Friday, July 7, 2006

All Hail Nigeria!

Re: [spiers] All Hail Nigeria!


It will be intresting to see if Nigeria becomes more stable and prosperous,
and thus a better trading
partner.
================

John,

It's my understanding that the Nigerian Scam is the second largest industry
in Nigeria, or at least the second largest contributor to gross national
product. If these former civil servants are looking for work, won't a
significant number of those turn to online scams, which are in fact an
illicit entrepreneural pursuit, supported in their culture (dinner table
talk), similer to drug crops in Afghanistan which florished post-Taliban? Or
are the Nigerian scams goverment sponsored? I am unclear how firing workers
considered "unfit" and "guilty of serious misconduct" will contribute to a
turn around in the culture of their economy. I assume that more competition
for the operation of Nigerian scams will not reduce the "cost" of the scams
to victims. LOL

Malcolm


All Hail Nigeria!

Folks,

Nigeria cut its civil service by 20%, and this after the visit by the Chinese
leader, Hu Jintao.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5158890.stm

This means tens of thousands of workers will be ablwe to join in productive
pursuits, a necessarily
immediate reduction of corruption and misallocation, and a growing market in
China.

It will be intresting to see if Nigeria becomes more stable and prosperous, and
thus a better trading
partner.

John


Thursday, July 6, 2006

USA Money

Re: [spiers] USA Money

John,
How doyou do a letterof credit? Will a bank facilitate one for a fee?

Joseph Gulotta


John Spiers wrote:
Folks,

What this article leaves out, is the fed no longer reports M3, which makes their
argument
even more important...

http://www.lewrockwell.com/decoster/decoster114.html

Regarding M3 non-reporting...

http://tinyurl.com/c2wnu

If you are obliged to ride on the Titanic but don't believe the stories about it
being
unsinkable, then take a lifeboat with you on the voyage. Having your own biz is
like that
lifeboat.

John



Compete on Design!

www.johnspiers.com


Wednesday, July 5, 2006

USA Money

Folks,

What this article leaves out, is the fed no longer reports M3, which makes their
argument
even more important...

http://www.lewrockwell.com/decoster/decoster114.html

Regarding M3 non-reporting...

http://tinyurl.com/c2wnu

If you are obliged to ride on the Titanic but don't believe the stories about it
being
unsinkable, then take a lifeboat with you on the voyage. Having your own biz is
like that
lifeboat.

John


Monday, July 3, 2006

www.protosew.com

Re: www.protosew.com

Roy,

Thanks for your note and your kind words, and congratulations on your progress!

I carefully reviewed the protosew information, and it looks like a first class
outfit to
me. They surely seem to know what they are doing, and I love the way they saw a
problem and developed a service to respond. Yet another self-employment story.

There are two issues here, one is production and one is protection.

As to the prototype sewing, factories normally do this, but as the owner of
protosew
notes, USA companies hate making these samples. Thus the need for protosew in
USA.

Protosew does a great job of outlining the challenges in sample production, and
I do
not doubt they handle the job professionally and efficiently. Then they suggest
manufacturers, in europe and asia, ones I have no doubt are first rate.

The question you have to ask yourself is "how do I make money in this
business?' I
mean this literally and specifically.

For example, since you do not turn a profit filling out your tax forms, you let
a CPA
do that for you. Since you cannot work all the necessary trade shows and run
your
business you let sales rep sell for you. these are two areas where you surely
do not
make money, so you avoid those. So far so good.

But what about making money. When someone buys your product, what are they
paying you for? Sure, they get your pet-manager, but for what part of the
process
leading up to the retailing of the pet-manager are you getting recompense?

Normally, you are paid for the hard work (so hard, protosew offers it as a
service!) of
finding the best place in the world to have a given item made and getting a
sample.
Thus I make this central to my book and classes, how to find the best place in
the
world.

Next I lay out how you make yourself valuable to everyone involved. Doing the
part
no one else wanrts to do, making the part that hurst go away, is where the most
money is. (Not to forget the lifestyle of working on what we love is a major
compensation).

So let me be specific: I'd argue that your job is to find a company overseas to
do
exactly what protosew does. Read protosew's excellent review of the process and
problems. Every point they say "leave to us" should be things you yourself
become
expert in. This is what you will be paid for.

Now, certainly you can decide to have the great ideas, and work with protosew to
get
samples. And protosew rightfully mentions you still need to get customers.

And here is the reality of small business marketplace: the marketplace will
suggest
changes on every item you introduce, and each change will make your product all
the
more popular. As you continually change, protosew will be charging you for each
change, and this could become quite the cost center. On the other hand, if you
are
learning all that protosew knows, you earn the money, doing what you love.

As you know from the book, I am against patent protection, and largely because
the
item will be changing so much, at least that is where the profits are, in
change, that
soon enough your products are so far away from what was patented as to make the
patent desultory.

The way I see it, we have an idea that is pretty good, we make a prtototype, and
get it
going in the market. Based on feedback, we ever improve the item, and add items
that sell witrh our item. We are investing $5000 and grossing $10,000 (say) and
keep
the item as long as we are. Soon enough, because of alternatives in the market,
we
find we are investing $5000 and groosing $9000, that is to say we experience
diminishing returns, so we introduce new and better items based on customer
feedback. thus we maintain the invest $5000 and gorss $10,000.

The fact that at some point downstream, someone with economies of scale in
manufacturing, finance, distribution, etc has taken our idea and is now selling
it for a
lower cost to very many people is nothing to me. Those customers who are
attracted
to the item at the lower cost were never mine anyway, since I could not reach
them,
That someone is making money serving people I could never reach is nothing to
me.

The hypothetical case that someone will steal my idea and get rich is extremely
remote even if my product makes we wealthy, why should I spend time and money
defending something that will likely never be "attacked", and if attacked, it is
nothing
to me anyway?

Business is all about adjusting constantly anyway, so don't worry about any
advice I
give. the main thing right now is get orders. Try to buy your idea now at
upscale
stores, and get them to say "good idea and does not exist" If that process is
not in
the cards, get the prototype and walk into the retailers who you'd expect to
sell this
item, and ask them not for orders, but if it is something they would buy for
their
stores.

If so, ask them for the reps they like the most, and call that rep.

Or maybe you already have the customer problem solved... either way, do keep me
updated.


John

--- In spiers@yahoogroups.com, "John Spiers" wrote:
>
> Hello John,
>
> My name is Roy Gilbert and I took your "Importing as a Small Business" class
> at San Diego State a few months ago. Since then the following has happened:
> - Invented a new product for the Pet Supply industry. (www.RGPetComm.com)
> - I have a Provisional Patent
> - I quit my job to work on my business full-time: RG PetComm
> - Trademarked "SmartWalk Manager" the name of my product
> - Working with an aluminum fabricator to make a prototype the metal portion
> of my product
> - Working with www.protosew.com to make the nylon fabric pouch prototype for
> my product. Part of their package is to give me guidance on how to setup
> contract manufacturing in China for the pouch. I've enclosed all of the
> documents that they've sent to me for your perusal.
> - My next step is to follow your advice once I get the prototypes: Get
> orders, arrange financing, order the product from overseas, take a markup,
> sell and reinvest....
>
> I also purchased your book which has been invaluable. The other book I
> could not have done without is "Patent it Yourself.
>
> Can you peruse the enclosed documents and let me know what you think ...
>
> Please put me on your listserv. I look forward to hearing from you soon ...
>
> Thanks,
>
> Roy Gilbert, Jr.
> RG PetComm
> Web: www.RGPetComm.com


www.protosew.com

www.protosew.com

Hello John,

My name is Roy Gilbert and I took your "Importing as a Small Business" class
at San Diego State a few months ago. Since then the following has happened:
- Invented a new product for the Pet Supply industry. (www.RGPetComm.com)
- I have a Provisional Patent
- I quit my job to work on my business full-time: RG PetComm
- Trademarked "SmartWalk Manager" the name of my product
- Working with an aluminum fabricator to make a prototype the metal portion
of my product
- Working with www.protosew.com to make the nylon fabric pouch prototype for
my product. Part of their package is to give me guidance on how to setup
contract manufacturing in China for the pouch. I've enclosed all of the
documents that they've sent to me for your perusal.
- My next step is to follow your advice once I get the prototypes: Get
orders, arrange financing, order the product from overseas, take a markup,
sell and reinvest....

I also purchased your book which has been invaluable. The other book I
could not have done without is "Patent it Yourself.

Can you peruse the enclosed documents and let me know what you think ...

Please put me on your listserv. I look forward to hearing from you soon ...

Thanks,

Roy Gilbert, Jr.
RG PetComm
Web: www.RGPetComm.com


www.protosew.com

Hello John,

My name is Roy Gilbert and I took your "Importing as a Small Business" class
at San Diego State a few months ago. Since then the following has happened:
- Invented a new product for the Pet Supply industry. (www.RGPetComm.com)
- I have a Provisional Patent
- I quit my job to work on my business full-time: RG PetComm
- Trademarked "SmartWalk Manager" the name of my product
- Working with an aluminum fabricator to make a prototype the metal portion
of my product
- Working with www.protosew.com to make the nylon fabric pouch prototype for
my product. Part of their package is to give me guidance on how to setup
contract manufacturing in China for the pouch. I've enclosed all of the
documents that they've sent to me for your perusal.
- My next step is to follow your advice once I get the prototypes: Get
orders, arrange financing, order the product from overseas, take a markup,
sell and reinvest....

I also purchased your book which has been invaluable. The other book I
could not have done without is "Patent it Yourself.

Can you peruse the enclosed documents and let me know what you think ...

Please put me on your listserv. I look forward to hearing from you soon ...

Thanks,

Roy Gilbert, Jr.
RG PetComm
Web: www.RGPetComm.com


Prefabricated Housing from Toyota

RE: [spiers] Prefabricated Housing from Toyota ii

Todd,

This one is too easy...google toyota prefab housing and the toyota prefab
housing website
comes up... give me something tougher to tackle... I like the page in their
website that says
"Since very soon many Americans will be living in their cars, Toyota has decided
to get into
the housing business."


KIDDING!


John

On Fri, 30 Jun 2006 17:00:21 -0700, "Todd Silverstein"
wrote :

>
> Where can I find such a product?
>
> Todd Silverstein
> toddps@earthink.net
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: spiers@yahoogroups.com [mailto:spiers@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of
> John Spiers
> Sent: Monday, June 19, 2006 7:00 AM
> To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [spiers] Prefabricated Housing from Toyota
>
>
> On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 16:31:27 -0000, "mgranich" wrote :
>
> >
> > You can throw up a Toyota house in just 6 hours! Amazing!
> >
>
> You mean we could have rebuilt New Orleans by now?!
>
> John
>
>
>
>
>
> Compete on Design!
>
> www.johnspiers.com