🚀 go-pugleaf

"Tony Bailey" <mercurytravel@optusnet.com.au> writes:

>"Jane Sullivan" <jane@yddraiggoch.demon.co.uk
>> wrote in message > I wasn't suggesting the hobby store route. I was 
>> suggesting that the manufacture appoint an agent (one agent) in the 
>> overseas countries where he/she expects to sell several models, to 
>> eliminate the customers' pain of trying to import the models individually, 
>> that's all.

>Which brings up the problem of exactly how many copies you have to have 
>sales for in the other country to make it worthwhile, ignoring for the 
>moment any profit for the agent and the obscene amounts charged by freight 
>forwarders for brokerage, customs clearance at each end, insurance, freight 
>etc, all of which are going to go on to the retail price at destination

That's why I said anything like this adds a huge load on the business model,
and for a small business with one or just a couple of staff, unless it's a
business with a ginormous turnover it's difficult to make it work. 

The problem is that by taking this as the pure and simple reason not to
trying distributing through other 'service providers', there's only so far
the marketting bandwagon can be pushed before focus on the manufacturing and
development side is lost. There's more to a business than just the financial
side - there's 'equity' in the people themselves and that drains away from
time to time.

I don't think any of us would want to see Austrains or another similar
operation suddenly shut down because the staff have lost the will to keep
the 'intensity' level up. 8-) The niche in which Austrains and Eureka are
moving into has always existed but it's being widened as the model railway
hobby continues to evolve.

Craig.


-- 
Craig Dewick - Professional Train Manager (RailCorp) + HO Scale Rail Modeller
http://www.railzone.org -- Check out the RailZone Online Forums! Send email to
craigd@lios.apana.org.au -- RailCorp Train Crew Council: http://www.rctcc.org
Oz Rail Safety List: http://lios.apana.org.au/mailman/listinfo/aus_rail_safety