So it turns out starting your own company is hard. Really hard.
It takes a long time, a lot of hard work and even then you have to do all sorts of other things to pay the rent. This is the first in a series of blog posts where I’ll talk about these “extra” activities.
So today’s money earner is modelling. It’s pretty self explanatory. In terms of an income stream, it’s unreliable, the work is sporadic, it’s quite fun and it pays pretty well. You don’t necessarily get to keep your dignity, but as long as you can laugh at yourself you should survive. It’s all about staying focussed on the reason you’re doing it.
Well, so blog readers (if there are any of you) I have got to the point where I am simply too busy to sleep. It’s been a difficult decision to make, but I’ve decided that I need to give up sleep all together in order to get everything done.
This blog refresh has been quite literally months in the making, but eventually after hours and hours of agonising over pixels and code I finally got it live! Read More »
In a city of cheap taxis and many rainy days these can be some of the most valuable numbers in your phone. I recently cleaned up my address book and put together this handy vCard with the phone numbers for the 5 biggest Shanghai taxi companies. Read More »
For those not in Shanghai Wagas is a trendy cafe cum sandwich bar and a good one at that…or at least it tries to be. This morning I was just sat in Wagas on Wujiang lu (my fave) waiting for a friend, sadly this was not to be a happy experience! Sadly there doesn’t seem to be the profit margin on a 45元 sandwich to actually come to the table to take my order so I have to traipse up to the counter. Annoying and from my reckoning detracts far more from the brand & quality than it saves them in operational costs. What particularly ruined today was the bacon & scrambled eggs on toast which arrived first without the bacon and when it finally came was cold. Come on Wagas sort it out! Read More »
In a rather poor attempt to make up for a lack of genuine content, here is a link to a facebook gallery of shots from my daily life in Shanghai. It really is a fantastic city with so much to see and do, I thoroughly recommend anyone that hasn’t been to come here, I’ll even show you around or at very least we’ll grab a beer.
I have just been appointed as the Head of International Sales at Millettech a growing digital & graphic design agency in Shanghai. My brief is to develop their international sales strategy and bring in new business from the West. It is an exciting appointment and I will be developing and implementing a new strategy which will start with improvements to Millettech’s english website and the company’s marketing literature.
The company has developed some impressive technology which combined with lower labour costs in China should make Millettech’s offering very attractive to Western firms. I will update you on how I get on.
I’m slowly putting my new Shanghai life together. A key part of that life is a flat and I have after a few days searching found a pretty good one. It’s not exactly what I wanted, but I’ve got quite a short lease so I can change if something more exciting comes along. Sadly due to timing I wasn’t able to take my favorite flat which included a balcony, pool and tennis court. I’ve exchanged those little luxuries for a slightly better location right in the centre of town and a bit more impressive view (see picture).
Rent here isn’t the most expensive! Considering I’m living in the centre of China’s second biggest city I’m paying only 2300 RMB or (£150.85) per month for a 7th floor room in an apartment. On which note I think there is some money to be made in this area. Look out for a post on my commercial activity soon.
After an 11 hour flight (I slept for 9) I arrived safely in Shanghai. One of my first trips once stepping off the plane was the Maglev from the airport to central Shanghai. Read More »
I have now finally sorted my flights, insurance and visa for my trip so all is go. I’ll be arriving in Shanghai on Monday 3rd of September and will spend the first few days will look for a flat and settling in. I’ve already been in contact with a lot of people in Shanghai and am increasingly excited about the possibilities before me.
It takes a long time, a lot of hard work and even then you have to do all sorts of other things to pay the rent. This is the first in a series of blog posts where I’ll talk about these “extra” activities.
I have just been appointed as the Head of International Sales at Millettech a growing digital & graphic design agency in Shanghai. My brief is to develop their international sales strategy and bring in new business from the West. It is an exciting appointment and I will be developing and implementing a new strategy which will start with improvements to 
