Category Archives: Business

May 6 2012

The Apple iPad – profit galore!

I blogged about the amazing Apple store in New York last week – and I came across a fascinating article in the Economist on the flight back across the pond.

It was about the iPad. This is famously made in a factory in China where conditions may not be entirely ideal! Certainly labour costs are a fraction of the US (or Europe for that matter). But the Economist have estimated the costs and profits per iPad – they are in Dollars, but you get the picture.

Sale price – 16gB wi-fi model – $499

Costs:

Materials $154
Labour $33 (of which $8 stays in China)
Distribution / retail – $75

Profits

Subcontractors – $88 (all over the world)
Apple – $150

So a nice tidy 30% profit to Apple.

I think the ipad is creeping up on us, I do use my (second generation) one a lot now. If I’m in London and travelling light is it great. I wouldn’t yet want to type a long report on it, but for general email / browsing / presentations it’s brilliant. And I have had my Estates Gazette on it this weekend for the first time…

I can see it become the defacto business tool.

May 5 2012

Tamatanga – Nottingham – pretty good!

Just before I left for New York, I met my old friend and former client Nick Hammond for lunch in Nottingham. It’s always good to see him to reminisce about the old times – he worked at the former Castle College.

We have had some amazing meals over the years – in all sorts of places – New York, Boston, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Malmo and Hamburg to name but a few! We have also ‘done’ most of Nottingham’s too – Harts, World Service, Jamie’s and Carluccio’s!

It was apparently Nick’s turn to treat me – and he offered the Tamatanga Urban Canteen in The Cornerhouse. I have to confess I hadn’t heard of it. It’s not a part of town I tend to go.

In the heavy rain I arrived and he was already perched on one of the massive tables – which you share – I figured this was a canteen!

He recommended the food – we did Thai food – a main dish, rice and lots of smaller dishes. And a bottle of coke.

I was pleasantly surprised, the service was great – quick and efficient. The food was amazing. And incredibly – it was around £15 for us both!

I was reminded when we were sat there about one of the key findings of the work we did for the sheriff’s Commission back in 2009 – food featured highly in world-class attractions. One of the best meals we had was in the Farmers Market in Los Angeles – where it was cheap but really good quality.

Well done Tamatanga!

May 3 2012

Churches past and present…

As I drive along Castle Boulevard each day (on my way to Costa Coffee!) I have watched the new Cornerstone Church gradually come out of the ground – on the site of the old MFI.

It’s not looking pretty. Imposing yes, pretty no. In fact, to date, it looks like a newer version of the MFI trade showroom it has replaced. All steel, crinkly tin and some token brick and stone facades. Theres a bit of a curved section of brickwork and a jauntily angled joint between brick and profile sheets. Although the scaffold remains up, the ‘reveal’ isn’t going to be eureka moment I fear!

I was thinking as I drove past this week what a difference a hundred years makes. Well, perhaps 200. If you have ever seen the Basilique_du_Sacré Coeur in Paris, St Pauls in London or La Salgrada Familia in Barcelona – you’ll understand what I mean. These are great pieces of architecture – that have stood the test of time. They remain iconic and standing! They were constructed of the very best material, stone, slate, lead. They had character and real features. They were more than just canopies to protect people from the wind and rain. They are not buildings they are places.

I wonder in a hundred years if this new Cornerstone church will be standing. I’m guessing that MFI was built in the late 1970′s – a pretty poor lifespan. 35-40 years?

Our world today is all about sustainability. We concentrate it seems to me on the energy and ‘green’ credentials. But surely some of the most sustainable ones are those that were built hundreds of years ago. Their embedded carbon has long since been written down. Look at the Pitcher & Piano in Nottingham – originally a church, now a bar. Re-use at it’s best.

I’m sure cost has featured highly and I gather that congregations are high in number. So, these new churches have done something the old buildings couldn’t do! Perhaps they are sustainable after all?

Apr 30 2012

The tallest building in New York?

It’s like one of those Trivial Pursuits questions – ‘which is New Yorks tallest building’. Of course if you bought Trivial Pursuits pre 9/11 then the Twin Towers would have been the correct answer. But subsequent to that disaster – the Empire State Building stood tall again on Manhattan Island. The last time it was overtaken was in 1970 as the steel of the Twin Towers was hauled into place.

But tonight in Manhattan I have witnessed another game-changer (the first was the Shuttle fly-past last week!). The Freedom Tower – David Child’s new Ground Zero sited building overtook the height of the Empire State building. On it’s way to 100 floors the height reached 1,271 ft this afternoon in New York. That’s 21 ft higher than the Empire State Building. It will eventually reach 1,368 ft – the same height as the twin towers it replaces on the skyline.`On top of that there will be a 300 foot mast!

It’s an impressive building – which apparently can be seen from La Guardia airport 8.5 miles away! The Park at the foot of the towers with the infinity pools are a stark reminder to what was there before. It’s a sobering place – but a fitting tribute to what was once there – and to those people who lost their lives.

The new building will open in 2018 and is expected to have cost $3.8bn. It will have a floorspace of 2.6m sq ft (That’s a lot!).

Apr 26 2012

New York – 2012 – part one

This morning I leave Blighty for Manhattan Island. Some have suggested I have stirred enough of the Mayor debate up that I need to leave the City. Whereas some fine citizens get the key to the City I managed to get barred from filming with the BBC in ‘my own’ Castle. I found it amusing. It’s now my claim to fame!

But the trip was arranged some weeks ago, when Virgin dropped their flight prices to half of what they were in March when I blogged about the coincidental pricing arrangements between Virgin and BA. In fact it is the cheapest I have ever paid.

So, it’s across the pond for a few days. To the City that never sleeps.

As we have been discussing the Mayor in Nottingham over the last few weeks I was reflecting on the Mayoral position in New York. In the easy days when I went it was a very different place – crime was high and feeling safe was not how you felt. The Subway was out of bounds and going past 100th was considered suicide.

But Guiliani was credited with changing that. He cut crime and made the place safe again. He cleaned the City up.

I wouldn’t dream about travelling other by the subway. We have been into the Bronx. In some ways i think it is safer in New York than in Nottingham on a Saturday night! The Police presence is high – they are on every corner and at rush hour on station platforms. It’s zero tolerance.

So for the next few days, The Big Apple is home. It’s a chance to see some art, some music (I’ll blog about that later!) and lot’s of coffee shops. I get to go to some great independent music shops – and buy some more vinyl. A trip to John’s Pizza is essential as is the Milk Bar in the Chelsea Flower Market. The High Line is great at dusk.

I really ought to write my guide book this time…

Apr 23 2012

Some pretty cool buildings

As I blogged about last Friday I was at the RICS East Midlands Awards evening last week; they double up as the venue for the Estates Gazette to announce the Agent of the Year.

I was pleasantly surprised to see an amazing selection of projects – some of which I knew. Surprised because we are supposed to be in austere times. There were a record number of entries – 36. The quality of the submissions was very high and I didn’t envy the judges.

Having judged for the last few years for the Civic Trust Awards, I was delighted to see one of the buildings I looked at get a commendation. The Westfield Folkhouse Project in Mansfield designed by Lewis & Hickey (read Nick Riley’s blog here) is a great project and wins another accolade. I was also pleased to see Raynsway’s Passivhaus Office in Leicester be rewarded too. This is a very green building!

Maggies in Nottingham received a commendation too and the collection at the dinner (£1,250) was given to the centre. I love the architecture of the building.

But the evening was about four winners:

Althrop House in Northamptonshire for the Building Conservation Award
The Clay Cross Regeneration Scheme for Regeneration
The Repton School Theatre for Design & Innovation
The Hartsholme Academy in Lincoln for the Community Benefit

These projects were all really good, but one gets the honour of going forward to the National awards in November – and it was little surprise that Althrop won. It was a delicate project to re-dress damaged limestone, replacing stainless steel pins holding the facade tiling and replacing lead roofs. By all accounts this was a major undertaking – taking 20 months. The finished photographs look stunning.

It was good to see that we can still produce good new buildings and refurbish old ones to such a high standard.

Apr 19 2012

The joy of cold calling?

My eldest son works in a call centre, raising money for charity. I have some sympathy for his as it can’t be fun extracting cash from people – especially in the current climate.

I seem to be going through a phase again of get cold calls – principally about my firms mobile telephones. The contract is due for renewal in the summer this year. But, following some pretty appalling experiences of private firms who promise the earth and then deliver nothing, we have gone directly to the big firms, Orange, O2 and Vodaphone. Although our experiences have been varied, I do know where I stand. We won’t ever go through a third party again.

But this doesn’t stop the cold callers. My favourites (not) are the ones who start with my first name – in a sort of ‘best mate’ way. Then they are concerned about how my day is, ‘are you having a good day?’ I’m not usually, so this is a bit of a blow to them when I share. Then the outright lie, ‘you told me to call you back’ or ‘you said I could come and see you’. They are pretty convincing – and seem genuinely disappointed when I let them down with ‘no I didn’t’. Emphatically I didn’t. I always remember when I have ‘promised’ to let them see me / quote me. Because it’s been never.

The lies really irritate me the most. They must do this on one of two grounds – firstly they get lucky and find me in a pleasant mood (unlikely) or that they think my memory has failed me and I’ll roll over (unlikely) and let them come and share my office for an hour.

It can’t be fun trying to earn a living doing this, but the manual about winning new clients from cold calling needs re-visiting!

Apr 17 2012

The death of the letter?

Back in October 2009 I blogged about the demise of the letter – my blog post is here – but was essentially about the then proposed strike by Postmen. I remember writing that blog like it was yesterday!

And I’m moved to write again, this time as the Post Office prepare themselves to hike the price of a first class stamp from 46p to 60p. And the second class stamp from 36p to 50p – increases of 30% and 39% respectively. Nice increases if you can get them. The joy of the monopoly. But nothing short of outrageous.

My experience of second class post is simply that. It’s a second class service, a bit like a lottery – some letters get there, some don’t. First Class is marginally better – although the days of getting your post delivered by a human being before you are awake are long gone. We have a choice at work – wait until lunchtime … or pay … or collect. We wait.

We have completely changed our business model – shifting toward email – as most people have. Apparently the high point was 2006 when 84m letters were delivered each day – it is now 59m. And this latest increase will do nothing to change that. In fact, it will simply speed up the process. We do still have to send some stuff to people in hard copy, but it is reducing.

Fundamentally, it is not worth 60p to post a letter to someone.

And there’s the whiff of foul play too – it seems that the Post Office are making sure we don’t stockpile the stamps by restricting their availability. Their statement suggests otherwise – it says that supplies are ‘limited’ which apparently isn’t the same as ‘rationing’. Frankly the Post Office deserves to wither away to nothing. They have missed the market – we have all moved on, but wouldn’t have done had the service been half decent and affordable. It is neither.

P.O. R.I.P.

Apr 16 2012

David Richmond RIP

I heard this morning that David Richmond – one of my lecturers at Nottingham Trent University (‘The Poly’ in those days) has passed away.

David was an amazing man. We all bought his book – an Introduction to Valuation. It was essential reading for those of us who struggled with what then seemed like alien concepts. His lectures exuded calm and patience. It was essential to go as we wouldn’t have stood a chance otherwise.

He was hugely encouraging towards me personally. I hadn’t seen him for many years – until an Alumni event two years ago – we met up with Michael Parkinson (He’s second from the left in the picture). He was on great form that evening.

He was a lifelong supporter of Notts County – and they put out a really touching announcement on their web site last week. You can read it here.

It’s a sad day for the Surveying fraternity. David will be missed.

UPDATE

I had an email from Paul Collins last night with the funeral arrangements for David:

Wednesday 25 April 2012

1.15 pm – Sutton-in-Ashfield United and Reformed Church. The church has a capacity of 600, so all are welcome to attend. The Reverend says parking is tight, but you can also use spaces at St Joseph’s Social Club which is across the road.

2.45 pm – Mansfield Crematorium

Family request no flowers, but say a donation to the Sutton-in-Ashfield United and Reformed Church is what David would have wanted

Apr 15 2012

A fantastic new watch!

I like my watches. I have a few! My day watch is a Bell & Ross, but I have others too. I don’t think you can ever have too many watches!

Yesterday as I was flicking through Pinterest, I came across this! It’s not yet available, they are expecting it to be available in the Autumn.

In a square there is a grid of 110 letters. When the stainless steel button is pressed, words light up in unexpected places which describe the time. The QLOCKTWO W will be about £500 on release.

I want one. I think it is amazing!!