Using technology to win

If you have the latest type of machinery and can export it from here to Central America you will have a competitive advantage.  They do not have a surplus of machinery there.  A person could do quite well  by importing machinery there.  We have focused on big heavy machinery such as road machines and cranes. What about some of the smaller machines that can be brought in pretty easily?  Sewing machines and other types of machines that are small?  If you can import 200 sewing machines you could feasibly set up a small clothing manufacturing place right there in Managua.  The country is also filled with tile.  All types of ceramic tiles and tiles that need to be cut.  You could import diamond blades to cut stones or tiles.  These diamond blades are expensive here in the States but very expensive overseas.  When we think of machinery we think of these huge Caterpillar machines that can move earth.  We do not have to think that big.  We can keep it on a small scale.  By keeping it on a small scale we allow more possibilities and can make more profits.  Small brick machines can save on time and money.  Most homes are made of clay bricks that are assembled in yards and put into ovens right on the persons front lawn.  They also sell the Spanish roofing tiles as well.  These are all made of clay.  If you were to import these brick machines you could feasibly be the only game in town selling the machine built bricks.  There would certainly be a market for it.  The bricks could be made faster and the size would be perfect and consistent.  This would allow the builder to move faster and build with consistency.  This would save a great deal of money in the end.

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Unsaturated Markets in Nicaragua

One thing we can all relate to is the price of real estate.  Whether you own a lot or a little it affects you in every possible way.  Back in the day people could just walk into the bank and lien a portion of their house and take a small loan or a large one for that matter and pay it back slowly over time.  Those days are gone. Never to come back anytime soon unless you plan on disclosing your full financial statements.  Most of us feel uncomfortable doing this.  The bank will want to see everything now.  If your income dropped last year or if you have had a bad year the bank will not lend you money.  Everybody knows this.  Times have changed for the bankers and the people borrowing money.  This will eventually work itself out but not for a long while.  The wheels of business must turn again and things must return to normal.  Once this has happened for all of us then maybe things can return to normal.
If you are looking to open a business where the overhead is low and the earning potential is there then I would suggest looking in Central America.  Many opportunities there for expats and the like.  You can get into a business relatively cheap down there.  You can also help the local community while helping yourself. There has not been any house flipping going on in Nicaragua.  Here it was saturated with people flipping houses.  There it still never really caught on.  If you wanted to start to flip houses there this could possibly work. You might have to get a website dedicated to this alone and advertise your progress up on the site.  I am sure you could draw and interest and get people interested in your project there

Virtual classrooms

With the new portable projector that can be attached to the iPhone 4 you can create a virtual classroom anywhere you can find a wall. This will enable teachers to bring the classrooms to students in rural areas and help the students learn the material much faster and or better.  With the use of visual aids we know this stimulates the mind better and allows for the person to learn much more accurately and quickly.  Imagine a teacher trying to teach how a whale swims on a chalk board? Now imagine the teacher showing a quick tutorial video on the iPhone.  The students could learn much more quickly with the video rather than the chalk. The phone is portable as well as the projector so this could travel around with them as well.  This is another case where we are bringing 1st world technology into a third world country where it is being used and implemented on site and is efficient.  A portable classroom that you already carry in your pocket.

We are all familiar with Craigslist.  Some of us can't get through the day without checking to see if someone has listed something that we are interested in.  Many people use Craigslist to find parts for their cars or to purchase left over building supplies from builders who ordered too much product.  This can be one of the most effective ways there is to buy things you need at a discount.  Many people use these services to save money.  This also helps everyone involved.  Less waste and this creates a little extra money for the contractor who ordered too much product.  Many people would love to use a service like this if it existed in other countries.  Then we have Angie's list that is designed for women and they can leave articles or recommendations for contractors that they have liked in the past.  This has helped propel many successful guys just by word of mouth.  These business sites would do really well overseas in some of these countries where the population of people online continues to grow.  A website set up like this in Spanish for the Central American countries would be fabulous and also provide jobs for those who are looking for work and are known to do a good job.  A service could be set up there really cheap.

While staying in this country I got to meet many entrepreneurs.  These entrepreneurs had amazingly different business ideas than the typical Americans.  They moved bread in taxis then to bicycles. They had to rent oven space to bake it as well.  They also had the red tape of doing business in their country not with regulation over their heads, but with all kinds of normal everyday obstacles.  They overcome them and they are amazing people.  The lengths the entrepreneurs will go for a Cordoba is nothing short than amazing.  They are much more witty and quick thinkers than we are.  I think when the economies pick back up across the globe this economy is going to be on the move as well. Much more than before.

Elevated Machines

Companies that import machines into most Central American countries do not have to pay an import tax. Countries like Nicaragua have bulldozers and rubber tired backhoes. Not too many elevation type machines like cherry pickers or lulls. I didn't see one crane or a boom. If someone would specialize in this area they would do well. The machines that are hard to find there would be any type of scissor elevation machines. Some current examples can be found in the pictures.

Average Cost of Plastic Surgery in the US

This is a list of plastic surgery costs he in the United States according to a 2007 survey conducted.   PLASTIC SURGERY
Breast augmentation	(Augmentation mammaplasty)	$3,816
Breast implant removals	(Augmentation patients only)	$2,380
Breast lift	(Mastopexy)	$4,236
Breast reduction in men	(Gynecomastia)	$3,400
Buttock implants		$4,722
Buttock lift		$4,711
Calf augmentation		$3,206
Cheek implant	(Malar augmentation)	$2,332
Chin augmentation	(Mentoplasty)	$1,936
Dermabrasion		$984
Ear surgery	(Otoplasty)	$2,549
Eyelid surgery	(Blepharoplasty)	$3,134
Facelift	(Rhytidectomy)	$5,031
Forehead lift		$3,092
Hair transplantation		$4,543
Lip augmentation	(other than injectable materials)	$1,604
Liposuction		$2,982
Lower body lift		$8,073
Nose reshaping	(Rhinoplasty)	$3,833
Pectoral implants		$3,769
Thigh lift		$4,464
Tummy tuck	(Abdominoplasty)	$5,264
Upper arm lift www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreybernhard/		$3,574

The Dental Bus

We can bring technologies into Central America that we have available to us here in the states such as these mobile dental buses.  These buses could cut down on the amount of time and money that people put forth in going to see the dentist in foreign countries.  This bus can travel up and down the country side assisting communities in keeping the cavities down.  Children are probably more relaxed getting on this bus rather than going into a clinic or hospital.  They can treat many more patients than in the past.  This bus would encourage people to get their teeth looked at because it would essentially come directly to their community.  They will be able to start a mobile dental clinic with medical records that are kept up to date on a iPad.  Much more people will be able to receive medical treatment for themselves because of this new state of the art bus.  If doctors would have this bus painted in different cartoon characters then I am sure the bus would attract all kinds of children.  This would also help cut down on the amount of kids that would be taking up dental chairs at the local hospitals and would also bring an awareness to clean teeth.  This perhaps would be the best thing to emerge from this technology because to raise awareness would be to improve the health of the countries youth.

Medical Tourism

Medical tourism is something that has become really popular. It appears that the demand for vanity is higher than ever. People can travel to other countries and have work done at a fraction of the cost. The countries vary but at the moment Brazil seems to be the go to place. Most of us are aware that Brazil is the plastic surgery headquarters of Central America. Nicaragua is just about to get started with this as well. Nicaragua has some of the best doctors as well. Many are skilled in the area of plastic surgery. The ideal place would be in a city like Leon or Managua. These clinics would provide the patient with a state of the art facility with rooms above the clinic for the patient to recover in. These rooms would have nurses in them 24/7 to take care of all your medical needs. The doctor would always be there to answer any questions that the patient would have. This type of clinic would be just like what we are used to seeing in a Beverly Hills type of place. The cost would be a fraction of what it would be in other countries. The overhead is so low that other countries would find it hard to compete on a price level anyway. With the cost of a root canal in America running $4000 a tooth, and the same procedure costing $150 in Nicaragua, you can see that at these prices this can and will catch on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbJ-II3VtGI&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Machines that make work easy

They have a new pothole repair machine that can fix a pothole in less than 2 minutes. This machine can be deployed in any country and operates on diesel fuel. This machine is not really big and doesn't require much in the form of maintenance. Here on our roads in America, we probably won't see this machine much as unions have most municipalities bent over a barrel.  This is a perfect example of how this machine can be deployed in another country to take care of road maintenance without much overhead.  This machine can repair potholes in less than two minutes which leaves no time for the workers to stand around and do nothing.  Fix a hole and move to the next hole.  Another truck to accompany this one with materials would be nice as well.  Once the road system is up and running in the area that you are looking to export from the sky is the limit.  This machine could bring all kinds of economic boom to your country or road project.  Think of the money you would save in labor.  The savings would pay for this machine in the first year.  Enjoy!

Python Pothole Machine

The new television

This new television can play anything real time off of my laptop wirelessly. This new setup can eliminate the need for hard lines or fiber optic cables from the cable company. This can save a country lots of time and energy on infrastructure. This is how they can get a jump on time and they can advance quickly. I have provided a picture here to show you what the new wireless hardware could look like that you would need to install on your laptop. Pretty basic stuff and nothing really James Bond here although the technology will save countries billions.

The new television

The new television is going to change the way we watch tv. This is what I said in the last article and I will explain why. Now we have the technology that can send a movie from my laptop or iPad to my television without the use of cables. Here we are again at the cross road of cables. With this new technology, how long before the speed is so fast we won't need the hard lines in the ground anymore? Our streets have been completely cut up and fiber optic cables have been installed to bring us the fastest possible Internet. This can stream wirelessly on the tv by a Bluetooth connection from a Sony Playstation or X-Box.

The new television is coming

With technology saving us money at every turn we make what will be the next big money saver?  We already have thrown out our televisions with the introduction to Hulu.com.  You tube has a new web surfer friendly look up area that seems to be geared towards TV.  I have google TV.  You can watch any TV show you would like or just surf the Internet.  It has a YouTube function that allows you to just type a search on any screen and it will take you to the video you would like to see.  Very convenient and easy to use.  This new feature has us watching YouTube at dinner time instead of television.  With YouTube on anytime you want on your television you no longer need to catch prime time anything.  You can always catch up.  This will change the way we all watch television.

This is a pic of the Apple television from Slash Gears website

The new Apple TV

I was just in the Apple store yesterday and the manager there was a big fan of my soup and her children constantly remind her to buy my soup!  She said that Apple was going to release a new TV soon that is much better than regular television.  This will change the way people watch TV all around the world. You will not have to wait until 8 pm to watch your favorite show anymore.  You can just turn on your TV and find what you are looking for as we get further away from prime time scheduling.  We want what we want now and we do not want to wait for it. With all the technology in the world why should we? We would all much rather surf on our televisions rather than just watch them.  This new type of technology is going to change programing that we have know for the last 20 years.  The new Apple TV is going to change the game of television as we know it.  Look for more interactive stuff such as more of a daily scheduling around your television.  They will figure out a way to keep us all glued to the box just wait and see.

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Machine rental

Today I was rolling down the highway in up state Connecticut and was watching guys work on the side of the road.  They had a new machine that they were using to knock back the woods encroaching on the highway. The tool was affixed to the end of a backhoe that was about as big as they come.  This machine was like a lawn mower that was suspended on a long arm and could chew through small trees and brush and cut it down like grass.  This machine was truly impressive and all I could think about was how fabulous this type of machinery could be used in developing countries for the speed of the work.  A machine like this could clear entire areas out so that new developments can be constructed.  Here is an example of what was once forest is now sticks in just a few hours.  Site clean up is quick and construction can begin.

Manufacturing clothing in Nicaragua

Clothing can be manufactured here in Nicaragua and there are currently a few large factories doing so and taking advantage of the countries low import and export tariffs.  They have very little tax on exports and encourage this type of business within the country.  The distance to MIA from Managua is only 2.5 hours by plane and is certainly more attractive than shipping your goods from China or Taiwan.  The savings between the shipping might be the competitive advantage your company is looking for.  You would also be contributing to the growth of an up and coming country. People are already leaving China manufacturing for Vietnam manufacturing.  In simple  terms its just cheaper to do business there.  I think with more companies coming here to have their goods produced we will see a boost in this country's exports in the coming years.  If anybody has an interest in the machine rental or export shoot me an email. www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreybernhard/

Not Nicaragua, this is in China.
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Equipment rental and entrepreneurism

There is not an import tax on heavy machinery into Nicaragua.  These kinds of machines can help build and shape the country by making roads and providing the many needed wells throughout the country.  There are endless possibilities with machinery within the country. The infrastructure is in need of constant repair and the building opportunities are in demand for such equipment as this.  Currently many projects are done by labor instead of using advanced technology such as machinery.  If a company were to import heavy machinery for rental use throughout the region they would have their hands full.  The amount of equipment there is minuscule and the country would benefit greatly from such technology.

                                                                                        [James Thorner | Times photos

Below is a location map of where you can ship to from Nicaragua.  The United States is 2 hours by plane and 3 days by sea.  I have written about Nicaragua's ports in the past and this map illustrates the ease of shipping from them. The is also a link from that one that shows all of the flight times for coming into the country.  Some tax benefits are as follows:

• 100% income tax exemption.
• 100% exemption on import taxes for machinery, equipment, and intermediate goods as well as transportation or support services for the free zone.
• 100% exemption on municipal taxes.
• 100% value added tax (VAT) exemption.
• 100% capital gains and property tax exemption.
• Unrestricted repatriation of capital.
  
  
  
  

Map of all ports shipped to out of Nicaragua

Using social media to advertise

Many companies in America are using social media to do most of their advertising.  On my Facebook home page is a local realtor who is advertising the best service.  Every time I click to go away from my home screen and back his ad refreshes.  At first glimpse I thought that this type of advertising was not very effective. However, after I realized that his pic never goes away and he is on your home screen for days, I changed my mind.  If I want to see what he is about I can just click the button.  I could also just Facebook his name.  The point is that he is always "in your face" on Facebook.  You will eventually learn his name and someday if he advertises long enough, you will click it to check him out.  I finally did!  The power of advertising, it works!  This will change the way businesses advertise their products and make the first ones in the space the major players.  This will create a fabulous opportunity for people to start small Facebook businesses on the side.  They will be able to design and create all kinds of Facebook advertising for Nicaraguan based businesses. The companies who get into the social media first will prosper the most from it.

Expats and the new iPhone medical apps

The iPhone will be able to perform certain medical tasks that were reserved for very expensive medical machines.  The iPhone is being converted to a small little portable medical lab that is being used in more hospitals everyday.  The latest medical application is called Arrhythmia.  This application allows you to check the patients heart for an irregular beat that can potentially save a patients life if detected early.  This is one of the first practical medical uses for the iPhone.  Most of the top ten medical applications for the iPhone are for health and fitness applications.  There are many other medical uses for the iPhone in development.  I know you are thinking that this is a stretch for a blog on Nicaragua.  Not really, and here is why. Most people would move out of the United States if they could have all the creature comforts of home to bring with them.  If I could I would bring my medical doctor, dentist, and accountant.  Its getting closer by the day and in the not so distant future this will all be a reality.  Your doctor could be just and app button away from you.  It is very possible to imagine the doctor seeing you via Face Time.  You would schedule your appointment and at that time the doctor would examine you over the phone.  Why not, we all have used heart monitors in the gym.  If the iPhone had a pulse sensor on the side it could read vitals that could show the doctor  how we are doing in real time without having to be in his office.  If this technology were to come to market in the near future the United States would see a mass exodus to cheaper tax havens.  Americans greatest fear is losing some part of their health care benefits.  If we were able to move to a place with great medical doctors and cheap health care that we trusted we would.  The latest iPhone applications help us take one step closer to this reality.  

Cell phone microscopes in Nicaragua

Microscope attachments for cell phones are starting to pop up here and there. If you are unfamiliar with what they are it's probably what you are thinking. You can take a blood sample and take a picture of it and be able to see what problems your patient has. It can send the image to the lab where a doctor can view it and get back to the person in the field immediately. This will change the game for medical personnel. Now you can help people by not throwing out that old cell phone so it can be used to save lives. The person using the new microscope phone does not need to be a doctor to use it. This is a small medical lab that goes along with the person who can check patients for AIDS or an everyday virus. Imagine how quickly you could check an entire village somewhere. This type of device will become the new frontier for all medical devices. Just like we have thousands of applications for everything you can imagine we will start to see new apps for the iPhone that can be used in the field. From blood test to cancer all from your cell phone. Imagine the possibilities from expats to African refugees.

Smart phone applications that save big money

Using technology around the globe can be exciting and eye opening.    Many people use the new smart phone for a million different devices these days.  One example that comes to mind would be bug spray.  I have an application on my phone that allows me to sit outside and enjoy the evening without being bitten by a mosquito.  The application produces a sound that repels the mosquitos and allows you to have a nice evening outside mosquito free.  That's the plan in theory.  This is not how it always plays out though.  Technology will continue to improve in this area and the mosquitos will be gone soon enough.  I have a family member who bought a mosquito repellent machine for about $1500.00.  This machine was placed at the corner of the lawn and would keep mosquitos away from your BBQ and attract them to the machine.  One evening I asked if it really worked and we took a walk down there and looked into the catch bag.  There must have been 5000 mosquitos inside already.  I couldn't believe how many were inside. It looked like the machine had captured all of them that were near us.
As I research where to buy this machine I was very surprised by the cost.  The cheapest one I could find besides paying straight retail was for $1200.00.  Not cheap at all.  I looked everywhere for them because my yard was a little bigger and the manufacturer suggested I buy 3 of them.  Wow! That would be about $4500.00 without shipping.
In the end I was looking at $4500 for something that a $5 bottle of bug spray would combat.  This was around $4000 more than I wanted to spend so I decided not to get them.  That was in the year of 1998 and fast forward to 2012 and now they have an application for this.  The application cost $1.  If everyone at the BBQ had this application then nobody would be bitten. Assuming that the application worked properly.  I believe I invited around 25 people to come to my BBQ.  If only 5 of us had this application then the total cost for keeping everybody at the BBQ bite free would be about $5.  The application does not run out however.  You can continue to use it everyday.  When this technology becomes really effective can we throw away those expensive mosquito catchers?  Could this little piece of technology save us $4500 for my household alone?  Quite possibly there are a 1000 stories similar to this one about the future uses of technology in our hand that can save us money.  Thinking of one yourself?  Shoot me an email.  Or leave a comment below.  The photo is of an application on a Nokia phone.

Quick GDP facts

Nicaragua had a gross domestic product (GDP) of $6.55 billion and a per capita income of $1,126. In 2010, the economy grew by 4.5%, according to official government sources, largely due to an increase in demand for Nicaraguan exports abroad and increased consumer spending at home. Official unemployment in 2010 was 8%, but 65% of all workers earn a living in the informal sector, where underemployment is high. In 2010, Nicaraguans received $823 million in remittances from abroad, the majority from the United States and Costa Rica. Total exports are equivalent to 48% of GDP.
This states that there is a large demand for Nicaraguan exports. The country has the capabilities to produce mass quantities of clothing, coffee, cashews, and gold to name a few. The GDP is expected to continue to grow. As the US economy picks back up the economy in Nicaragua will as well. That is also the general sentiment while your down there as well.

Tourist industry video Nicaragua

This video features some of the wonderful tourist opportunities in Nicaragua.  I post it here so that people unfamiliar with the country can see how beautiful it is.   There are several eco tours  that you could attend.     In the states we can use all kinds of technology to help us cut corners and drive our businesses to faster profitability.  For example the Apple iPhone has a new application that can scan credit cards now.  I was speaking to a Apple employee who runs a baby yoga class in Danbury and he charges all of his clients right from his phone.  He can swipe their credit cards right there and he does not have the old machine that spits out the receipt that they need to sign anymore.  This makes payments to him so much simpler and easy to do business with.  Soon this technology will be available in other countries and this will change the way consumers shop there as well.  This puts a new spin on the possibilities of starting a business.  Your clients could pay you and you might not need to ever have paperwork.  You could send them a receipt right to their email account and be done with paper!  Technological breaks like this are everywhere.  Technology like this allows for people to earn more money.  If you own a restaurant and you can turn one of your phones into a cash register then your customers would not have to wait as long. The turnover would improve and you would make more money in your establishment. You coud then use your new found time and money to invest in newer technology and save even more.  

Getting into bed with Facebook

There are over 650,000 Facebook users in Nicaragua. That's over 11% of the total population. There are 51% men and 49% women. Facebook Nicaragua is growing very rapidly but is still 1% behind South Korea. Facebook grew in Nicaragua by over 100,000 users in the last 6 months to give you an idea of how rapidly they are expanding. The social media scene is becoming a fabulous tool for them. Businesses that are starting there now are starting with social media tied into them. This is a huge step for small business. This will allow them to have the most exposure at an early time in their business cycle. Much earlier than most established companies. This gives the small businesses a leg up on their competition and also exposes them to more people quicker. This allows them to save money on advertising and navigate to profitability much quicker than the competition. The more the people of Nicaragua use Facebook as advertising for their business, the more exposure they can capture. They are saving a substantial amounts of money on advertising. They are achieving the same type of success by using less time and money on social networking sites such as Facebook.

High tech retirement in Nicaragua

I recently heard that all new soldiers who join special forces were all given an iPhone. The iPhone keeps them connected and able to communicate
on all levels. The same should apply for a senior center. All seniors can update their status everyday and stay in close communication with the community. They can select wether they will be attending breakfast or not. They can also vote on last nights meal. The possibilities are endless. We could put an interactive television in the residences as well and connect it with the iPhone so it can be displayed on a larger screen. This would allow ease of use and reading for residents. If you don't want to mingle today just select that from your iPhone menu and take a break. As we get closer to retirement with our new technology we will see many more uses that will save time and money. The iPhone will be one of the greatest retirement tools yet. There are countless applications and more and more people are getting them.

Providing expats with retirement options

Lots of Americans are currently thinking about becoming expats! No offense to the states but the currency conversion benefits of going down to Central America can have a strong benefit to someone on a tight budget. Expats can live on less than $30 a day right on the beach. The long waits for certain types of American luxuries are extremely close now. Take for example a few luxuries such as satellite tv, Netflix, Internet, and cell phone capabilities. In the past you would have been forced to unplug and now you practically can't. People are retiring here more because these technological advancements have become common place. It won't be long until the average home anywhere in Central America will have cell phone, computer with Internet, and satellite tv. This is becoming the standard and neighbors even share modems! While I was there I was able to have online access and would surf the web from my iPad in the street. A very nice convenience! Most modern restaurants all had wifi. You must ask them for the daily password. They changed everyday. How long until we can do some shopping online there? Any expats out there receiving Internet orders shoot me an email.

Do I have to speak Spanish?

The short answer in No.  If you can speak a little it will help tremendously.  Many people ask if the Spanish language is mandatory and the short answer is no.  However after returning from a trip and speaking with several people after we came home the majority of the  people said that if they could change one thing about their experience they would have studied more Spanish.  I would not mention it but every single person said the same thing.  All around Nicaragua they have Spanish speaking schools.  They are advertised everywhere.  Most are about $5 dollars and hour for one on  one training. Really good compared to what you would get in the states for the same money.  Most of the population in Nicaragua is young and most speak a little English.  The best part about learning Spanish there is that when class is over you can exit the classroom and start to practice your Spanish immediately.  If you would like to see the school I am going to attend in the summer click  here.  Now you can relax and not worry about being able to speak the language.  If you want to volunteer to teach a class in English many times they will wave the cost of the Spanish lessons.  I did hear however you would have to teach a class in your area of expertise.  If you can cook you would teach a cooking class if you are a business guy you can teach business English.  Sounds like a great deal to me. .  The Spanish school is a little bit different down there. You can pick one with a staff that serves you lunch or even can set up a place for you to stay in.  Pretty good deal if you are looking to learn the language.  You will be able to speak more Spanish in just a couple short weeks than if you studied for years in a classroom in the states.  They see it all the time.  Very common that after just a couple of weeks you can grasp so much of the language you can speak it without thinking.  Stark difference from learning in the states!  Email me with any questions.  Here is a picture of my Spanish tutor over there! Just kidding she is
 Adriana de Lourdes Dorn Rodríguez   miss Nicaragua 2011 from Managua.

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iPhone 4 in high demand in Nicaragua

While in Nicaragua I wandered into a cell phone store in the busy downtown Leòn area and asked a Merchant point blank "How much will you give me for my iPhone 4?"  He looked at it and checked it out and looked down at the ground and said "$400."  Okay I said and started to walk away and he quickly said $500.  I turned and asked him how many he would be willing to buy at that price and he said 50 to start.  Wow. That's a fabulous start.  I asked him if I brought a 100 would he be able to move them and he said yes.  I can buy them here for nothing and sell them there for double.  Question is how many can you seriously get in there and how many can they really buy once your standing on the streets of Leòn with a bag full of iPhones?  Great questions. Unfortunately you must risk a hell of a lot to find out the answers.  You would not be able to walk through customs with that type of package either as they are not stupid.  They would like a new iPhone just as well and will help themselves to your bounty!  If a person were able to get the new iPhones into that country they still will need to break the code in all of them as well.  This costs about $20-30 US dollars as well.  Still not too bad.  There are several places that claim they can break the code on the iPhones no problem for that small fee.  So the question is how do you get into the country with a suitcase full of iPhones?  Driving down from Mexico does not count! You would never make it assuming you got past the border.   Happy surfing.  Any questions please shoot me an email.

Look at her getting more money out of me.  I told her two for one and her hand signal says two for two, tough business lady.  I was thinking "should I pay her or just marry her?" I am already getting abused.

Shipping your product around in Nicaragua

Manufacturing in Nicaragua can be very lucrative for you if you have a product your looking to assemble or build. Currently there is a wiring harness manufacturing plant outside of Leòn. All of the workers live outside the plant in a small neighborhood. If you have a product that you are thinking about manufacturing here keep in mind that skilled labor will need to be taught. This can be a long process. Make sure you have quick access to a good road system. Do not start your business where you will have a difficult time moving your product. Keep in mind the road system in Nicaragua is not perfect and you will often have delays. Your not allowed to move your vehicle from the road if you have an accident so imagine what the roads can be like if there is one. The line of traffic goes pretty far back and your stuck just waiting there. You can try to have alternative routes and this may work but don't rely on it. There are several ports you can ship out of. The biggest port however is in Corinto. This port is on the Pacific side right next to Leòn on the map. Seeing that both sides of the country touch the water you shouldn't have a problem finding a port. Remember that Nicaragua has several small ports but maneuvering products around some ports is easier than others. Do your research on which port to use. Do not assume. In Corinto, they have a population of 17,000 and can handle bulk, liquid, cars, etc. They have a full service container business set up there. You can ship and receive here with little headaches. If you are looking to export or import into the country and you have any questions shoot me an email.

Having an edge with technology in Nicaragua

If you have a competitive advantage with the production of any product you will find a solid way to profitability. The barriers to entry for a automotive production company are virtually impossible to break through. The entry into mass producing baseball caps in China is pretty easy comparatively speaking. You can see opportunity all around you in Central America. North America has become so over saturated with business that they open on top of each other here in New England. In the south such as Texas it's just as bad. When you travel to Central America you can see the opportunities around every corner. First world technology can really give you that competitive advantage that you seek. For example, I own a chain of restaurants in the states, the more I own the cheaper the cost of my food. The more food I can purchase etc. There in Nicaragua they do not have the same type of supply chain. You will have to buy your produce in the markets with the rest of the merchants. Food looks fabulous there. You just won't have the deliveries coming in everyday. This would make a huge difference in the price of your goods. Quite often the price of the food determines how long you can stay in business at that level. This is an important step that many people seem to overlook when starting a new business. You must take into consideration the cost of your goods compared to what your competition is paying for them. If your pizza is better than your neighbors but he owns 10 shops, he is paying less than you are. You better start expanding fast or he can just lower his price a bit and push you out.
This is where having 1st world technology could be your best friend. Think for a moment about what your business would be like if you owned a crane in any of the major cities there. They would have to rent that from you. They do not have 23 crane operators there like here in my city. You would be the only one there. If there is one in Managua move to Leòn. You guys get the point. I realize getting a crane into Nicaragua would be a huge undertaking but it's just an example. If you are looking to use technology to help you gain an edge shoot me an email and I can discuss it with you further. (Photo below by Monsk April 2011)

Technology in Nicaragua

How can we use first world technology in Nicaragua today? Several ideas rush to mind. For example when I stayed in Greece for the summer the wait to get a land line was 2 years and you had to bribe a city official to get one. Then came the introduction of the cell phone and changed all of that. Now everyone uses a cell phone and the country is free of unsightly telephone poles everywhere that are out dated and an eye sore. The same is virtually true in Nicaragua as well. The cell phone players took out the monopoly of the land line player quickly. I wish I could tell you that the land line company learned it's lesson but I'm sure they just moved on to a monopoly on cable modems. With the introduction of different technologies into third world countries, we can look to see if this can help us project where it's going to take place and in what space. If you can position yourself in a technology area you will be able to catch piece of the movement into the flight of tech. Here in America someone comes into my business every 2 or 3 days designing websites. They offer to set me up for a small fee and they will maintain the site and do all updates for a nominal fee. The first players who took advantage of this business opportunity did great. There are still people designing sites that are doing well. Just an easy quick example. Now you can purchase the web design software for nothing and do it yourself. I remember when web designers were more important than anyone else. I remember working on Wall Street at the time and companies were paying over $10 million for their website designs. Imagine if a start up was announcing that number today? They would look mighty foolish. I understand some companies can afford to do this so please don't email me examples of companies spending that kind of money. ETYS or better known as E-TOYS did the same thing and they are now gone as well. The list is endless with the dot com busts. The examples are everywhere. We seem to be learning a little quicker now when it comes to technology. We no longer just throw money at it blindly.
We read somewhere everyday that only x percentage of people are on the Internet. Just wait until the rest are? Really? Im sure it will get a boost but to what extent? 70% of the worlds population earns less than $2 a day. When they sign onto Google at night what are they buying? Nothing is my guess. I'm not saying that positioning for future sales is a bad thing only that hoping to gain sales from people who aren't buying is foolish. Your better off finding your little niche. Where are the niches in Nicaragua? Everywhere! Back to my first post on buying milk. The following pic is of a monk in India.
He's not in Nicaragua but you get the idea. Comments are welcomed. Thank you Buck!

(Photo: Source: Der Spiegel)