88db.com fires up entrepreneurship in virtual space

Philippine-based service portal 88db.com has many good reasons to celebrate its second anniversary with flourish at the Manila Ocean Park recently.

After only two years in the business, the online company has built a formidable website that caters to what it calls “the silent majority,” or the army of freelance service providers, hobbyists, entrepreneurs, small business owners, suppliers and service companies constantly looking for partners, suppliers, subcontractors, talents, skills, projects or part-time workers in typical Pinoy fashion — by word of mouth or referral. Or in other words, for free.

Credit the website for taking the classified ads page online and for totally reinventing the concept of creative marketing of services in the Web 2.0 space.

“Most of us have full-time jobs but it does not stop us from taking on extra jobs to augment our income. How do you tell the world that you have other marketable skills that are useful, and especially if these skills are outside the confines of what one would normally put in a resume?” says Cora Llamas, communication manager and online editor of 88db.com.

Take the case of an office employee who makes wedding cakes or souvenir items, a mother who designs dresses and gowns on the side while maintaining a nine-to-five hospital job, a college student trying to earn extra through private tutoring or assisting in events or gigs, a corporate executive who dabbles in commercial photography.

These freelance entrepreneurs can market their products or services in their neighborhood or within their limited circle of friends and family. But by taking it on the Web, one expands that network by a hundredfold.

“Our website provides a platform for individuals to meet potential customers, suppliers, contractors or partners that could enhance or market these secondary skills,” says Llamas.

“We are not a job site,” she stresses. “We are a medium for connecting people with other people, services with complementary services. We do not charge for these. Our goal is for people to come to our site and use our platform for free.”

In the 88db.com website now, there are over 24 categories for listing services such as flower and gift delivery, building construction, food and beverage, entertainment and films, lessons and instruction, arts and crafts and design, performing arts or computer and IT.

88db.com, however, is more than just an online directory of services. The site is optimized for multimedia so advertisers can post articles and photos for a visually appealing presentation and it is also highly interactive, which makes looking for advertised services a pleasant experience.

Llamas agrees that the Web caters to a highly visual generation, one that is used to interactivity and instant feedback. As such, the 88db.com website is visually appealing, among other strengths.

After only two years on the scene, the concept took off and the site now has a very broad and still growing database of people or groups that provide or are looking for services even in highly unusual lines as getting or giving a feng shui advice, signing up for or offering belly dancing lessons, supplying confetti and other special effects to gigs and shows.

The name of the name is service and it could be as practical as charcoal delivery in bulk, emergency locksmith services, or plumbing services, or as highly specialized as book editing, Web designing, fashion designing or computer programming.

Probably there has never been a more vibrant space in the local Web scene today that fires up entrepreneurship as the Philippine community of 88db.com. Let it not be said, according to Llamas, that in a virtual world, one has no opportunities for work, to earn an extra income, to find customers for a small business or to find services that are useful in everyday life.

So the next time you hear somebody rant that this place, this country, this side of the earth offers no opportunities, stand up and make a statement. Technology is power. Where there are people, there are needs to be met. One can choose to rise to the occasion or just ride and fade into the sunset.