It Really Starts!

YC 114.01.16

I spoke too soon!  Corp X has accepted our terms, effective immediately.  Other than swapping out one of the components to deliver for another one - same source material, just wires crossed on needs - we’re in business!

It Starts

YC114.01.16

Well, I’ve officially started my career as a manufacturer.  I’ve built some standard medium hybrid ammo and it's now listed on the market.  I figured I’d try selling in this nice little system I know, where there’s a pretty good stream of work offered, and low-sec right next door.  I guess now I find out how good my business instincts are...

And, since this is essentially a test run, I’ve used personal supplies and listed the ammo just under my name.  It doesn’t feel right to use corp assets on me learning the ropes.  With luck though - we’ll be turning the taps on full right away!

I’ve fired a counter-proposal back to my sources, this time I think we’ve got it nailed.  We’ll get the blueprints working in no time, and start generating profits for both corps to enjoy.  My final manufacturing certificate came through a few days ago, so it’s all systems go!

Polix is so excited he’s already thinking down the road - he can’t wait to get his hands on a POS and start installing manufacturing facilities.  I’m not sure if that’s overkill or not...  Right now our only costs to build are the facility fees, which are fairly reasonable - at least for the volumes we’re moving right now.  

All I can think is how expensive a POS is to run, and what volumes we’d need to hit to make it worth it.  Of course, once we hit those volumes...  If we get serious about ship building, getting a reliable stream of null-sec ores may be a bigger priority than a POS - at least at first.

With any luck, that’s something my sources can handle.

(Back to waiting I guess...  Why does it seem like I’m always waiting on others before I can get rich?  Don’t these people know the impact they’re having on my bank balance?)

On the topic of waiting - it appears there might be some discord in Corp X.  I submitted the proposal to their designate last week; James touched base with the CEO this weekend and he still hadn’t seen it.  We’re not sure if there’s internal strife, or just red tape and workload issues.  It looks like Corp X may also be opening up a multi-front battle, and I suppose it’s reasonable to lose focus on what really matters when people are shooting at you...

Pulling Rocks Again

YC114.01.13

Wow, just wow.  One of our junior corp members - Loreal, recruited by Polix - is an Orca pilot, along with accomplished fleet booster.  And man, what a difference that makes!  Cycle time down by almost a minute, yields up as well - all told a 65% increase in what I’m pulling.  At this rate, we’ll have no trouble at all getting raw material for manufacturing - at least the more common items.  We’re still not big enough to risk low- or null-sec systems for the rarer rocks.

And, Loreal can boost our ice intake by over 40% too - with luck we’ll have a buyer lined up for that product soon, and we won’t have to deal with the open market.  

Oh, and only 36 hours until I’ve completed my Production Efficiency V training.  The group I’ve lined up with the idle blueprints is waiting for me to get final numbers for them before they make a decision.  Makes sense, I wouldn’t commit to anything either without knowing the final bill.

(On a side note, sometimes it can be frustrating dealing with people who actually pay attention to the bottom line.  How can I take advantage of you if you’re going to show intelligence?  Stupid people are much better for the ol’ profit margin...)

It’ll be real nice to start manufacturing things, it’s a shame letting product go for less than it’s worth.  If all goes well, we may need to look into getting our own manufacturing facilities one of these days.

Also, I’ve issued my first contract proposal for RECLT as the new business face.  No word back from Corp X yet, but it hasn’t been that long.  Hopefully they go for it - I think it’s a really good deal for both sides.  

Big News!

YC114.01.12

Big news for me at least - but not the news James is working on...

In addition to Production Chief, James has now delegated me the business dealings for RECLT!  Or as he put it “You are now the business face of RECLT.”

Imagine that - me a face for a corp!  This is something I never even dared dream while stuck on that rock, watching my family toil just to get by.  Simply getting out of that gravity well seemed beyond reach - let alone being trusted with business dealings that could affect regions-wide power balances.

The first task he’s given me: negotiate with Corp X based on the analysis I’ve performed.  And the unstated implication - don’t screw up the politics, or it could be James caught in the explosion.

Gee, nothing like a nice easy task my first time out of the gate...

Waiting Is the Hardest Part

YC114.01.11

Well, the numbers have been crunched and the offers have been extended.  Now we wait and see, just wait and see...

I’ve passed on the analysis James asked for, hopefully he can make use of it.  Some minor tweaks and we could be on to a good thing.

As for the contacts I’m working, I’ve come up with something that looks win-win to me and sent it to them - I really like our odds of coming to an agreement there.

And it looks like James is neck-deep in some potentially explosive politics too, hopefully the news goes public soon - it could open a lot of doors and revenue streams!

Tools

YC114.01.11

Ah, the value chain, that mythical land of unlimited ISK and riches...  Where turning ore into minerals makes you money, and turning minerals into goods makes you even more money!

(Unless mercenaries are screwing with the markets, and people can’t do math.)

RECLT is starting to get some momentum going, and we’re getting a stockpile of processed ores and ices building up.  Now, the easy thing to do is just sell the stockpile.  But easy ain’t gonna make you rich and poor ain’t gonna get you power!

Turns out the region of space James found for us not only has very nice natural resources to pull, but also reasonably priced factories to turn those resources into actual goods to sell.  I haven’t started my new life as a tycoon of production just yet - I have one more certification I need to complete before it’s worth it, but that’s only a few days away.

So far, I just have plans to start small with various types of standard ammunition.  This has a few benefits for me: should I need to take matters into my own hands, I have a cheap supply available; for others who take matters into their own hands, I have a not-as-cheap supply available; and the grand plan, all that ammo gets spent blowing up things that then need replacing.

And who better than to sell replacement items than me?

True, I don’t have my hands on any blueprints yet for those items.  But, we got plans I tells ya, big plans!  James is chatting with a certain group of folks, and may have a line on providing a steady stream of refined product.  They’re playing hard-ball on the price, and I’ve got to crunch some numbers; but it looks promising.

(Ah, the glamorous life of Production Chief.  Refine this, sell that, find the best profit on those - bloody slave-driver James is...)

Even better, I’ve got a line on some folks with a very nice supply of highly researched blueprints just sitting there gathering dust and not earning anyone anything.  Talks are underway now, and who knows where things could lead.

I’m starting to discover just what James finds so intoxicating about politics...

First You Get the ISK, Then You Get the Power

YC114.01.10

ISK is just a tool.

Politics is just a tool.

(A hammer is just a tool, I’m assuming...)

Life, according to James.

And now my life, as a member of RECLT.  Before James, I never would have noticed with whom GR kept company.  Now, I can’t help but notice, and calculate, and figure the angles.  (And try to make a profit - I haven’t changed that much!)

James has quite the tight little group here at RECLT: him, me, and Polix - a chap he managed to hire away from M. Bastian’s group.  Ava’s also a member, unfortunately we haven’t heard from him since I got out of the hole.  Apparently he went scouting and never returned; hopefully he’s alright, and if he ran into Sansha somewhere had a quick and clean end, rather than...  Well, let’s just hope he’s alright.

Anyway, the first thing the three of us did was solidify my relationship with Astral Mining.  Things have been heating up in some of their sectors, and Astral proved suitably grateful for our assistance - so grateful they’ve waived all taxes on refining at their facilities!

(I know GR may have some questionable taste in allies, but their ISK is still good.  I’ve done a few refining jobs for Lina, and hopefully that continues in the future.  The profit may be small, but the effort involved is even smaller; those kind of jobs make sense to me.)

The best lesson to date: the influence of politics on the markets.  

James has found a nice little ice field on the edges of respectable space.  Normally, this would be a middling prospect for profits - however certain mercenary elements have declared economic war on the Gallente!  Their practice of harassing ice miners has scared of a lot of people, and driven prices through the roof.

James - in a move that does my wallet proud - has formed some very strategic alliances and mutual protection pacts with the other miners in the area.  There’s more than enough ice to go around, more than enough ISK to go around, and more than enough drones orbiting to keep away anyone with nefarious intentions.  In fact, it’s such a sweet ISK faucet I didn’t even think twice slapping down money on a new Mackinaw - the St. Moritz.  Not as big as the Nimes II, I’ll admit, but perfectly suited for pulling profits from these frozen assets!

The strangest lesson to date: the influence of politics on the markets.

(I know, I’m repeating myself... Bear with me.)

The market for ice is so riled up right now, prices are all over the map.  Turns out refining the cubes and selling the component pieces are worth more than processing those pieces into fuel for Gallente stations.  I shocked by the number of people that apparently can’t do basic cost-benefit analysis, but hey - never let it be said that I passed up an opportunity to rescue ISK from unsuitable owners!  

Speaking of processing and manufacturing, looks like I might be breaking into a new market soon...