestyle.
Besides being a hobby of hers, emmagem.com is also home to the first Malaysian Online Shopping Directory (MOFSD), listing over 2,000 blogshops.
Having spent years in the retail line as a buyer, Tan decided in 2006 - on a whim - to start selling jewellery through a newsletter.
"The newsletter looked a little bare, so we also added articles and such on fashion. It then evolved into a website in 2008.
"The whole online shopping section started because we had an intern who was very much into the online shopping scene and after some research we found that there wasn't an online directory at that time, so we set one up."
What started out as a listing of a few online shops has since grown exponentially through the power of word of mouth.
"Once the listing page went up, I started receiving emails from other blogshop owners who requested to be listed and the numbers just kept growing. From there, we also realised that Bangsar was an up-and-coming fashion place with boutiques mushrooming all over so we also did an online Bangsar shopping directory!"
The thousands of blogshops are not lumped together in the directory but categorised into sections like 'plus size', 'muslim chic' and so on. Talk about online shopping made easy.
Tan's fa vourite: A local designer piece by the talented Donna Chew
With thousands of blogshops to choose from, it's sometimes hard to make a choice.
To help out users, the site also features articles on the latest fashion and styles, also suggestions on what to wear.
With the success of emmagem.com, Tan has embarked on a new project, www.emmashoppe.com, an online mall.
On top of her passion for online shopping, Tan is also a strong advocate for the local designer scene and you would normally see her decked out head-to-toe in the likes of Donna Chew, Karl Ng and other local designers.
"I see emmashoppe.com as an avenue for local fashion designers to showcase their products online as well as a different marketing base to allow them to reach out to a bigger scope of people," said Tan.
Her love for designs by local designers stems from the fact that they are different, yet affordable.
"They have a lot of talent and most of the time, they are not expensive to buy. From RM100 for a blouse maybe? Which is the same price or even cheaper than mainstream brands like Zara.
"The best part about buying from local designers is that they do follow the seasons but their pieces remain off beat and unique as they are the ones who determine the end product. I love the uniqueness of it."
Tan went on to cite an example of white shirts. While white shirts are pretty standard, she expressed that her favourite white shirts are those bought from local designers as there are details that make it one of a kind.
"I wish more local designers would dare to experiment, but sometimes there is a compromise due to the commercial side of things. There are those who have made it and there are those who are struggling and that was one of the reasons why we started emmashoppe. com."
emmashoppe.com provides not only a platform for local designers but it's also a means to give back to society.
"There is a lot of work involved for them to set up their own site. What we are looking at is to help them showcase and promote while they spend their time on creating their pieces.
SOMETHING DIFFERENT: A unique white shirt by Terrenz
"We are also working with refugees and indigenous groups to help out with the sewing and beading, using the fair trade system," said Tan, who hopes this will not only encourage local designers but also help the less fortunate.
"We know that as far as Malaysians go, they do not mind doing charity but when it comes to buying apparel and stuff, they will not buy solely based on charity."
With regards to complying with the fair trade rules, Tan expressed that they are still doing research on the guidelines but they will try to comply as far as possible.
"We of course hope to make a profit, but more importantly it gives people opportunities.
"We are also looking at some designers who predominantly design ethnic-inspired clothing as with the beading and other aspects of the apparel as it could provide refugees with jobs and much-needed cash."
On top of being able to make their livelihood easier, it is a sustainable skill that the refugees and indigenous people will be able to take away and use wherever they are, she added.
"I hope that this new chapter we are embarking on will be an example for others. Support local designers, help out some people and also make a profit. It is a win-win situation!"
Her top picks
- What they sell: Brand new and pre-loved authentic designer bags/wallets
- Where they get their products:
- Brand new - Bought during their travels to Europe, the United States, etc, and pre-loved Malaysian bag owners.
- Price range: Brand new are between 25 per cent to 35 per cent cheaper than retail (depending on the brands) while pre-loved are usually 35 per cent to 60 per cent cheaper than retail (varies according to the condition of the bag)
- Why Tan loves it: "They have a good variety of beautiful designer bags, and I personally also find the price and mark-up reasonable. "The store offers virtual-consignments where we only take a maximum 10 per cent of the sale price (to cover advertising services) while retail usually grabs over 30 per cent to cover overhead costs (electricity, rental, etc). Hence, the bag owner could recoup more from their bags," said Tan.
- What they sell: A mix of lingerie, bikinis, bags, shoes, apparels and accessories
- Where they get their products: All sourced directly from the United States
- Price range: Lingerie starts from RM40, bikinis start from RM110, bags start from RM290, shoes start from RM150 and accessories start from RM150
- Why Tan loves it: "They have some very cute bikinis. I also love the fact that their brand selection is varied."
Her tips to begin online shopping
1 Measure yourself from top to toe - "Most blogshops have a measurement chart measuring shoulder, chest, length and such. The only way not to go wrong is if you measure yourself beforehand to see if the measurements fit you."
2 Communicate with the seller - "It is important to email or contact the blogshop if you have any doubt whatsoever. You should know what you are buying into, so do clarify if you have any queries."
designers and more!
3 What if the item has a defect? - "Report it to the blogshop. For those listed in emmagem.com, we do not govern them as we do not take any payment from them but we push home the point that it is important to be honest when in business."
4 What are the risks of online shopping? - "Honestly as in anything there are no guarantees, but with over 2,000 shops listed with us, there have been less than 10 complaints in the years we have been doing this which proves pretty good odds for consumers."
5 What is the best method of payment? - "There isn't really a best method, some shops request to bank in money before delivery, normally people will build up a relationship with the shop and know whether they can be trusted. An alternative is to opt for cash on delivery."
www.kipswit.blogspot.com
MODERN LOOK: Nur Aqidah (right) wearing a colourful shawl and an instant hijab with funky designs on her business blog
The Malay Mail speaks to Nur Aqidah Azizi who runs kipswit.blogspot. com to find out what challenges a blogshop owner faces, and what it takes to set one up yourself.
1. What made you want to start up an online shop and how long has it been running?
It all started during my confinement after I gave birth to my twin babies in July last year. During that period, I was surfing the Internet to keep myself updated with the latest fashion as well as trying to 'rebrand' myself after I gave birth. Along the way, I found a lot of muslimah fashion, including hijabs.
I was amazed and stunned by the design and funky-coloured hijabs, but there was one thing that made me think twice before buying - the price. The hijabs sold on the Internet were quite expensive. Some are almost as expensive as the branded ones.
I thought customers like me, besides wanting the hassle-free online shopping experience, are also looking for reasonable and affordable items, as we also have to bear the shipping costs.
So I thought why not try to sell hijabs on the Internet and try to resolve these issues.
2. What do you sell on your store and how did you decide on it?
What kipswit.blogspot.com sells are up-to-date instant hijabs, with a variety of sizes, colours and designs. Since our customers come from different walks of life, we have to make sure that the design will cater to their preferences. We have hijabs that are targeted for youngsters as well as for middle-aged customers. So everyone will get a little something from kipswit.
3. What are the major problems a blogshop owner would face?
Since this is a virtual shop, most of the customers are strangers to us. The most challenging part is to convince them that we are not here to cheat them. Some customers do feel insecure with online shopping - perhaps due to bad experience.
The challenge is even greater for first time customers. They ask a lot of questions, but I don't blame them. As an online shopper myself, I understand their hesitation despite their interest in our products. Thank God, so far, most of my clients are repeat customers who trust us.
At the same time, our customer base is expanding. However, I have had some bad experiences with customers who misunderstood us and simply accused us as liars. They didn't fully understand the terms and conditions as stated in our blog. From then on, I always remind potential customers to read the T&C (Terms and Conditions) first before making a purchase with us.
4. How do you drive traffic to your site?
Besides Facebook, my blogger friends also help promote kipswit on their blogs. At times, we exchange links with other bloggers, and that proves to be one of the best ways to drive traffic to our blog.
Besides that, joining real life bazaars is also a way to promote the site. From my experience, kipswit's traffic has improved a lot after our first involvement in an independent bazaar. Also, newspaper interviews help a lot.
5. What advice do you have for people out there who want to start up their own blogshops?
I don't think I am qualified to give advice since I am still a greenhorn in this field. However, I believe if you have faith in what you do and enjoy it as much as you enjoy life, things will work out.
Be sincere and never ever cheat. God willing, your humble business blog will surely go a long way!
Another article from Blogshopcity on how to obtain website traffic on blogshops.
This article reveals a chief concern among blogshop owners- to gain attention from visitors in a competitive arena. (It might suggest a lack of SEO knowledge among some owners as well, thus the need for articles like these).
It also points to the role and significance of social media, and it certainly suggests the innovativeness of blogshop owners to obtain traffic that is free of charge (ad-free).
From: http://www.blogshopcity.com/tips-promote-your-blogshop-website-online-business/3090-how-become-popular-blogshop-singapore.html
I was last here on:
06-13-2010, 09:45 AM
This article reveals a chief concern among blogshop owners- to gain attention from visitors in a competitive arena. (It might suggest a lack of SEO knowledge among some owners as well, thus the need for articles like these).
It also points to the role and significance of social media, and it certainly suggests the innovativeness of blogshop owners to obtain traffic that is free of charge (ad-free).
From: http://www.blogshopcity.com/tips-promote-your-blogshop-website-online-business/3090-how-become-popular-blogshop-singapore.html
How to become a POPULAR Blogshop in Singapore
I was last here on: 06-13-2010, 09:45 AM How to promote your blogshop so that it become popular in Singapore. That is the million-dollar question to all the blogshop owners. Whether you just started up or is dying to bring your online shopping business to the next level, this is an important question that you need and must address. In this article, we shall throw our 2 cent worth.
Blogshop Directories
Make sure, you submit to all Blogshop Directories available in Singapore. Just do a google search “Blogshop Directory”. You will find all the directories of blogshops in Singapore. Of course, we are one of them.
Branding - Get your own name if you are planning to do long term
I notice many blogshops is either on livejournal, wordpress or blogspot. If you are planning to do long term business online, we highly recommend you to get your own domain with your own unique name and start building the brand from there. What happen if livejournal is gone one day? We will always be at the mercy of them
Search Engine
It is important for any websites to get their traffic from Search engines, that is the most challenging task for all including us. If 90% of internet users using Google to search for information online include online shopping. Understanding keywords is important. If you are selling dresses, make sure your site pop-up in the top search result when you do a search like “blogshop dresses”
How do you achieve that, is a complex task. At this moment, we highly recommend referral link at this moment. What is referral link, check out below
Referral links
Traffic is classified into three main categories, DIRECT which means user come direct to your website. SEARCH ENGINE which means user comes to your website via Search result. Last is REFERRAL mean that are referred to your sites via another websites.
For example, user come to Blogshopcity, found your site and then enter your blogshop. That is considered as REFERRAL link. Following are some of the sites with high PR ranking for referral links, For example, Cozycot, Flowerpod, Deluxemall, Singaporebrides etc. etc. Always tackle the forum but becareful not to get banned as some forum are very strict on external links.
In our opinion for an infant website, the best way to get traffic is via forum.
Facebook / Twitter.
Get a Facebook fan page and a twitter page for your Blogshop. As Facebook and Twitter are two of key marketing online media now. It is important to start a Facebook fan page or a Twitter page today if you still do not own one.
Content is king?
Some Blogshop owners tell me it is hard to build content on a blogshop. I disagreed. It is easily to build content even if you own a online shopping site. You can always start a shopping tips section like how to tell if the dress is of good material or you can start a blog on your shopping trip? There is so much content you can touch on so let your creative juice run.
Blogshop Directories
Make sure, you submit to all Blogshop Directories available in Singapore. Just do a google search “Blogshop Directory”. You will find all the directories of blogshops in Singapore. Of course, we are one of them.
Branding - Get your own name if you are planning to do long term
I notice many blogshops is either on livejournal, wordpress or blogspot. If you are planning to do long term business online, we highly recommend you to get your own domain with your own unique name and start building the brand from there. What happen if livejournal is gone one day? We will always be at the mercy of them
Search Engine
It is important for any websites to get their traffic from Search engines, that is the most challenging task for all including us. If 90% of internet users using Google to search for information online include online shopping. Understanding keywords is important. If you are selling dresses, make sure your site pop-up in the top search result when you do a search like “blogshop dresses”
How do you achieve that, is a complex task. At this moment, we highly recommend referral link at this moment. What is referral link, check out below
Referral links
Traffic is classified into three main categories, DIRECT which means user come direct to your website. SEARCH ENGINE which means user comes to your website via Search result. Last is REFERRAL mean that are referred to your sites via another websites.
For example, user come to Blogshopcity, found your site and then enter your blogshop. That is considered as REFERRAL link. Following are some of the sites with high PR ranking for referral links, For example, Cozycot, Flowerpod, Deluxemall, Singaporebrides etc. etc. Always tackle the forum but becareful not to get banned as some forum are very strict on external links.
In our opinion for an infant website, the best way to get traffic is via forum.
Facebook / Twitter.
Get a Facebook fan page and a twitter page for your Blogshop. As Facebook and Twitter are two of key marketing online media now. It is important to start a Facebook fan page or a Twitter page today if you still do not own one.
Content is king?
Some Blogshop owners tell me it is hard to build content on a blogshop. I disagreed. It is easily to build content even if you own a online shopping site. You can always start a shopping tips section like how to tell if the dress is of good material or you can start a blog on your shopping trip? There is so much content you can touch on so let your creative juice run.
Cloned Blogshops
Here is an interesting article about CLONED blogshops.
This should add to the fraud and scam issues that face blogshop businesses.
From: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/3552/4132/195238
This should add to the fraud and scam issues that face blogshop businesses.
From: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/3552/4132/195238
Someone copied my blogshop wholesale, even my email!
STOMPer blobzz28's blogshop has apparently been cloned by another website, right down to the email address. The STOMPer was alerted to this when shoppers started asking why the prices quoted in email were different from those on the website.
In her email to STOMP:
"I run a blogshop selling handbags and accessories.
"Recently, I announced that my blogshop will be 'taking it a little slower' as I had to concentrate more on my kids.
"Over the past two days, I had about five buyers questioning why my blogshop prices were different from those I quoted. Obviously some also accused me of being dishonest (even though some of my prices were lower).
"Upon my investigation, I was shocked to realise that another blogshop had copied and pasted my blogshop's T&C, email and other relevant info onto their site.
"To make matters worse, the blogshop owner didn't even bother to change the 'drop me an email' link to her own email address! When I clicked on the link, I was emailing myself!
"Talk about being a lazy blogshop owner! How could she simply rip off my hard work and claim it as her own?
"I emailed the blogshop owner to clarify this matter. No apology at all, she thought it was pretty funny and even added that I should tell those customers that we are not the same person and to direct them to her!
"Now I have to be her free receptionist?"
In her email to STOMP:
"I run a blogshop selling handbags and accessories.
"Recently, I announced that my blogshop will be 'taking it a little slower' as I had to concentrate more on my kids.
"Over the past two days, I had about five buyers questioning why my blogshop prices were different from those I quoted. Obviously some also accused me of being dishonest (even though some of my prices were lower).
"Upon my investigation, I was shocked to realise that another blogshop had copied and pasted my blogshop's T&C, email and other relevant info onto their site.
"To make matters worse, the blogshop owner didn't even bother to change the 'drop me an email' link to her own email address! When I clicked on the link, I was emailing myself!
"Talk about being a lazy blogshop owner! How could she simply rip off my hard work and claim it as her own?
"I emailed the blogshop owner to clarify this matter. No apology at all, she thought it was pretty funny and even added that I should tell those customers that we are not the same person and to direct them to her!
"Now I have to be her free receptionist?"
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Research Design (Draft 1)
I have been working on this for a loooooong time now, and I think I should put this up. (It is the reason I have not updated the blog as much, as most of the writing has moved to this blog).
It is not completed yet, so it is sort of an outline at the moment with some gaps to fill. I will continue to fill out the various sections as I read along on GT methodology.
My reading is now thematic. I had started by reading GT in general, understanding the whole and how the parts relate. Now I am reading according to the various elements like Theoretical Sampling, Coding, etc. and concentrating on the two key works underpinning the Classic GT- Discovery of GT and Theoretical Sensitivity. As I am reading for depth, I am re-reading some parts and going through more slowly and thoughtfully to see how each of the elements bear on my blogshops project.
I hope this draft of my research design can serve as a platform for other tasks I will have to get to soon, notably the PROPOSAL and a paper (or two) that I hope to be able to write for a conference or a journal.
Click on the image for a better read.
Grounded Theory Methodology for Blogshop Research Design (3) Draft 1
It is not completed yet, so it is sort of an outline at the moment with some gaps to fill. I will continue to fill out the various sections as I read along on GT methodology.
My reading is now thematic. I had started by reading GT in general, understanding the whole and how the parts relate. Now I am reading according to the various elements like Theoretical Sampling, Coding, etc. and concentrating on the two key works underpinning the Classic GT- Discovery of GT and Theoretical Sensitivity. As I am reading for depth, I am re-reading some parts and going through more slowly and thoughtfully to see how each of the elements bear on my blogshops project.
I hope this draft of my research design can serve as a platform for other tasks I will have to get to soon, notably the PROPOSAL and a paper (or two) that I hope to be able to write for a conference or a journal.
Click on the image for a better read.
Grounded Theory Methodology for Blogshop Research Design (3) Draft 1
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Going Mainstream
Blogshops, especially in Singapore, are no longer a niche activity, it seems, but are increasingly going mainstream.
The evidence for this are:
1. Many are converting into professional e-commerce sites. They ditch the blog format for more conventional website platforms and utilizing shopping carts, cleaner interfaces, etc.
2. Many of them have physical store fronts (but retain some blogshop characteristics, like in their names). IN Orchard Road, there is a Haji Lane that is populated by small blogshop businesses.
3. They continue to utilize social media, especially Facebook and Twitter. Many of them have moved a significant part of their business on Facebook where they use it as another outlet to sell from.
4. Blogshops also take opportunities to sell their wares in weekend markets, flea markets, blogshop fairs or events that are either specially created for blogshops or that provide one-off opportunities for blogshops to participate.
5. The whole blogshop ecology is developing at a fast rate, especially in Singapore. It is gaining acceptance as there are now many major events that involve blogshops or where blogshops are highlighted.
The event described in the Funny Umbrella blog is one such example. A modelling event that is participated by a major consumer brand (Panasonic) and involving blogshops as fashion providers.
The evidence for this are:
1. Many are converting into professional e-commerce sites. They ditch the blog format for more conventional website platforms and utilizing shopping carts, cleaner interfaces, etc.
2. Many of them have physical store fronts (but retain some blogshop characteristics, like in their names). IN Orchard Road, there is a Haji Lane that is populated by small blogshop businesses.
3. They continue to utilize social media, especially Facebook and Twitter. Many of them have moved a significant part of their business on Facebook where they use it as another outlet to sell from.
4. Blogshops also take opportunities to sell their wares in weekend markets, flea markets, blogshop fairs or events that are either specially created for blogshops or that provide one-off opportunities for blogshops to participate.
5. The whole blogshop ecology is developing at a fast rate, especially in Singapore. It is gaining acceptance as there are now many major events that involve blogshops or where blogshops are highlighted.
The event described in the Funny Umbrella blog is one such example. A modelling event that is participated by a major consumer brand (Panasonic) and involving blogshops as fashion providers.
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