Update on Business Direction & Life

I always like Sunday to be the day I reflect and if I had my way I would not have any meetings or work scheduled…just to catch up on errands, clean up the “house” (where I am), reflect on the last week, and think about the upcoming week and get prepared to do the best I can do. Just keep thinking about the rather rough (well tiring for sure!, was fun too) and exploratory year I had in 2010, deciding what direction to take….I am feeling much more confident and excited now.

I am addicted to blogging, and sharing with the world what I am doing. But I think it has been really effective…as most people are so afraid of the NEGATIVE of being public online….there is SO MUCH POSITIVE. If people know what my goals are, and my interests, those who agree and have similar visions will come together and help each other succeed. This is the new world, the social internet, and it will only become more open, more collaboration, more compounding and exponential growth as a group, not as individuals.

So let me take today’s blog entry to explain what my business (es) are, as I know even for me its hard to keep up, there is normally in an article the “5 W’s” – who, what, when, where, why, and how. I will mostly cover the what and where.

WHAT: do I do….

1. Internet marketing consulting (SEO, social media)

   I think this is my passion…my calling in life…I wouldn’t call it SEO anymore, sadly SEO (search engine optimization) is getting such a bad name lately….and really the opportunity and growth is in SOCIAL media….which is what I naturally believe I love to do….meeting, networking, connecting over an online medium. I have grown into this business overtime….mostly by friends and referrals seeing my success and interest in it. I have a few projects in China/Hong Kong and USA that I advise and service, leveraging teams in China and Philippines to help me build contents, build links, and overall grow online presence for these clients. This consulting business is what mainly “pays my bills”, as ones following are more in development / growth stages.

2. Ecommerce between USA and China

   Ecommerce is a broad term, but since 2004 and newyorkbarstore experience / bar products business (rough ride for me), its been there to keep my interest in the online world, become an internet marketing consultant (above) and sourcing bar products in China is what got me to Asia in the first place….

   But most exciting now is the Loadpipe “pipe dream” as some call it, connecting USA and China ecommerce is coming alive. Since the beginning of 2011 I joined a great team and exciting opportunity to convert a factory into fiveislands ecommerce warehouse center, being what I’ve always dream of making, a dual ended (China domestic market and a export / USA / international shipping from China) distribution platform and system. It just seems perfectly aligned. And we have a quick page made for a holding company of domains called cyberchina.com limited in Hong Kong to build a massive network of shopping carts and content delivery networks to build buzz and business on the web. So excited about each day’s developments here.

3. South China Coworking / Internet / Ecommerce Meetings, networking

   I have always loved the coworking idea, since back in 2007 working in San Diego I loved the idea of a middle between working alone in your apartment, a coffee shop, or a boring / expensive corporate office. It has always been such a massive idea, SEEMS LIKE SHENZHEN China is well positioned to be next. But community is key, working in boot hong kong coworking, testing some shenzhen ecommerce meetings, and learning Manila, Philippines meetups didn’t have enough interest, I have learned where and how and gotten some people supporting the idea and growing it.

WHERE in the world I am and will be

For those reading this CRAZY blog of my life….may have experienced my near decisions to live in New York or Philippines…..they were VERY close to being reality….and maybe I upset some with changing my mind…this is a rather big life decision, and I have to make the best choice…..

So I took that return flight back to Hong Kong in November last year. It seems like again, I belong in South China, as the opportunities for entrepreneurship and startups is in South China / PRD (Pearl River Delta) are growing exponentially – for me at least….just based on my 1 year in 2010 exploring many places in China, USA, Philippines – money flow (as Warren Buffet tells us – follow the money flow) is all in China now….whether we like it or not, its a fact….and I can feel my business and my opportunities going to China and Hong Kong as the “path of least resistance”. Listening to my heart. this is where I belong for the next few years at least.

So hopefully that helped people understand what I’m up to these days…writing it down has helped me…and may as well publish it to the world and see what people think too, I don’t have anything to hide.