So we've started this blog to share with you some of the over lunch, on-the-road, out-at-the-bar, Sunday reading, surfing-online-way-too-late-into- the-morning things.And for all of you to talk back to us. Let's pretend we're at a cookout...there's shrimp and ribs on the barbie, a cold red stripe or white rum n cranberry in hand and nuff tings to talk about and listen to. Let's get started.>

So we’re making the switch. From Cable & Wireless DSL to Flow’s Fibre.
God knows we need it. Guaranteed, always on bandwidth is crucial to our business, and we really couldn’t stand Cable & Wireless's system slow downs from Thursday evening, and forget about surfing on a Friday afternoon. Flow will hook us up by the end of the month, we're moving into sweeter and bigger digs, so we’ll see if we’ll be screaming Viva La Difference or what the hell?!!

A trip to the 47 Half Way Tree Road branch of Cable & Wireless jets you right back to their true DNA - not very customer friendly. Since we're moving into our new digs in less than 30days, we're applying for a landline.

First you are handed a photocopied version of the business application form and after completing it, you hand it to the sole and highly stressed customer service rep there.Previously, when they had offices in New Kingston shopping centre and Sovereign Shopping Centre, you actually got to sit with a relaxed and pleasant rep, they'd input your details into their system and was able to tell you if there is service available in your area, in fact, you left there almost knowing when you'd get the service. Not this time.

You left there with a promise, promise to call you to give you a reference number and information on when you might get your service. For a small and fast growing company this is less than encouraging. But we have no choice, so we wait.That experience alone, along with molasses type internet access and customer service agents who are as helpful as the 30th cup of coffee, makes me feel that Cable & Wireless still doesn't get it. The one reason why Digicel will always beat Cable & Wireless, it's because Digicel fawns over their customers, and makes it their mission to please them, reward them and excite them. And man do they look like they have fun doing it

I wish we could be accused of curry favour because we've done work for Digicel, but we can only call it as we and other colleagues that we know experienced it. It could be perceived that you really can't teach an over 50 year old dog new customer service tricks.But if I'm wrong, I'm sure I'll hear about it.

The past couple of months I've been hearing the same thing. My site is up, but I have little or no traffic or at least not the traffic that I want. How can I get more visitors to my website? What can I do to stimulate traffic? This kind of made it clear that there are companies, small to medium-sized entrepreneurs still throwing up sites without it being part of their overall business and marketing plan, or simply not having a marketing plan for the site at all
.
Without question, putting a website online is not a case of building it and they will suddenly come. You have to work it, like everything else. Marketing your website as with everything else begins with the product/service offering and you have to build out a plan for the site.
But here’s is a mini DIY list to get you started.

According to the Planning Institute of Jamaica, the sales of computers and computer accessories grew by 61% since the 16.5% General Consumption Tax (GCT),the sales tax was removed on April 1, 2005. One of the better decisions by the Jamaican Government.

...so I was just checking to see what you guys do and how maybe you can work with him on this site.

What we say:"Hell No!, Let him do it! The money you save by using him is nothing compared with the cost in time and money required to undo his mistakes."

Yet another reason why customers cannot always be right.

If you have a small company (10 people or less) and work in Jamaica, then you've met THEM. And who are THEY? THEY are represented by the large company marketing person who like small companies because they believe they are too hungry to care about being respected, paid on time or having their ideas stolen. THEY come to get inspired from the creativity and unique ideas, grab as much as they can for as little as they can, because there is always a small company who thinks it's better to suck salt to build a portfolio, thanstand ground on worth from the get go. THEY getaway with it because THEY think, maybe even know that small companies here don't speak to each other, help each other as a culture. And in fact THEY are right!

I remember salivating over this very idea in 1999, when I was just getting into my technology ackee - was working for an American dot com and had just won a Press Association of Jamaica Award for the Internet Guide my business partner Susan and I created and published. The idea was laptops and flipflops...working from home, coming into a small office only to meet clients or brainstorm with other team members and on Fridays we go out for a drink some place to talk shop, laugh, network or hide in a corner and Observer. All quite buttoned down, sorta like Steve Jobs -tees, jeans and sneaker or flipflops

Fast foward to November 1, 2006. I'm there. We're there as a company. Back then, the Jamaican culture wasn't ready for that. They wanted to see you in a big office, a company sign on the door and you in acceptable corporate clothing. Now while we don't go to client meetings in flipflops, myself and Susan and the team we've been building have a pretty decent rep and track record and now that one of the new buzz phrases is virtual office - we're set.

Yeah Jamaica is typically 5 years behind in some things, but technology - it's cheapness and increased accessibility has almost coerced traditional companies to button down and embrace a variety of working cultures and an approach long accepted and legislatively supported in The States and Europe.

So we've gone remote and the team is loving it! 2007...Bring it on!!

The Ecommerce Bill has been passed they say. And of course it misses the radar or traditional mass media. But that's not my point here. The Sunday Observer did a report on the passing of the Bill and had a quote from Minister of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce,Phillip Paulwell that makes me hope he really didn't say this and pray that they took it out of context.

The story said: "Paulwell pointed out that the recently passed e-commerce Bill would deliver greater prospects to small businesses, as they would be able to bypass expensive advertising to reach a greater market via the world wide web."

Fact: Yep the Internet, a website can be a great leveler for a small business. And yes You can get greater mileage, tracking and measurement for your online advertising efforts with a smaller budget than spent in traditional mass media. BUT bypassing expensive advertising to reach a greater market cia the world wide web...ahhh no Sir. I think what you should have said was thet the Internet at this moment offers what traditional media has never been able to offer - measurable results for ad money spent. But the expensiveness or not of your advertising is highly dependent on - your product, your audience, your marketing goals and your offline and online strategy.

The Minister said: "A web presence today can get you into the living rooms of thousands and millions of homes across the globe and that is where we want to be especially if we are marketing to niche areas," the Minister said.

Yes it can Minister BUT: Let's not make it seem so easy, because it isn't and some may take it lightly. Having a website is not a case of building it and they will come. In fact because there are tens of millions of websites online, it's so easy to get lost or become forgotten.

So just like in traditional media- you have to know who your customers are, speak to then in tehir language, make them products and offers they can't refuse or not being offered by your competitor, market online and offline to build your brand. So having a website is not a panacea and uses some elements of the success formulae - a great product, good ideas, targeted marketing strategy, listening to customers and constant tweaking to win the game.

I know they said speechwriting pays, but I hope he didn't pay for that one.

www.kingstonbeta.com
It's an event for people in the technology business and for anyone interested in learning about and discussing the latest tech and telecom trends and ideas with some of the most highly respected entrepreneurs and experts.

Kingston BETA quarterly technology event are for people from all walks of tech life - entrepreneurs, web developers, web designers, hardcore programmers,mobile marketers, bloggers, young professionals working inside tech companies, consultants, investors, journalists and government departments.
KGN Beta is not a sit-down-and-listen event. Our attendees stand up, interact, socialize and swap thoughts and ideas.We’ve pretty much peppered the typical networking event with exciting 15 minute presentations by entrepreneurs and experts and product experiences.

Kingston Beta’s goal is to catalyze entrepreneurial activity in Jamaica’s business/tech capital and beyond. To raise the visibility of the technology industry - its professionals, entrepreneurs, culture of creativity and innovation.

Schedule
6:00 -7:00 p.m. - Networking, Cocktails, Product experiences
7:00 -8:15 p.m. - Entrepreneurs/Tech Experts Presentations
8:15 -9:30 p.m. – Business card giveaways, Networking, Cocktails, Product experiences

WHEN
Wednesday, February 28, 2007

WHERE
The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel
Top Floor
Kingston, Jamaica

WHO
Want to Attend? Get Listed!
Register online when the website www.kingstonbeta.com goes live.
( Space is Limited)

HOW MUCH
JA$600 / US$10
Drinks and Hors' douvres included.

Kingston BETA 2007 is a product of Dutchpot Interactive

SimpleBits
TechCrunch
Signal vs Noise
Alistapart
Digital Web Magazine
Carsonified
Fast Company
TechWatch Caribbean
Read/WriteWeb
Trendwatching
Springwise
JamrockTees

So after a mini conference with Philip, Susan and myself, we decided. We're heading to Future of Web Design in London and the Future of Online Advertising in New York City.
We're gonna test that Virgin plane ride and see if we can get cheaper fares on Spirit.
Ahh yeah plane mek fi tek.

In just ten days we have almost 40 attendees signed up to attend Kingston Beta. The word of mouth has been generous and we're happy about that. We're looking forward to this one and the other three planned for 2007.
see you there.

Lawkkss. We have to big up Prendy's in Liguanea. We had a wicked steamed fish lunch today and chuss mi. Only the bones in the container was left. That thing tasted so good, you ate everything, suck every bone, lick every finger, eat every steamed veggie you wouldn't normally eat plus di steamed bammy.
Must have been cooked in a dutchpot!
It was a lunch special for ongle three bills. Big up to Prendy's, helping to fuel the creativity of our team.

By Mike Baker, CEO of Enpocket

There’s never been a better time to launch a mobile marketing program. There’s a substantial audience of consumers using their mobile phones to send text messages, share pictures, surf the Web, download content and even watch TV. And this audience has shown an increasing willingness to engage with brand communications across these activities. Perhaps best of all, the medium is completely open and uncluttered because most brands are still trying to figure out how to plan campaigns in this burgeoning space. Savvy brands are seizing the opportunity. Here are some rules of the road to get your brand moving in mobile:

1. Provide real value. The mobile phone is your customer’s personal device and you need to respect it as such by ensuring the relevance and value of your brand communications. Why would someone invite your brand into their pocket? They won’t unless you offer them something entertaining or informative. A beverage brand with sports sponsorships might offer downloadable pictures of stars; a maker of allergy medication might offer localized daily pollen count alerts; a consumer bank might offer customizable text alerts about activity in your bank account; a hotel might offer guests confirmations sent to their phone for easy reference at check in; a movie rental store alerts on newly available titles, and so on. Think of conveying your brand as a service to consumers’ personal device.

Did you know there are now more mobile phones in the UK than there are people? Mobiles have become heavily engrained into everyday life and there are few people who don’t use them on a regular basis.

Text messaging has been the runaway success of the mobile phone and increasingly people are now using their devices for more diverse communication such as picture sharing, browsing and downloading from the Internet, video calls and watching TV. The potential reach and scope of mobile marketing is astonishing, but at the moment most companies are still only dipping their toes into this potential gold mine.

So let's look at the basics...

1. Integrate

Mobile marketing is not a standalone tool…yet. The key to successful mobile marketing at the moment is integration, using mobile media alongside other elements to spark further interest. Mobile marketing can offer the perfect facility to drive consumer interest beyond passive viewing, into interacting with the brand.

By Sean Carton
March 5, 2007

I've noticed a slightly funny but disturbing trend lately: all my clients want something called "Web 2.0." Maybe you've noticed it, too. People aren't happy with a just site anymore. Now they want it sprinkled with magic fairy Web 2.0 pixie dust before they're happy.

Who can blame them? It's next to impossible to have a discussion about the Web these days without someone invoking Web 2.0. Popular media, blogs, trade pubs, and technology magazines: are all talking about a revolution we're supposedly in the midst of.

Unfortunately, nobody has any idea what it is.

What a Week we're having.... We've finished moving office, expanding our team, launched a suite of webmade products, handling the upsurge in new business, marketing our June 27th Kingston Beta event which have over 30 people signed up online, had our servers go down because of Scotiabank customer service mistake...but as they say...all typically stuff that happens in a week of a growing business....all part of the dynamism of the wonderful thing called life.
We're loving it.

This Ode to Flow came to me by email from my colleague Sandor. Clearly a graphic designer took the time to do this, probably pushed along through their own personal experience with them. All I did was read, smile and could more then relate. We had them for about 6 months..our service experience was that Flow was slow and that was when it was up. They made Cable & Wireless looked really good. Ahhhh we seem to still be in search of an internet service provider that gives great speed, great price and great service.

Kenya- Safaricom, Kenya’s biggest cell phone firm, on Tuesday launched a money transfer service that will use short message services, which it said was the first of its kind in the world. Reuters reports.
“The product allows its 5.8 million subscribers to use their cell phones to send money in the east African country where it is commonplace for one family member working in the city to support a whole family living in rural areas.
Kenyans will deposit or access the money through Safaricom agents like supermarkets or shops situated all over the country.
Kenya’s Minister for Communication, Mutahi Kagwe, highlighted the opportunity for remote communities: “This will help people in far-flung parts of the country who have no banking services, now anyone can have a bank in their pocket.”
source: ipsh.net

Caribbean Relevance. Now can u imagine this in our very large and lucrative money remittance market. Ahhh so many opportunities here.

China Mobile, the world’s largest operator, added 4.86 million subscribers during January to bring its customer totals to 306.1 million. There is still room to grow. About 65% of the population in the country is still believed to be up for grabs.
source: ipsh.net

What is Web2.0 ?
What's all the hype about Web 2.0, and why should you care? Web2.0 the concept, the culture, the industry after all a slippery beast. No two pundits seem to agree on what it is, but almost all will nod heads on, is how it has and will continue to affect your consumers and consequently your business.

What is clear; Web 2.0 represents an important shift in the way digital information is created, shared, stored, distributed, and manipulated. In the years ahead, it will have a significant impact in the way businesses use both the Internet and enterprise-level IT applications.

Great food and technology help drive my businesses.
As a tech entrepreneur whose office is a Macbook plus two phones, one Digicel and a My Virtual Office phone that works locally and on which my Miami and Atlanta numbers ring, WiFi (wireless internet) is crucial.whether at home, in the small office or wherever I decide to work from that day. The fact is where I have breakfast, and lunch especially, tends to be heavily influenced by where has free and consistent wifi (wireless internet) and of course good food. I seldom have time or inclination to cook anymore.

What is ‘Spec?’
“Spec” means requests like "do something now and show me" or "Do a quick concept first" In other words, Spec is any work requested by which no fair and reasonable fee has been agreed upon.

And the problem is...what?
Well for starters specing requires us designers and developers to invest time, resources brain power and creative juices, all with no forthcoming guarantee of payment.

Shouldn't a client to “try before they buy?”
Maybe so. But look deeper and you will see realize that professional graphic design and web development is about creating custom solutions, not cookie-cutter concepts. Further more, if you have taken the time to put together a body of work or your portfolio, then that should speak for itself along with client references.

A designer's or developers “process” is more than simply banging away at a keyboard or click clicking a mouse. It’s more about understanding the nature of a design, the communication challenge and then using one’s brain to find the appropriate and effective solution.

Marketing your business online is now a business necessity. One way to reach a core base of new and existing customers is through a strong e-mail marketing campaign.For more info click here. Here are some tips to make sure your e-mails get read, and get results.

•Know your goals for the campaign. Should customers buy your product or service, subscribe to newsletters, use your coupon or special offer, or visit you in person? Identifying these goals will guide effective messaging in your e-mails.

•Target your audience. Resist using the shotgun approach. Response rates are typically in the low percentages, so ensuring the right people get the message will minimize your expenses.

•Keep copy concise. Explain the offering in the first two sentences. Attention spans are low, and customers want to know what they are getting without having to read long descriptions.

•Test the campaign on friends and family before sending it to customers. If your grandmother opens the e-mail and knows what to do, chances are your customers will too.

Then hit send, sit back, and watch your bottom line grow.
source:businessweek.com

From Febuary to July this year...whooaa ...talk about a rollercoaster. Collections were slow (try getting a cheque out some Jamaican companies on time); had to ask a member of staff to resign because he started a business in direct competition with us and wanted to remain employed with us while building it.(lol...I know...he was pretty good at what he did too);we owe some money(in the low four figures and non interest bearing, so it's nothing to stress about), so a couple of people are pissed off with me, us, the company; one staff member resigned and who remained we put them contract and expanded our talent pool beyond our shores; we doing the virtual office thing - one in Kingston and another in Atlanta..

Just finished reading The Dip by Seth Godin which came on the heels of The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki. The Dip was great validation. I saw DPI in it, the things we chose to quit, the things we chose to stick with. The switching of operational strategies and the tweaking of business models. Dutchpot is in a great place, we have new products to launch next month, just wrapped up a sweet partnership deal and new business still flowing in by referrals. We're in a good place. We're moving to the NEXT level. After going virtual two months ago - we have no regrets. We simply acknowledged our mistakes, learnt from them, restrategised and now we have wi foot pon di gas and our eyes ever pon di prize and man are we having more fun.

Online advertising will be bigger than newspaper advertising in the U.S. by 2011, according to a new forecast. Veronis Suhler Stevenson's (VSS) annual media research report says money going to online ads will grow by over 21 percent each year for the next four years, when it will reach $62 billion, while newspaper advertising will be worth $60 billion. Web advertising overtook newspapers in the UK in 2006, when spend surged 41 percent against print's 0.2 percent to pass the £2 billion ($4 billion) mark, according to the Internet Advertising Bureau. source:Via FT.com and USA Today.

Jamaican/Caribbean Context: ALready the shift has started in Jamaica. With companies small to large, brands familiar and new seeking more targeted media that assures them full face time with consumers. TV and print ad spend is shifting online. The trick is not many site publishers have been taking the opportunity to put themselves in front of brands to get some of that ad spend. Not even the major newspapers and online mags have taken this super seriously. Even so, there are fresh signs of movements in that area.
1. The ad network BC Ad Group, our of ATL headed by a Jamaican is about launch and at least two others are in the pipeline.
2. Email marketing is going to get more competitive in the next 30 days.

Building Web sites involves three very different kinds of skill—technical, visual, and editorial—and the three must work together, which is why the task is so daunting. Which is why it should be left to the professionals.

What a rollercoaster ride we've had. Here in Jamaica, we watched Dean making a SouthCoast B line for us; we battened down, shopped for batteries, flashlights, tarpaulin; we stored water and prayed for the best. Now that Hurricane Dean has past and we can see almost all the damage done and not done, I feel both sad and glad.

Sad that the South Coast neighbourhoods, small hotels, business places took a good whallop - some houses swept into or swallowed by the sea, massive floodwater damage, possessions soaked and lost, roofs and stock blown away- homes lost, personal and business lives interrupted.I t's going to be a challenge to reolocate, rebuild, get back to a daily routine of living and doing business there. But it will be done, must be done.

And I am glad about the...gottta get up, clean up and get going spirit. No 1988 Hurricane Gilbert mailaise here. Most people seem to understand that a day lost in discomfort, complaining and woe is me, is also a day lost - of living comfortably, relaxing, doing business and making money.

Minutes to 7 am, while out touring after checking on my family and close friends, I saw residents themselves (or hiring walkabout men with electric saws for hire), already beginning to saw and cut offending tree limbs that burst power and telephone lines, or those that fell and blocked streets. Fast Food outlets powered by big and powerful generators started to open up to feed the need for hot breakfasts and ice cold drinks and a feeling that all is well for the most part, we're alive - now how about a Bacon double whopper and large Pepsi to go with it all.

I drove to Port Maria, St Mary and Ocho Rios, St Ann on Tuesday morning to check on relatives and to exorcise my cabin fever and in some places it's almost like nothing happened. You saw the usual foliage damage along junction road, some zinc roofs from corner shops on the side of the road. But it's when you got to the St Mary Banana Estate you saw why farmers will weep for a few more weeks. Hundreds of acres of banana trees where bowed and broken from the 145mph winds.

The Port Maria and the Coastal road into Ochi however was it's usual bustle of people, dusty, dry and sunny self. In Ochi I settled into Island Village's Coco Brown's coffee shop for a cold beer and a quiet read to settle my nerves, my laptop being charged in Port Maria in a friend's office with a back up generator, it's like nothing had happened here. Island Village was open for business and ready to receive a big cruise ship the next day. The place was pretty much empty, but it offered the quiet, clean, back in order environment I needed to personally finish shifting gears from bracing for a Hurricane, back what;s next in building my businesses.

Sad and Glad, I guess that'll be the common sentiment for a while as we collectively mop up, wipe down, reconnect, rebuild and make ready again our personal lives, our businesses.

Yep, where we are, we have light and water. I am using Dial Up to get online and check email and Susan is having DSL connection issues too. It's been three days after Hurricane Dean SouthCoast swiped us- but yes, we're open for business...for the most part. Our Virtual Office service is not yet up, but we're in touch with our Clients ( the one's who have light,water, internet and phone service) to see where things are by mobile phone and email.

But even as being online, checking email and having your mobile phone service up and running means WE are open for business, I know it will be still a few more days more maybe for us ALL( clients, service providers etc) to be really open for business.

Cheers to being back in the saddle.

While the Election TV ad wars rage, my chair is hot, it's busy season for us as a company.
We're adding more local clients, gone into the Caribbean and the USA has come knocking. We're thankful and happy that election is less than a week away.

Regardless of who wins, what is needed is a govt that's serious about BUSINESS. Creating an environment where startups are easy, growth is a done deal, tax incentives are abundant, bureacracy and corruption is minimal,our nation's assets are preserved so that Jamaicans are their prime beneficiaries.

Good luck to the PNP and JLP! Let's see what business will be like on the other side of Sept 3rd.

SiliconCaribe.com - a news and trendwatching blog about who and what's defining the dotcom and telecom industry in the Caribbean, Latin America and the World. I revinted techwatchcaribbean.com and it's been the best decision coupled with seemingly great timing, the viral effect, the traffic, the ad requests....makes us feel good. We're adding new features, writers, categories....we're gunning to be the techcrunch.com of the region.

DUTCHPOTMailcast - It’s not too early to start thinking about holiday marketing — in fact, according to Brandweek, retailers and manufacturers who don’t start thinking now may not make their Christmas 2007 numbers. The Consumer Confidence Index indicated a sharp decline in confidence this season, thanks in part to the housing market/credit crisis and increasing fuel costs. Store traffic is down, and smart retailers are decreasing inventory to avoid markdowns later. Reuters recommends you “temper your projections”, like Target and Talbots are doing.

The good news? The season will be great for online shopping, with 84 percent of consumers spending as much or more online as they did during the 2006 holiday season.