IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Freakfish.com

This week In The Spotlight we are featuring Scott Slater, founder of recently launched Freakfish.com, manufacturer and distributor of on-demand promotional gear.IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Freakfish.com

This week In The Spotlight we are featuring Scott Slater, founder of recently launched Freakfish.com, manufacturer and distributor of on-demand promotional gear. Scott handles sales, marketing, business development and branding for the company. Check out what this promotional merchandiser has to say regarding his sector of the biz!

YNOT: Hello Scott, thanks for being our guest this week. Tell us a little bit about Freakfish… what kind of website is it and what do you do over there?

Scott: Hi Jay, I’m the founder of Freakfish on-demand promotional gear. We are a promotional merchandise provider to the adult online industry exclusively. We launched Freakfish in September 2002, after about nine months of setting up the business.

Our primary focus is to provide the adult industry with all the custom, tangible merchandise, in the quantities needed, to increase revenue, retention and conversions.

YNOT: Whom do you typically serve?

Scott: Our customers so far have been playmates, pets, amateur Net girls, and high-quality photographers that recognize the value of merchandising. The businesswomen in this industry have been quick to recognize the value of promotional products and selling custom merchandise to increase revenue.

YNOT: How do you set yourself apart from your competitors?

Scott: Our business is unique in several ways. First, we have no minimum purchases. When we researched the market we discovered that having to buy 1,000 units at a time was the big obstacle to merchandising. We created a business that overcomes that. We create custom merchandise on-demand, so when you have our storefront installed, your fan makes a purchase and we make that product at that time and ship it out. We also manufacture in quantity so if you are going to exhibit at a fan tradeshow and need a dozen or so of each 8×10’s, t-shirts or mouse pads, we specialize in that too.

We also work exclusively with the adult market. We found that promotional merchandise companies focus on fortune 500 companies or the local softball team and shy away from adult-oriented businesses. These are the ways we set ourselves apart from the competition. Also, we provide sales and marketing expertise free of charge. When you do business with Freakfish, you get 20 years of sales, merchandising, and branding experience with your purchase. We realize that most business owners in this industry are unfamiliar with e-commerce and merchandising so we offer our expertise in those areas as added-value.

YNOT: Can you give us a look into your past? Where you went to school perhaps, or what your life was like before the adult Internet?

Scott: Hehe, I feel like I am in the spotlight here.

YNOT: You are correct!

YNOT: Wow, that’s pretty impressive!

Got any hobbies?

Scott: I’m a gear head. Anything Harley-Davidson. And Bond, James Bond.

YNOT: What do your friends think of your place in the adult Internet world?

Scott: My friends think it’s great and are all clamoring to help, especially with going out and meeting potential customers!

YNOT: Has YNOT been helpful for you in getting to where you are today?

Scott: Very much so, Jay. In fact, a couple of your articles were crucial in all of this. Primarily, you had written in the past about being successful by combining the things you’re good at with the things you are interested in. That type of thinking was how I was able to create the Freakfish business model. I recommend thinking this way to anyone.

YNOT: Awesome!

Any tips on how to make our industry an easier place to work in?

Scott: Yes. As with any business that operates primarily online, better communication is key. We have found that when we communicate with our customers and potential customers on the telephone or face to face we achieve more. E-mail and ICQ are not effective enough communication tools for business.

YNOT: Future predictions for yourself or the industry?

Scott: I predict that as the industry moves forward and embraces new business practices Freakfish is poised to be there to help. Industry wise, FREE porn will also disappear.

YNOT: Any products, shows or upcoming launches you would like to add or plug?

Scott: Yes, we have teamed with DG DesiGns on an interactive storefront that we install on your site free of charge, with the look and feel of your site. It allows your fans to pick an image or logo and the base product they want that image on and we create it on-demand. Imagine your fans being able to say I want that picture on that product, being able to see it right then and buy it. We receive the order, create it and handle all fulfillments from credit card processing to shipping. It is a completely risk-free way for adult online businesses to merchandise their sites.

YNOT: Well Scott, this has been a pleasure and I wish you continued success! You have a very cool concept going over there at Freakfish.com!

Scott: Thanks for this opportunity, Jay. YNOTMasters is a top-notch operation.

Be sure to check out Scott’s Webmaster Profile here at YNOT, as well as his website at http://www.freakfish.com, and stay tuned for more news to come!

Do you know a Webmaster with a great story to tell? Someone innovative, unique or perhaps even entertaining? Tell us about this person for future consideration to be “In The Spotlight” here at YNOTNews!