Blog Entries for The Online Optimiser

The future of eCommerce

mfreidin@smartcompany.com.au — Mon, 27 May 2013 14:00:00 +0100

It’s very easy to get caught up in the operational side of our work lives focusing on the here and now.

My inbox has daily updates from Internet Retailing UK, Internet Retailer USA, Practical eCommerce, eMarketer and Mobile Marketer just to name a few, and to be honest, of late I just delete them unless the title [...]

How to get excited about giving inventory away and counting your cash

mfreidin@smartcompany.com.au — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:54:11 +0100

OK, success! I managed to get you to read the first line of this article with that catchy header.

Yuck! Inventory. Such a dry and boring topic. To be honest, I have been pondering how to write an article about inventory and cash without boring myself, let alone you, for some time.

So, how can I make you excited about stoc [...]

The myth of full service agencies in the age of eCommerce

mfreidin@smartcompany.com.au — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 23:18:15 +0100

It is common today to visit a creative or digital agency and notice that it espouses itself to be a full service agency. As a matter of fact, agencies offering a vast variety of niche services seem to be calling themselves full service agencies.

From creative agencies, advertising agencies, web development agencies to marketing agencies there is no end to the loose usage of this term. So what is a full service agency? Does it truly exist or is the term 'full service' purely another [...]

What does an eCommerce strategy mean to you?

mfreidin@smartcompany.com.au — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 14:00:00 +0100

There are buzzwords for everything in today's fast-paced business environment; words extrapolated to sound more impressive than they really are. Some examples: business development consultant or sales executive. What happened to the trusty old "salesman"?

Ecommerce strategy is, in my opinion, one of those buzzwords or buzz terms that has become so loosely used that it could mean anything.

After all, the word "strategy" is such a wordy and broad-ranging descriptor, which cou [...]

The curly tale of organisational change

mfreidin@smartcompany.com.au — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 22:50:30 +0100

In my introductory article, I alluded to my passion for entrepreneurial business and operational optimisation. So what has this all to do with eCommerce. Let me bring this all together in a story.

In the movie City Slickers, Curly, played by Jack Palance, holds his finger up to Billy Crystal's character and says to him: "Do you know what the secret of life is? Just one thing... You stick to that and everything else means s..." Billy Crystal replies, "What's the one thing?" Palance [...]

Operational optimisation: How to get the most from your business systems

eschmidl@hotmail.com — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 21:15:46 +0100

I was brought up surrounded by entrepreneurs. My father built a jewellery manufacturing business, where he supplied retail chains with mass produced and custom handmade jewellery. He was also an importer and wholesaler and employed around 80 people.

At the same time, I had an uncle that was leading the way in sound reinforcement, designing sound systems for live music events, concerts halls, etc. He too built a business with about 50 staff and, with my love for electronics and tech [...]