These are pretty small as internet is fickle from here – but hopefully they give an idea of life in Mozambique. Inside a game park (without much game) I saw lots of these bags outside small settlements Getting some help with a flat tire – great fun at dusk. a secondary road my home from …
Author Archives: Lance Wiggs
Fastpitch: a look at the horse’s mouth
Despite the proverb, some gifts should be looked at – if only to determine their true value. The one I have in mind is the $15,000 of touted value in the grand prize for the Icehouse Fast pitch competition. There are prizes for winners in four categories, and one overall winner. The categories are Best …
Contacting me
Contacting me is hard right now. I’m in Mozambique until November and telecommunications are not the best. What does not work Incoming and outgoing calls from my NZ number Outgoing calls from my Mozambique number Incoming and outgoing texts from any number Skype calls What sometimes works Incoming phone calls to my local mozambique number …
Corruption kills tourism
I’m in Mozambique for seven weeks consulting to Mozal – the nine year old aluminium refinery that in 2000 helped signal to the world Mozambique’s successful return from the dark ages of the civil war. It’s a beautiful country, but one that is firmly planted in the 3rd world – this is a very poor …
Vege porn – from the USA no less
I was amazed when I went to a vegetable store in Albany/Berkley, CA the other day. The vegetables were fresh and sufficiently deformed to convince me they were natural. But it was the range that got me – there were veges there that I’d never seen before, and plenty that I wanted to eat – …
Tuesday Three: 3 ways to improve your business
Cut out the middle man Buy your computers and accessories directly – abandon resellers. It’s cheaper and a whole lot faster. Stop external catering for meetings – buy the ingredients at the supermarket and arrange on plates. Put your prices up to lousy customers that eat your time and resources – you’ll either make more …
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Let’s have one industry awards not two
So I’m disappointed with the “2009 New Zealand Internet Industry Awards”, given the poor wording of the entrepreneur of the year award. It’s a new annual award organisation and created by the Liz Dengate Thrush Foundation. The purpose of the foundation is: … to award funding grants for use in practical educational advancement of individuals …
Let’s appreciate our internet entrepreneurs
I read today in Stop Press that there are no Internet Entrepreneurs in New Zealand. To be fair the award criteria were pretty harsh: Internet Entrepreneur of the Year – recognition for that rare breed who has put capital and reputation on the line and successfully contributed to New Zealand’s wealth. That’s a standard, I …
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Tuesday Three: 3 ways to improve your business
Where everybody gets a bargain. Buy stationary from the Warehouse – and throw away those addictive catalogues. Put a donation box in the kitchen and ask staff to pay $1 per drink from the fridge. You are providing drinks right? Go Lean – it’s really tough and takes years to do well, but Lean manufacturing …
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The 31 reasons that inflight wifi is not making money
From the WSJ we hear that sales for inflight wifi have been disappointing. It seems that when you give it away the usage is pretty high, but things change when there is a price: “.. in tests and now in regular service, usage drops off considerably when travelers must pay for the service. Alaska Airlines …
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Tuesday Three: 3 ways to improve your business
Beers work too Give bonuses in kind, not cash. A weekend trip for two to Rotovegas for $300 feels like a lot more than $300 in cash. Insource your legal work by hiring a young, smart lawyer who is 3 years out from law school. They tend to be good at other stuff too Ask …
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Sky TV’s easy credit
Sky’s results came out this week – and while subscriber numbers grew the financial results were at the low end of expectations. I feel that their product is disappointing – with too much rugby translating into a general loss of passion for the game, and with an increasing awareness that in tough times paying money …
The death of rugby
So Wellington wins the Ranfurly shield match against Auckland. Just. With a drop goal making the difference. Meanwhile the All Blacks win the deciding Bledisloe cup game against Australia. Just. With a lucky penalty awarded after a missed drop goal. Then All Black coach Henry calls out Wellington coach Jamie Joesph for not allowing the …
Tuesday Three: 3 ways to improve your business
Go green Turn the computers and lights off each night as you leave. Alternatively ask the security guards to do so when they do the rounds. If you have cleaners then ask then to swithcb the lights off after they are done. Go hybrid – and lose the thirsty clunky Commodore company cars and invest …
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A great experience – at Experience BMW
Occasionally I get great customer service experiences – and so it is each time with Experience BMW in Auckland. At BMW stores there is no hard pressure to buy – the stores let the bikes sell themselves, and like Apple I seem to have a addiction weakness for their products. Both compamies make it easy. …
Lance Wiggs 