Looking for an invester

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
Are u for real...I am serious
So was I, but you will need to convince me or any other investor that this is not just smoke. You will have to have some skin in the game, you will have to show that you will be able to deliver, and it will have to be conducted completely under American laws. If you can get an investor who will do it for less than a controlling share and not under the laws of its country of choice, good luck. Also, no potential investor is going to sit around for very long waiting for that information.

What documents have you prepared to date? Business plan? Resume?

John
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,158
OK..I am serious. I have a planned everything..just need a foreign investor. I will not trust a Maldivian. Maldivians will eventually take over and kick you out and ruin the business for sure. This happens every time.
I want my business to last for ever.
And you think perhaps people in the rest of the world won't do that or worse. What a sweet child-like naivete you possess.
 

Thread Starter

R!f@@

Joined Apr 2, 2009
9,918
I want to start something new..I was thinking about solar power.
Since here it always shines we can make solar thing work...
To tell u the truth I haven't run any business. I am just a guy trying to support his family and live an honest life.
Something I have is knowledge in electronics, that y'all know. :D
I have a place since I am from the capital My family has land in the capital which is so to say gold given the current time.
So I can definitely last in the capital and no one can throw me out of my place. Which means no rent which is a quite high in Male'. To sustain a business here you got to have huge investment in land or property.
But not in my case..
I have man power, which means there are people who is willing to go along with me and they also share the same thought that I have. One is A/C mechanic. He wants to make desalination plants. Since there is only one party that make those here, he is sure that he can get atleast a few client that could bring in around half bill..Maldivian Rufiyaa for at least 2 units of 6 ton plants. He has ties to the resorts and they are in need of plants and there is only one party that can do tht and is quite expensive. even they don't have the technical know how on how to customize a plant. They buy the modules from abroad and assemble them here. If we all work together we can make plants interface in any way the customer desires at low prices. All I need is money to get the materials to start. This is one thing that I know I can do.

Next thing I want is to Customize solar power and provide on grid inverters to Maldivians and to the resorts. If I can show just one working model customized to Maldives and changed to ways that we need..I am sure this will soar thru the sky...
Even the resort owners would won't working solar energy.

The real problem here is tht they never provide after sales service and also they don't have the technical now how..
In my case I can personally provide assistance in managing things. Since I know what I am doing. I can do this, I know I can, I just need the money.

All the company's that are here never provide after sales and they don't even bother to train the employees ..They just want to sell stuff.

My plan is not to sell....I want a lasting relation ship with my clients personally..I will work if I have to even though I am the owner of the company..getting dirty doing a job is very pleasing to me...
I have no intention of fooling people to buy useless panels. I want to show them the way and I want them to see that what I sell is genuine and I will back it up as long as it takes.

I have been talking to a friend in USA about the panels and inverters and I the results are very promising.
I have a company registered here. But right now there is no office as you all know that my home is being built and I am currently cramped into a two floor apartment. I can't get the time to update the photo's of my house. If you see that you can understand. I am doing lotta things and have so many things to do. And so many people are banging on my head.
I did went to places for a job but what happens is they want to use me. I will never let anyone abuse the knowledge that I have acquired over the years. Each and every one I tried to work with wanted to use me.
This is why I am working free lance...
And now I really want to do something for my people and for my self
 
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thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
The optimum location for Solar Panels would be in the AZ/UT desert, or the desert belt in Africa if they were secure/hardened from unauthorized "alterations".

You still need to worry about typhoons/hurricanes/cyclones/seismic events.
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
Hi R!f@@,

I suggest you read about John (Jack) Welch, immediate past President and CEO of General Electric. He is an icon in American business, although some of his proteges have not done too well. ;)

Welch (http://www.ge.com/company/history/bios/john_welch.html) was interviewed by Leslie Stahl (not sure of spelling) on 60 Minutes a few years ago. Do you know what one of his hobbies is? He likes to visit successful businesses and try to figure out what the "key" item is that distinguishes the successful ones from the also-rans in the same business line. As simple and obvious as that sounds, the answer may not be so obvious.

Solar power is definitely an emerging industry. There are some really neat demonstration and research projects going on around the world, including in the American Southwest. A business based on installing solar panels and providing technical support for them in the Maldives just doesn't seem, on the surface, to have any "key" to attract investors. It is a little like some guy who wants to build a parking garage in downtown Cleveland. It doesn't have a lot of grab and is probably more suitable for conventional financing, rather than venture capital.

In brief, what distinguishes your plan from that of another smart, industrious guy who lives down the street from you?

John
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
Hopefully money.... :) Thats usually the foundation of any biz.
If you are referring to the fact that under-capitalization is one of the most common reasons small businesses fail in the US, that is correct.

But, you need to clearly distinguish venture-capitalist financing from conventional financing by banks and so forth. Venture capital is high-risk, high-reward. The reward is in equity, not interest. Conventional financing balances risk with interest payments, credit, and collateral. The rewards are less, but the risks are less too. Someone who wants a business for the rest of his life should not be looking for venture capitalists.

John
 

Thread Starter

R!f@@

Joined Apr 2, 2009
9,918
John..

I really dunno how to explain how I am going to do this. The thing is that I some how know it will work. It's because I am here, living here and have seen a lot of business doing this and that and going bankrupt and I try to find why they are failing.
I think I know why. They dunno what they are doing. But I know what I am doing. This is why I know I can do this.

Things are completely different in Maldives compared to any other country. No one has taken the facts into account when running something like this. There are two main reasons that most of them goes down the drain.
One is Honesty. Second is the technical know how.

Here most of them wants to step on the other. I have seen this and I have gone through this repeatedly.. Due to my actions long term employees has been fired. The last one was from STO here. The Manager runs the store and repair...he has all the power and he has everything...for 25 years he ran the business as his own.
I took only 10 days to expose his tactics and greed to the CEO. That old geezer lied to me and wanted me as his right hand for the fact that I can fix almost any consumer product they have with in minutes.....There is nothing more than I hate in this world than greedy and con people who steal from the poor. And this guy was the king when I found out his game, which ran for decades. I get pissed at those kinda people who cheat and steal.
If STO had then held on the word that they have given me then, I am 100% sure that I have made that repair center one of a kind in whole of Asia. I know I can repair stuff..I just dunno how I do it but I do it. But no, they rather have under qualified techs to do their dirty work. U know what that geezer is doing right now..he opened a repair center after he was fired from the stuff he collected, Any low tech from India or lanka can exchange boards and solder..

After that Incident I decided that I will never let any one use me.

In truth, I have no documents, no business plan, nothing what so ever.
I just thought I will think out load and ask if there is any one out there who would want to invest in a honest guy.
I will not con or scam any one. It is not in my nature and it is against my belief. I will hold true to my word.

Other than that I have nothing....
All I have is, my knowledge, place( currently being built), honest friends that would stand by my side, a source or product from the US. and one hell of a high voltage jolt kinda thing.
These friends are not just friends. They are good in their field, just like me. Just a hand full of people who is trying to turn this place around.
Just need something to show to the market and the people that my idea actually works.

Here people will buy if they see it working....they do not go for ads and photo's and such.
If they see it. Bingo...you hit the jack pot.
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
After that Incident I decided that I will never let any one use me.

In truth, I have no documents, no business plan, nothing what so ever.
I trust your honesty and sincerity. But you must realize that the only reason a venture capitalist will invest is to sell its equity, not to develop a long-term business. You probably have a very good idea and certainly the drive to get it done, but I suggest you marshal your resources to get conventional financing. Remember that laws governing investing and payment of interest are very different in your country than in Western countries. A business plan is an absolute must for obtaining any financing. Even if you use your own money, it is a good exercise to go through. At a minimum, you will realize how much money you will need to keep going for at least a year or two without significant income. Many businesses take at least 2 years to break even, and many of the dot.com businesses took longer.

John
 

Thread Starter

R!f@@

Joined Apr 2, 2009
9,918
I trust your honesty and sincerity.
Thank you john.

But you must realize that the only reason a venture capitalist will invest is to sell its equity, not to develop a long-term business. You probably have a very good idea and certainly the drive to get it done, but I suggest you marshal your resources to get conventional financing. Remember that laws governing investing and payment of interest are very different in your country than in Western countries. A business plan is an absolute must for obtaining any financing. Even if you use your own money, it is a good exercise to go through. At a minimum, you will realize how much money you will need to keep going for at least a year or two without significant income. Many businesses take at least 2 years to break even, and many of the dot.com businesses took longer.
I know what you mean....I need advice and pointers :D
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
If you are referring to the fact that under-capitalization is one of the most common reasons small businesses fail in the US, that is correct.
The thing to remember in the equation, is small business owners typically start out too large, and paying themselves what they were making at "a similar job in the field with an established company". I've worked with dozens of small businesses.

Those who started small and paid of debt before expanding are 20+ employee shops now. The rest vaporized within 3 years.

The reason most small businesses fail is money management, not the amount of money they start with. A good idea and business plan sell themselves. The ones that succeeded typically started out with bank or family loans, the ones that failed had a initial windfall of investors or grants and played "Take the money and run".
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
If you search on business plan, you will find a lot of offers and software that claim to make it easy. I'd compare those to getting a college degree on-line. They are not really as good as the real thing. A business plan has a genuine purpose other than fulfilling a technical requirement for a loan. Here is the Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_plan

Look at the components that are usually included (about half-way down the page). Once you address those, then you are ready for making a plan. At that point, a piece of software may be of benefit. Remember, good software is no short cut. It is a checklist.

Is there someone you respect or know about who is in business and has been successful? Ask if you can have lunch with him/her. Most people in that position will be more than happy to share advice with you. That is a huge advantage youth has. Don't throw it away. Have a draft of your business plan with you.

John
 

Thread Starter

R!f@@

Joined Apr 2, 2009
9,918
You do not understand the business people here..for example take a look at the embroidery machine case. I did a lotta work and I did meet with the owner, he is well established one. Runs a huge store together with IBM. But still . he haven't paid me for my work..
That is the way these people are. I will never want them with me.
 

jpanhalt

Joined Jan 18, 2008
11,087
I know our cultures differ greatly in the mechanics and details, but it is human nature to want to help the next generation. Actually, that is just animal nature. There are different ways that gets done. You may have learned a good lesson from the embroidery experience. John
 
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