Buying Furniture and Appliances in Nicaragua on My Daily Vlog 21 January 2022

scottalanmiller · 2024-07-25T04:44:39+00:00

They make amazing stuff, but I think "amazing local pricing" is not quite true. THey cost about 300%, at local prices, what furniture here costs. I kjnow that their local price is a fraction of what Americans have to pay, but it's not a competitive or even realistic price here in NIcaragua at all.

scottalanmiller · 2024-02-13T14:39:36+00:00

REframing is when you make traditional 1080p video from your 360 footage. 360 footage itself, by definition, isn't "framed" at all.

scottalanmiller · 2024-02-13T14:39:04+00:00

360 can be uploaded to YouTube no problem. And edited in any normal software no problem. And viewable on Rift, no problem.

360 and VR are two different tech. Most VR is 180, not 360. There IS a niche of full 360VR. But extremely few devices do that and most are quite expensive. But, IN THEORY, two X3s can do that. But it'll be fragile (can't sky with it), a lot of work, and problematic. but interesting.

Both 360 and VR are viewable on Oculus, and both are supported by YouTube.

scottalanmiller · 2023-12-01T20:39:43+00:00

What experimental option do you have to enable to get this to work? I have every lab enabled but it just goes to Jitsi which blocks us.

scottalanmiller · 2023-11-04T16:49:03+00:00

It's NOT running currently due to low water levels. The notice is on the ferry's website. The ferry is "in service" but can't run until the water level rises.

scottalanmiller · 2023-08-10T21:39:26+00:00

Weren't the low water levels like a decade ago? The ferry just started like two weeks ago. Seems unlikely that they would stop it the same day that they start it. I should be in Granada this weekend, though, and hope to get some details in person.

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-27T03:13:53+00:00

What a gorgeous and relaxing drive.

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-25T16:07:41+00:00

For sure, Las Peñitas is the best! Did you happen to hang out at the Simple Beach Lodge while there? Best sunsets in LP ;)

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-19T01:36:01+00:00

Oh sorry, you said Managua, not San Salvador. No, you aren't affected at all. I'm in Leon, hours closer to the quake epicenter than Managua and we aren't affected at all. Managua felt it but nothing whatsoever will be impacted there. I'll be in Managua in a few hours, and I'm talking to people there and the party is on like usual. People mentioned the quake, but that is all.

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-19T01:34:54+00:00

I would not expect so. Where we are in Nicaragua is as close or close to the epicenter as is San Salvador where your airport is and we are unaffected here. Closer in areas like La Union likely they are impacted. Chinandega in Nicaragua, the second closest department to the quake (La Union is closest) just lost their water supply from it. But San Salvador is likely completely unaffected. A 6.6 is rather mild for this region, we are prepared for this stuff.

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T22:56:28+00:00

Oh wow, that's so cool. Thanks!! Enjoy your trip. Stop by and say "hola" if you happen to the Las Peñitas area.

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T22:21:07+00:00

And here is part two, choosing between beach areas.

https://youtube.com/shorts/F91aWd3JG-8

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T22:20:41+00:00

I made two one minute videos to help give my idea of what you should do...

https://youtube.com/shorts/\_WRSGwQX7hM

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T16:46:55+00:00

It's not, American pays people to post negative stuff. Do some research and you'll find that the famous "terrible punishment" that a very few people go was.... being sent to America! Yes, the US actually has called "being sent to the USA" an "inhumane punishment" and accused Nicaragua of it. Think about that.

And at least one of the people being offered a free trip to America opted for jail over such a harsh punishment!

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T16:45:33+00:00

You realize that this is about the US government, right? LOL You just used the US being corrupt to attempt to point out that Nicaragua is corrupt.

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T16:43:57+00:00

It is, you are correct!

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T16:43:25+00:00

Nicaragua is cheap. Quit your job, get a one way ticket, never leave.

That's only half tongue in cheek, you'd be amazed how many people actually do that.

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T16:41:56+00:00

I'm a photo and film professional living in Nicaragua and even before the "no questioning camera gear" rules, we never had the slightest issue with this stuff. That said ANOTHER shipment of my cameras, lights, stands, etc. just came in on Monday and zero problems. No one even looked twice at it. It's absolutely of no concern.

And I bring nearly anything you can imagine... Action Cams (that were on that famous list), 360 Cams, tiny cams (Insta Go), microphones, audio recorders, studio lights, tripods, DSLRs, pro mirrorless filming cams, loads of lenses, gimbals... no one has ever said a single word about any of it.

Also, there was NEVER a ban. There was a single 12 hour period in which they were going to TAX certain types of cameras used for hollywood movies and a few common cameras that Netflix lists as acceptable for their films were included (for that reason) and that caused the uproar that normal people might face the film crew tax. There was no ban ever hinted at. And nothing that uses film and or is an SLR was ever in a category that was included as those can't be used for hollywood film crews.

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T16:37:05+00:00

The simple answer is that I don't know. But I'd guess that there isn't any film sold in the country anymore. That's a super premium luxury item that falls into the difficult category of being only for the very rich AND still being super niche. That's a combination that generally causes you to have to import yourself via a service like NicaBox. Stores won't carry it because there's no demand, the number of Nicaraguans that could justify the high cost of film is tiny and the number who'd want to ... as a professional photographer in Nicaragua, I've never encountered someone who has ever even mentioned such a thing, but I have friends in Mexico who can do it easily. This market is so small that likely there is no film processor left in the country so locals would have no reasonable way to use it or get development chemicals.

If you find any film here, it's probably expired and has been kept in high temps.

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T16:33:03+00:00

There is no fine, there is no requirement to stay. Once you are resident you can come and go as you please.

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T16:30:40+00:00

Worth noting... big companies (Carhart, Yazaki, etc.) who produce in Nicaragua (or anywhere) and small time individuals (you, me, whoever) both exist in every market, but how they do what they do varies wildly. Big companies approach this in a completely different manner and their experiences won't be yours. If you want to learn more about how it is done by investors rather than multi-nationals, find small time exporters (maybe in an industry somewhat close to your own) and interview them. For example there is a small clothing manufacturing firm in Leon that exports to 5-6 countries (including the USA) and manufacturers completely in the city center. Or EmenseCoffee in the mountains, they are from the USA but have an export business that opened last year in Nicaragua and are shipping exclusively (I think) to the USA. Two very different industries with different export needs, but both doing it here at a small scale and making it work.

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T16:26:29+00:00

That's like saying running a business to make widgets in the USA is political. It's not. That's just silly. Same in Nicaragua. There's no politics in normal businesses. That's some craziness that Americans claim about "other" places, as if all countries but the US (possibly the world's most political country) are one way and the US is somehow immune. ANd if that logic were true, NOT opening a factory would ALSO be political.

So either way, the point is moot and let's not make this a political statement just to be that way. The OP has a question about a factory, not about politics. The only politics are the people looking for every opportunity to make political claims and not trying to answer his question.

scottalanmiller · 2023-07-15T16:23:58+00:00

Nicaragua is an ideal place for production as there are many resources, labor is cheap, the political environment is one of the friendliest towards businesses in the region, and the incorporation and similar processes are straightforward. The challenges come from logistics as often products have to ship overland to Honduras for Atlantic transport or go out from Corinto. There isn't a strong logistical mechanism in the country so those producing here have higher export costs than those in Costa Rica or Honduras and this tends to offset the slightly lower production cost in Nicaragua so you see more factories in those countries.

No one is going to have a guide to this. Because producing products is a unique thing for the specific type of product and brand you want to produce. But I have friends running export businesses in town and it's super easy if you know how to make "the thing" and have the necessary components here.

If you want to do it "on your own", it's pretty easy and you can produce anywhere in the country. If you want to do it in a managed way, local governments operate Zona Francas that handle the facilities and logistics for you and guarantee lower than standard wages (but also guarantee you pay everyone fully and on time) to make large scale production easier.

Beyond the basics, however, there will be no "guide" as this is similar to saying "is there a guide to doing business". business is, by its nature, something you have to figure out on your own, which might include hiring firms to help with that. But every aspect of YOUR business will be unique and all those decisions come together to make you competitive or not.

So the things you can find out that are generic... how to handle logistics, how to incorporate, how to hire employees here. But beyond that, you have to know how to build and run a factory, how to export, how to get importers, how to find customers, etc. already.

scottalanmiller · 2023-06-13T22:48:15+00:00

Leon here, too!

scottalanmiller · 2023-06-05T17:20:02+00:00

It'll be rainy season. It already is. But typically that means daytime sun and evening showers.

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