E-entrepreneurs: Who are they?<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Arif and Yenny are not exactly what you would
\ncall avid Internet users. They hardly even use computers
\nthemselves. Surely, not the typical E-entrepreneur profile.<\/p>\n
What this couple does best is running PT Omnimedia
\nCitraglobal, probably the largest mail order company in
\nIndonesia, with 14 years experience. Each year they send out
\nhundreds of thousands of catalogs.<\/p>\n
Before the end of the year, in collaboration with Plasmedia,
\nwww.plasmedia.com, they will launch their own webstore --
\nwww.JohnClaudia.com -- offering exclusive collections of watches,
\njewelry, perfumes and other accessories.<\/p>\n
Even though they are new in e-commerce, they will be running a
\nfirst-rate webstore, sporting many sophisticated features. The
\nwebstore will also be tightly integrated into their existing
\nbusiness operation.<\/p>\n
New players<\/p>\n
In a somewhat unexpected way, Omnimedia stands a better chance
\nof success than many other players. They represent a different
\nsort of e-entrepreneur, one who starts from the business instead
\nof technology. Most of them already run well-established
\ncompanies.<\/p>\n
Their strong potential for success lies in the understanding
\nthat the emphasis in e-commerce should be on the commerce first
\nrather than the \"e\" electronic. The cardinal rule, in any kind of
\ncommerce, is to provide quality goods and services at prices that
\nthe market finds attractive and a solid operation to back it up.
\nA rather obvious rule, and yet it seems to escape many of the
\nother e-entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
The second area of emphasis, technology, is becoming less of
\nan issue. When a company lacks expertise in the rapidly changing
\nworld of web technology, in many cases they actually find better
\nsolutions by outsourcing it to specialists. This method allows
\nthem to select the best partners they can find.<\/p>\n
Taking the e-plunge<\/p>\n
With the right partner handling technical aspects, a company
\ncan get straight to the core business.<\/p>\n
\"Our decision to enter e-commerce is largely due to the
\nsolution package proposed by Plasmedia, called Frontline,\" said
\nArif. \"It lets us control our webstore easily without having to
\nlearn all the intricacies of web technology.\"<\/p>\n
With Frontline, a company can have a full-featured, custom-
\ndesigned webstore up and running in less than a month. Store
\nowners are also equipped with Frontline
\nDirect, an easy to use application to manage the online
\nstore.<\/p>\n
\"The reason behind Frontline is to create world-class e-
\ncommerce websites that require a minimum amount of both initial
\ninvestment and operational cost,\" explained Tony J. Djohan,
\nBusiness Manager of Plasmedia.<\/p>\n
Plasmedia specializes in developing top-notch web and
\nmultimedia solutions for multinational corporations such as
\nCitibank and Standard Chartered Bank.<\/p>\n
The web development team consists of members from various
\nbackgrounds and expertise. This diversity is one of the key
\nsuccess factors in building integrated e-commerce solutions.<\/p>\n
For Omnimedia, this means that they can rest assured their
\ntechnology matters are in capable hands.<\/p>\n
\"We chose Plasmedia to be our long-term partner because of
\ntheir competence in technology and their understanding of our
\nbusiness,\" Yenny said.<\/p>\n
What else?<\/p>\n
Even after setting up a high-quality webstore and filling it
\nup with great products, the work is far from done. Just like the
\nowners of regular stores, online store owners always have the
\nissues of marketing, operation, customer service and production
\nor sourcing.<\/p>\n
At this stage, managing expectations is important. Tony said
\nof Arif and Yenny: \"They believe in the potential of Internet
\ncommerce, and they are willing to commit to it. At the same time,
\nthey do not get unrealistic expectations for their store.\"<\/p>\n
Future e-entrepreneurs, whether new to business or not, would
\nbenefit from their experience. The partnership between Omnimedia
\nand Plasmedia makes a winning combination, resulting in a
\ncompetitive online store. At the end of the day, Internet
\nshoppers get the benefits.<\/p>\n
To learn more about putting e-commerce to work, please contact
\nPlasmedia at 62-21-5484388 or e-mail info@plasmedia.com.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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