Quote from: Dr Octagon on December 14, 2017, 05:49:50 PM

Hi Sammy,

I agree it can be extremely difficult for some people to consider risk beyond betting on the NBA or whatever. I have my own small business an my father has a much larger one.

I actually construct large free standing LED flood lights that run on 18650 rechargeable batteries - It's not complicated. Strips of SMD 5050 wired in parrell to 2/3/4 x4 18650 battery pack. I get the batteries both new if I can see a good deal but also re-furbish old laptop cells with a balance charger.

Even here in the UK/Ireland (I'm in N.I so most likely will have access to both the single market and whatever trading terms are entered into after Brexit - sounds like it's a good place, but has had a LOT of problems, civil war, not just about the border most was caused by bigoted people killing each other because of different branches of the essentially the SAME religon Catholic and Prodestant) I'm late 30's so I remember th bombings and shootings very well. As a reult our parents took us to live in the countryside and we attended some of the first ever intergrated schools in the country - even now only 10-20% of school's are intergrated.

Going to intergrated (Catholic and Prodestant school - the notion of seperated schools based on essentially very small religous differences will probably seem crazy to most in the West - but, hey that's how it was and that lagely how it is!)

But I think it taught me don't be so quick to judge. View evenone as essentially good, because essentially everyones needs and wants are allinged. But I'm no idiot, the world is full of scammers. And not being quick to judge means just that. not quick to judge good or bad.

The UK is definately in a slump - inflation is out pacing wages on paper by 1.1%. But for regular folks the disparatity between wage growth and inflation has really hit a lot lot harder, with food/electronics/clothes up around 5-6% with wages at 2.2%. This is largely because of 'Brexit' and it's incredibly relative. Whether you choose to buy your popcorn at the cinema or bring it from another shop is still an incredibly 1st world problem!

So really the Items I can just buy items from China and flip them on eBayAmazon for a nice profit a few and far between. I have to add a degree of value to my products - be that making the rechargable flood lights for painters or putting a wifi (or regular) motion activated spy camera with a smalller battery pack in a clock for small shops and home CCTV. Or sowing LED wire through childrens school bags and adding a GPS tracker os the child can be both visable and easily locatabled if they become lost. All this is value aded stuff I do myself (none of these examples are paticularly complicated once you have down a few)

But I believe this is a goo mentality and especiallly in Africa where it would be much cheaper to ship the componets and explain the processes of how to build them than shipping the finished article would be a lot more profitable for both sides. Because one commodity that is univeral is time. And everything takes time.

Right now it's christmas and retail is so busy. So I don't have any time to follow up until things settle in January. Then I will have 2 S9 miners and 2 L3+ miners working and my goal is to make enough to buy 8-10 electric bikes, a 10year old Toyota HiLux (or Nissan Nevara) and rent the bikes out to families in 2 local holiday forest parts at around £15p/h

But I see potential in keeping my knowledge of online commerence alive by dealing with 1 or 2 people in Africa and quit being a tiny cog in the eBay and Amazon world. My Dads business is much much larger than mine. He has around 250,000 about 90% of them being individual items of media, but its mostly all analoge - People would be surprised how many VHS tapes and vyinal records sell in Europe - but my Father would only turn over a very small % of his stock a year but that small % would have a much higher value.

I prefer new, multiple listings that require little work cleaning up before being posted. It's 2 different styles. Neither can be judged right or wrong because they are both successful in there own way.

But I do have 2 stand alone EZCAP analouge to digital convertors and one day - if I ever find the time! I would like to start archiving my fathers stock. Infinately more transportable and it's rare video's stuff with a bit of age to it. Stuff that never made it onto another format - one of the biggest sellers are sports VHS of football matches in the 80's! Loads of stuff like that - and actually I should end this and help him with the post.

But yeah put together a simple business plan - It's something I have never done lol - but it would really have helped I think if I knew exactly what I was doing before I started.

Good luck sir, chat soon I hope

Merry Christmas

Edit, couple of lines missed in a hurry

Doc !

Great & interesting ur story & experience Roll Eyes

I have to read your post over and over again in order to get all the gems & insights in it then i'll pm you later (maybe next Year).

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year