GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 9 - June 2009

Age: 42 Hometown: Mgarr,Malta Currently residing in: Mgarr,Malta Favorite food: ChickenMadras One book everyonemust read: Any book by HenningMankell Sites: footylatest.com betpartners.com Mycontactsknow thatIwillnotwaste their timewith anything that I know is of no in- teresttothem. IfIcontactthem it isusually becauseIhavesomething thatmay interest them. Also,wedon’tdo justadvertising.Wedoall sortsoftransactions–hybriddeals,compe- titions, onlineandoffline campaigns–and wealso lookout for the interestsof theWeb sites as much as the sportsbooks, if not more so.We look for the best deals for all sides, andwith our experience we can see when aWeb site is either pricing itself out of themarketorundervaluing itsproduct.. With so many lines of businesses, time management looks like it would be of critical importance for you. Could you please offer us three time management tips? I’m not sure I’m the best person to adviseon thisas I amavictimof timemis- management. It is so easy topreach rather than practice, but what I can do is list the things that havemade it easier for me on occasions. The most obvious tip is to stay organized at all times. I’ve learned thehardwaywhat can happen if you are not organized. A misseddeadline, amisplacede-mail canbe critical.As longas youget theorganization right youwill find it easier tomanage your day. Secondly, react immediately toe-mailsand requests.Puttinga joboff,notansweringe- mailsquickly,not sendingout aproposal– it all addsup. Thenumberof times I found myself in the past sending out e-mails at three in the morning or doing proposals at that time is ridiculous. If someone asks for a rate cardor asks about your services, respond straightaway and then you will find that you areno longerworking stupid hours. Finally, and thisonesoundsstrange, takea break, take timeout for lunch,go forapint, spend timewith the family, whatever suits you, but take that time away. It is proven that youaremoreproductive if youarenot tired.Mistakes happenwhen you are tired orhavebeenon the telephoneorPCallday. A littlebreakat regular intervals in the long runwill be a benefit. Though like I always say, it iseasiersaid thandone. You recently asked this question on the forums: “Have you achieved the lifestyle youwant bybeing involved ingambling, be itasanaffiliate,agamblerorwhatever it is related to the industry?”Howwould youansweryourownquestion? Notsure, really. I think so, in the sense that I work formyself in a job that I lovedoing. I earn OK, providea certain standardof living for my family,get towatchsportsaspartofmy work,andso ina jobsense,yes, Iwouldsay I have achieved that part. But in other re- spects,no, Ihavenot. Istillhavetofindthat ideal location formy family and deal with the same oldproblem of wanting to spend more timewith them. But all things being equal and onbalance I amhappywith the lifestyle I have created for myself andmy family. What advice would you give someone starting out in the business, especially when it comes to promoting one’s sites? Well, I would certainly advise them to be professional at all times and be prepared toworkhard.Nothing comes easyandyou simplyhave toput the timeandeffort in to get results. You have to think outside the box all the time. Just sticking a site online and do- ing some SEO and link exchangeswill not work; everyone does that. Be creative in your thinking, think offline as well as on- line, be selective in your targeting – no point advertisingEuropean sportsbooks in theU.S. asanexample. We have placed ads in foreign-language newspapers in the U.K., worked on cam- paigns that involved TV advertising in Scandinavia, done billboards at stadiums, advisedonascratchcardcampaign inhun- dredsof localnewspapersandsoon. Doing whatever everyone else does just putsyou inapoolwithmanyotherfish,and competition is very hard. Find that niche market; do something that othershavenot thought of. Yes, you will make mistakes andmaybe losemoney,butwhenyouget it right thenall of a suddenyoufind that you are thedominantplayer in that sector,be it Polishnewspapers in theU.K.orevenEng- lishnewspapers inSweden. Before we stop, tell us three things that nobody knows about you. Wow, that’s not easy. It’s not just what people do not know, but what’s interesting. I could say I have a birthmark onmy thigh but that’s hardly interesting, is it? OK: (1) I brought into theWest one of the very first Rubik’s Cubesever. Ibroughtmineback fromHun- gary,where itwas invented in 1980, before anyone even knew what a Rubik’s Cube was. (2) I have unblocked drains/sewers in four separate countries inmy previous work years ago as a sewer repairman. (3) I haveninechildrenand threegrandchildren and I am just 42–andyes, IdohaveaTV. That’s thebest Icando, really. 47 GPWA Affiliate Interview Series | GPWA Times