I am sorry for the lack of updates in the past few days. I have been emailed some things and this one really needs a mention. Brian McDowell who creates the fantastic online Windsurfer International Magazine sent me the link to the first of the new Elements of Windsurfing Speed Sailing series. I found it an excellent and informative article, and had to agree with everything. I started on the speed journey exactly a year ago so remember those first few sessions like Brian reports.
Over the past week I have been working out how to raise money next year for the Windsurfing 4 Cancer Research (W4CR.org) charity. I have done my bit now for the Heart Foundation and in all honesty what money I raised may just go to them employing someone and not towards research or the benefit of sufferers. After having a heart attack I felt obliged to choose that cause, but have for a long times felt that it is more of a corporation than a charity.
Originally I was going to do something for W4CR and then had the heart attack before I got round to it, so now it is the turn of David Tuttlebee's legacy to windsurfers. Instead of me begging friends and family for money (I have learnt who my friends are and who I wont have much time for in the future after doing this though) I have decided this time to sell greetings cards that are windsurf related as the only ones I have ever seen are late 80's or 90's kit and really nothing spectacular.
I sent a message to Jimmie Hepp on facebook. He is a photographer based on Maui, look up his page if you are on there. Nearly every day he posts the most amazing windsurf shots I have ever seen. He was kind enough to donate 6 pictures that I could choose for this new challenge.
I have not turned to the dark side but I did choose 2 kitesurfing ones as they are pretty and colouful and most windsurfing shops also stock kite gear (I think I may put an extra 50p on those though ;-)). I also chose 2 Jaws pictures, one with Marcillio Browne, the other Kai Lenny. Finally a couple of nice greeny blue breaking waves with JP and the god himself Robby doing their stuff.
Over the past 2 days I have been busy trying to make some card racks that will stand out, and I think I have succeeded, already I have a couple of orders for similar looking racks but to hold DVD's, and when I get time I will be making a few for myself. I have a mini production line going and my neighbour is doing the sanding for me as I cannot risk it with the problems I had with my lungs last month.
So if you read this and run a shop and would like to stock the cards then send me an email to redsurfbus@gmail.com. I am still working out prices but guess around £3 for the smallest, £4 for the medium and £5 for a large. There will be 3 ways of stocking them. The first where all the risk is mine is I will supply everything and restock every month or so (hopefully quicker than that though) and allowing the shop 20% of the turnover.
The other 2 methods of stocking them are basically to pay up front, either with or without the stand and are negotiable. Do bear in mind this is for charity!
I will give 10% of any profits to Windsurfing 4 Cancer Research initially as I have so far invested about £300 to get this up and running. Once I have got back that investment I will increase the percentage to W4CR.
If anyone has any ideas of how I could do this better please let me know, I am a maths teacher not a businessman although I did work in sales a long time ago.
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