Patience Required As More Time Is Needed

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When people trust you this is half the battle won as they will listen to you taking your ideas on board. This is such a massive project that the parties involved are kind of out of their depth and have relied heavily on me so far which I am happy to oblige.

This week I followed up on a project I have been chasing since October last year. The goal they had in mind was to have the middleman in place by the end of February so I could meet up and discuss the important part of supplying. The project is 5 months behind schedule and have only this week decided on the middleman. I find it frustrating but they are the ones leading this and I am just tagging along for the ride.

This company is massive and opens up so many opportunities that it is worth to just be patient however long it takes. Like many businesses they are changing the way they do things and are going to a centralised supply route and nothing is going to be imported. In the past they had items coming from Belgium and Dubai which makes no financial sense. Having something centralised means you can control the costings that much better and where I come into the picture.

They will be supplying their company outlets throughout Africa which kinds of makes it a 54 account all in one. This is going to be challenging to say the least as whatever they import they import for a reason as certain items are just not readily available here. Everything depends on volume and if it is worth setting up specialised manufacturing to meet their demand. I have a sneaky feeling the numbers will suffice such a drastic option and have already lined up one of the lines they require by securing part of a factory with a clear understanding of how it will all work.

I have been advising them for nearly a year already discussing the options available to them. The beauty is no other supplier knows what is happening and I have the inside track currently and plan to keep it that way. What they did let out the bag this week is they are going to give me all the costs they currently pay plus a sample of each item which kind of helps and the way I like to do business. The knowledge of the costings is massive as it gives me information and the inside line that others wont have. This tells me they trust me and actually want to do business making this idea work. They are into this project for millions already and have to make this work so they have no choice but to do just that.

This company has to agree to a joint venture as I need to see them meeting us halfway with an investment which will guarantee the business long term. No one is going to invest millions into something if there is a fear they will move to another supplier or change their minds. The one mould required will cost in excess of $30 000 plus it needs to be made so it will take some time. Fortunately my friend has the machinery so it would be more of providing a service.

The one thing I have learnt is if you can tie someone in because it makes business and financial sense then you possibly have a business for life. This one item alone has incurred over $100 000 in waste spending already just this year and why I believe they won't hesitate with these joint ventures.

The plan is to meet up with the middleman within the next fortnight or hopefully this week as time is now of the essence. If I am going to be setting things up from scratch in order to manufacture I need to know what it is and the volumes involved. They currently have a warehouse with 6 months stock to cover them until the new year. Talk about a waste of tied up money and not exactly a smart move in my opinion. These huge companies spend like there is no tomorrow so they are making decent profits somewhere.

I am grateful to be in the reckoning as this is an opportunity of a lifetime and one I am not going to give up on. The lady I am dealing with is old school which helps as she mentioned the red tape and admin has held up this project from day one and is seen as the elephant in the room and most talked about subject by her bosses.

The aim of having a business that is in partnership with a client through a joint venture really appeals to me as the business has changed so much in the last 18 months. Closer relations are required in order to secure contracts and this would take the stress away immediately knowing it is a protected income long term and a guaranteed earner. The idea of not living here yet still being able to earn an income is still high on my agenda. That for me is worth waiting and just remaining patiently for them to get their ducks in a row.

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