Business...Yeah. Talking business. That's good. Even if it's Komarran business...But at least Mark feels on firmer footing there. Plus it honestly could be useful to get Galeni's perspective. Galeni knows Komarr quite a lot better than Mark knows Komarr - truthfully, Mark had found the planet immensely confusing, given how little it resembled the planet of Ser Galen's fevered propaganda. And so getting his perspective on a business could be good...
"Biomed equipment manufacturing," he says. "The tariffs for shipping that sort of equipment through Komarran space is high, to say the least. The tarriffs for exporting that equipment are quite a lot lower. So I'm looking to import materials to Komarr, manufacture there, and export. It'll bring down my margins on my other enterprises considerably, to say nothing of the profit I'll turn just by selling to other facilities." He grimaces. "The problem we're having is in finding a site."
Real estate. That would be the major hitch to any business start-up on Komarr. The domes make any space within highly desirable and if Mark needs it for manufacturing... Well, Mark might be looking for a long time for a space adequate enough if he isn't careful. He idly swirls his glass as he considers his broth--acquaintance's problem.
"If you're able to cover shipping costs between domes, you could have better luck in one without a spaceport attached," he says after a moment. However much that might cut into the projected profits. "Not many businesses are willing to go out that far. Are you searching for a place already equipped?"
He shakes his head. "All we need is the location. We want to build from the ground up, according to our specs. The equipment we're going to be producing is the best," he says, with rather pardonable pride. "So it won't just be some repurposed facility.
"And we had a location," he says, pride giving way to frustration. "A good one. In Solstice Dome - a cluster of old buildings that Mondavi was looking to tear down anyways. But it was blocked by the Solstice ruling council. A measure led by Cabot." Mark grimaces, and diverts some measure of attention to settling Killer. That's just what no one needs - another Councilor murdered by another Vorkosigan. Imagine explaining that one to his father.
"That's why I like business much better than politics. At least in business people forget old grudges if it means more money in the future."
What was the old business adage? Location, location, location. Solstice Dome would have been perfect for business purposes, but the mention of 'old buildings' has him internally grateful that the council still had their heads on straight. He manages to resist the urge to ask exactly what kind of history Mark had been attempting to mow down in the name of profits. The decision has already been made and he doubts the council will be swayed to revisit it. Thankfully.
"Ah, in that respect we're not too different from those in the Whole," he says, tone almost as if he's trying to lead a student down a particular path of thought. How much insider information on a competitor was Cabot gaining in this potential alliance?
"Did you look into Cabot's other business ventures?"
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Date: 2 Mar 2016 15:41 (UTC)"Biomed equipment manufacturing," he says. "The tariffs for shipping that sort of equipment through Komarran space is high, to say the least. The tarriffs for exporting that equipment are quite a lot lower. So I'm looking to import materials to Komarr, manufacture there, and export. It'll bring down my margins on my other enterprises considerably, to say nothing of the profit I'll turn just by selling to other facilities." He grimaces. "The problem we're having is in finding a site."
no subject
Date: 2 Mar 2016 18:32 (UTC)"If you're able to cover shipping costs between domes, you could have better luck in one without a spaceport attached," he says after a moment. However much that might cut into the projected profits. "Not many businesses are willing to go out that far. Are you searching for a place already equipped?"
no subject
Date: 3 Mar 2016 01:13 (UTC)"And we had a location," he says, pride giving way to frustration. "A good one. In Solstice Dome - a cluster of old buildings that Mondavi was looking to tear down anyways. But it was blocked by the Solstice ruling council. A measure led by Cabot." Mark grimaces, and diverts some measure of attention to settling Killer. That's just what no one needs - another Councilor murdered by another Vorkosigan. Imagine explaining that one to his father.
"That's why I like business much better than politics. At least in business people forget old grudges if it means more money in the future."
no subject
Date: 3 Mar 2016 01:49 (UTC)"Ah, in that respect we're not too different from those in the Whole," he says, tone almost as if he's trying to lead a student down a particular path of thought. How much insider information on a competitor was Cabot gaining in this potential alliance?
"Did you look into Cabot's other business ventures?"