A Bit About Orange Juice (OJ, that's me!)

My blog takes you to my personal journey as a small business man / online entrepreneur. When I finished my university studies not too long ago, I felt the world is for me to conquer. I will take on a good job, earn good money and live the life that I want to. The sky is the limit!

Was it a happily ever after? Nothing can be further from the truth. And the truth being, I felt the urge to create something I can call my own. There must be some way for me to do that.

So I set up Retail + Bangkok.

What's (Orange) Juicy About This Blog?

Most people who find my blog generally fall under one or both categories. First, you are either someone who is looking to start your own small online business or second, someone who is interested in fashion, lifestyle and culture. You could also be both if you are looking to start your own small online business in niches like clothing, food or travel.

When I started this blog, I must admit I wasn't active in the first 5 months. I was focused on building audience on my Facebook Page. In fact, at the time, I haven't quite figured out whether I want to create a blog or an eCommerce store. While I have over 8 years experience in Sales and Marketing, I have been fortunate enough to have learned quite a bit about online and social media marketing. Does that make me a solid expert in this field?

A short answer would be NO. But, as a lifetime learner, I'm continually immersed in the study of online and social media marketing because the reality is, things are always changing. And I enjoy sharing what I'm learning here on my blog.

Here's What I Blog About (My 2 cents worth... of juice)

My blog is about my personal journey as a small online business man but aside from being an entrepreneur, I also write about topics I am interested in that can also help my small business in some way. Here's what I write about:

• How to set up a small online business

• How Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and other social media tools affect the way we do business

• Learning the ropes of SEO and Online Marketing

• Online Marketing, SEO and Social Media Marketing tips and strategies to enhance your business

• Living and working in Bangkok from a Filipino perspective

• Thailand fashion, food, culture and travel

Why is it called Retail + Bangkok?

When I left my company early this year to start my small business journey, I asked myself - what would be an effective yet inexpensive way to start a small business? Then it dawned on me that the best way is to start small. Start online. Then work my way from there through various methods of using online marketing, SEO and social media.

But I still haven’t answered the question.

I called it Retail + Bangkok because I wanted to start a small online based business focusing on retail products. I didn’t want to sound like a clothing online store because I want the name to be flexible. My long-term plan is to increase my products to include other retail products not just in clothing and accessories. It could include electronics and home decor products in the near future. And I wouldn’t be able to do that if my store is called Fashion Dazzle or something like that. You get the point.

Now looking back, I should have done keyword research. A quick Google Adwords keyword tool would have done the job. But what the heck, I didn't know. I was so eager to get my feet wet. So I jumped right in! I can't delay this any further and I know there will be mistakes and hardships along the way. But I will learn. So I acted on it. I thought, heck, the worst thing that I could do is not do anything at all.

So the next thing I did was to purchase domain and hosting. I selected a decent WordPress theme with eCommerce capability and God knows how many times I've changed my themes. Little did I know that I would leave it hanging and unfinished for at least 5 months! So here I am, more determined than ever to share my personal journey of life and learning.

It is my aim that this blog will add value and be a growing resource for budding solo entrepreneurs (solopreneurs), newbie online entrepreneurs (noobpreneurs), and lovers of Asian culture, travel, and fashion.

Thanks for reading until the end. Cheers.

OJ Quevedo

Retail + Bangkok