Revolutions everywhere!

To our friends in North Africa and the Middle East. Stay safe and we wish you well with whatever transpires in you home states. I have many readers from the region.

I wonder if this event would have been possible (this combined consciousness across a few countries) had it not been for the Internet and the ability for the countries citizens to access information that is leading to these uprisings. I think this may be a good thing.

I dont pretend to know the issues in all the countries involved. As always it seems complicated.

Its a crazy time and out thoughts are with you.
Yours
The Virtual Shipbroker

Open Questions Thread

I will use this thread (and put it in favourites) for any open / random questions people want answered that aren't necessarily linked to my posts.

If no one has any questions then thats cool too - I can go back to sleep!

voyage charter vs time charter question

Bump from another thread

Good question

qte

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Readership growing":
I have a qn VS, hope to hear your view.

Why does voyage cargo always pay better than a time charter trip? Is it due to better control over the costs?

unqte

There is a huge assumption here that shipowners prefer voyage charters over time charterers because they ALWAYS pay better.

Anyone care to offer an explanation / comment?

VS

Vs dry cargo chartering and shipbroking certificate

Ok people, due to popular demand I am rolling out the 3rd edition of the overwhelmingly successful (yet humble) VS dry cargo chartering shipbroking certificate.

This post is to ask for any requests for enrollment.

Details

Start date: 07th February 2011

Request for enrollment date: Friday 28th January (must be in by then)

I will let you know if you have been successful within a few days

Cost: I have decided not to increase the cost (despite the poor USD) for this intake. Next intake (midyear 2011) will most probably be slightly more expensive.

Those of you who have already contacted me with enrollment requests could you please send me a one liner confirming interest.

Subject to total class numbers

Check the blog link for further details http://virtualshipbroker.blogspot.com/p/study.html

Yours

The Virtual Shipbroker

Basic shipbroking 101

My current crop of students are completing there certificate by taking part in their final virtual negotiations.

The process reminds me that many juniors over think things. Remember that a brokers central role is to 'pass on' information from one party to another. Pass it on in a timely and accurate manner - full stop. Leave the interpretation and salesmanship once you have done a few deals and you can read the situations better.

Keep it simple - pass on the info and stay out of trouble - junior brokers! If you are unsure about an element ask your boss or drop VS an email - ill help out...

BTW - the next intake will be forced back a few weeks. I will be announcing details of how people can make an request for enrollment over the next week or so.

Yours VS

Readership growing

Over the last 3 days this blog has broken a few readership records with over 600 individual hits on each day. Still humble by google standards but great for a brokers blog.

Incase yu were wondering - the top ten for last 7 days

United Kingdom 484
United States 437
Singapore 408
Greece 272
India 153
Australia 124
Canada 81
Denmark 72
Spain 71
Netherlands 53

Thanks for reading!
VS

point of clarification

It has been mentioned by someone to me that there may be a persepction that i delete blog comments from others that I dont like.

Its true - I am able to moderate (delete) posts that I dont like. Luckily for me I have deleted a grand total of 4 comments in 2 years of operation.

Yes a whole 4!

Reasons

1. if someone tries to sell something in the comment ie there is a link to a product. Yes even a past chairman of the ICS who sent me blog message for publication - included in his message a link to his own consultancy business which i deleted. I get many people who only make comments as a way of propomting their own businesses. Its a standard way for interenet marketers to try and increase readership and advertise for free and well patronised blogs. I wont allow it.

2. If someone is abusive (happened once)

3. If someone asks a question that has been repeated many times

4. If it is obvious that the person has an agenda other than to advance the discussions important to shipbrokers.

Incase yu are wondering in 2 years I have had no negative reviews to any of my blog posts, books or software. None that I have seen or that I have moderated anyway. That certainly does not get vetted. Ask around people like my books! I cant help it. Not one request for a refund except on a software that we had trouble on one computer.

Many people send me private messages and we have discussions on a private basis regarding interesting topics which is great. But when someone sends something deliberately antagonistic and wants it to be published then it wont happen.

And btw I only publish a 1/10 of the compliments my books, blogs and course get. I dont wanna bore yu.

You be the judge - follow your instincts. its all good.

keep rockin

cheers
VS

Should VS Twitter?

Im not convinced but alas I have set up a twitter account. I havent done a tweet yet (do you really want to know when im sitting on the toilet reading tradewinds?) and yet some of you have tracked me down and asked to follow my tweets....which appreciated.

My wife says I have nothing useful to say and my kids dont seem to understand my basic instructions so im not sure I am the tweetable type.

You never know...if i tweet I will tell this blog so that yu can all decide if you wanna follow or not.

cheers
VS