Once I “X” out of the advertisement, I’m taking to an under construction site. No photos of their products. Nothing! What a wasted opportunity. I’m sure it wasn’t cheap to sponsor two UFC fighters. People are perhaps looking to buy your products. There’s no excuse for not being prepared after a major media campaign.

Here are some basic things Tokyo Five Jeans should have done to better prepare even if they would still be under construction.

• A special landing page or microsite for visitors coming to the site with UFC, Pete Sell, or Gabriel Gonzaga in the keywords.
• Have some photos of your products or a fashion editorial to tease the customer.
• Have contact info and a mailform.
• Have an about us section.
• Have a Youtube video showing a commercial
• Have a blog. They are easy to setup.
• Link to your myspace, facebook, or twitter page.
• Most importantly, a newsletter to collect email address and other basic information so that you can notify them once the site is launched.

While attending college in the Philippines, I did some part-time modeling. It was probably my most eye-opening experience to date. Being a freelance model also meant that I was my own CEO, CFO, CMO, and CIO.

1) Perception rules

Modeling: As a model, it was all about how people perceived you. Casting directors didn’t care how nice of a person you were (for the most part). If you looked good, you got the job.

Business: In business, it’s how people perceive you is what matters. If you site is ugly but has great products, they may not stick around long enough to find out.

Lesson: Make a great 1st impression. Don’t release a product that’s not extraordinary.

2) Be prepared for rejection

Modeling: The industry is about rejection and I had had my fair share it. I remember attending countless commercial VTRs (Video Tape Recordings) without landing a major role. I was told I didn’t look right, too skinny, too short, too tall….I heard it all.

Business: Not everyone is going to like your products or services. Be prepared for haters out there. Focus on your core expertise and market.

Lesson: Rejection and failure is part of the game, it’s how you react to it is what ultimately matters.

3) Knowing the right people helps

Modeling: I used to get frustrated when I 1st started. I would get many calls for gigs. I was a new guy and didn’t socialize much. This was before we had Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter. The internet was still a baby. All we had was SMS. I only started to get more projects when I did the real-life social networking. Back in the day, we actually had to make friends…not just add them on some website That meant I had to go to numerous parties after a gig even if I was dead tired.

Business: Your 1st customers are usually your family and friends and then their family and friends. If you have a great product/service, it will organically spread to the right people. If it doesn’t, then you have to figure out a way to get them to notice. That means being at your industry events. That means being part of the online community for your industry. It’s a lot easier now with the internet.

Lesson: Be a social butterfly on and offline.

4) Keep track of your non-working hours

Modeling: I used to be happy when I got paid for a gig. At that time, $75-$100 for a fashion show was good money. Then I thought about how many taxis I took, how many meals I bought, how many hours I sat in traffic, and how many  hours I spend during rehearsals/fittings.  When I added up all that time, I would be lucky to break even.

Business: I used to think that just because I used opensource software to make websites, it didn’t cost me anything. I could spend 15 hours a day working on a project. Looking back, my hourly rate was at least $25 an hour.

Lesson: Keep track of your time and know your hourly rate.

5) Like what you do

Modeling: I eventually quit modeling because it wasn’t stimulating enough. I didn’t like waiting for hours doing nothing. I’m sure things are better now (including compensation) but when I was active, it was a brain numbing day everytime I had to wait backstage. After modeling I transitioned to music and the web.

Business: When I first learned about making money on the web, I tried almost every trick out there. I obsessed learning what were the latest search trends and making websites with related ads/affiliate links. I did make some money but was not satisfied.  I didn’t care about the topics I was writing about.

Lesson: Be passionate about what you do or get out.

I’m finally starting my fashion project after months of lagging. The goal is to create a portal where I can sell my clothing line. Simple as that. While I don’t have a lot of products, I can make the right ones. My competition has a budget and is able to manufacture many products while I’m primarily a one man team. My advantage is the web and the audience I’ve built on PinoyTattoos.com. More on the strategy later….

I recently had the opportunity to hear famed designer, Patrick Robinson talk about his philosophy on designing. He said design for yourself. He noticed that a lot of his associate designers under him were working on “personal projects” and not presenting them to him. Their said that they did not share because it was nothing serious and didn’t meet the end customer needs. Patrick gave them the advise that they should share those “personal projects” because they themselves are the customer. Don’t think of yourself as too good or even different from the end customer. You are your customer.

With the free flow of information, cultures, and ideas – we are truly starting to become “one”. His comments are very relevant to technology companies. No longer are you in the elite crowd just because you subscribe to RSS feeds or have your own website. While digital divide is still very much existent, it’s getting smaller everyday.

In my personal experience, I thought that there would only be a few people interested in Baybayin (pre-Filipino Script) but when I setup the site, I’ve had the opportunity to meet hundereds of people who share the same interests.