Dream, draw and do business!

Hi im Jim, startup blogger, bag vendor, bag designer, a former broadsheet contributor, wannabe photographer and lover of life. Welcome to my UMAY blog, where you simply cant get enough of a good thing. As a kid i was a dreamer, quiet shy sensitive not your typical bully type neither was i smart or sporty.

You can say i was lost with my own world full of ideas, color, self expressions...i was the kid who climbed trees took my snacks up there and stared at the clouds. Wishing for UFOs to snatch me...hehe just stretching it a bit LOL.

Anyway as an adult i grew a brain and horns too...LOL Got involved in the usual adult stuff, responsibilities, payment of bills, entreprenurial skills and getting my staff excited about my work and their jobs. But i still do the things that i like ... i no longer look at the sky with much frequency though but i now love to express myself thru my work. Im a bag designer too! well atleast i try to be. Got tons of ideas and in this blog i like to share part of me that i hope would inspire others to do business startups!

BE INSPIRED. YOU DONT HAVE TO BE TOO CREATIVE. Appreciate and absorb the world around you. Not everyone is born to paint, draw, sculpt, dance, etc. But you can learn to appreciate nice stuff, their aesthetic side and marvel at the skill, talent and creativity of others. After appreciation, you practice at what branch of art you wish to pursue. You can draw, dance, do acrobatics, do paintings, sketches, play a musical instrument, sing etc...the key words are practice, discipline, and exposure. Make the world know that you have something great to offer.

DREAM. As a kid i love to draw, i even sketch at my test paper in school and get reprimanded by the teacher. But even with the distractions in life from school, peer pressure and life's pressure cooker, i never stopped looking at the sky and expressing myself in what i do.

I design backpacks, pouches, promotional bags for the local market and i also do client's requests for their own customized designs.

THE INTERNET IS TEEMING WITH IDEAS. Be inspired of the mind boggling source of ideas you see over the net. Some ideas are simple but some are complex. But i rather apply designs that are simple or even wacky, none too preachy or bold. If you plan to do business startups make sure you work on a common theme and work up from there.

FIND YOUR CORE. You dont need to be too smart to make your ideas into something productive. Make sure your ideas has a market that can compete in a maze of varied tastes and preferences. Belive me even crazy ideas like the one below can turn into cash if you have an eye for design.

YOU DONT HAVE TO BE ORIGINAL ALL THE TIME. Even established brands do copies of their competitors. Just be mindful that you dont cross the line and get sued for copyright infridgement.

Dont be afraid to develop new designs, try new ideas. People are always on the lookout for something different. Mistakes are part of the learning process, your successes will outnumber your flops when you gain more experience with the consumer.

GET A BRAND. It should be catchy, memorable, pleasing to the eye. Your identity as a businessman is best expressed by the brand or businessname that you use. There are plenty of people out there who can help you out in developing your product image and brand name. I created and designed my own brand so you dont need to spend much on it. As for the marketing aspect, i do my own groceries hehe just kidding. There are plenty of resource materials on it.