Category Archives: Business

Managing Contractors in the Oil Industry – Part 2

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Tim Newman

Part 2 – Respect your contractor’s technical knowledge. There are two reasons why oil companies subcontract work. The first is when you know how to do a job, but you don’t have the manpower to carry it out.  For instance, … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Oil & Gas | 3 Comments

Managing Contractors in the Oil Industry – Part 1

Posted on November 8, 2012 by Tim Newman

One of the main tasks in my current position is to manage contractors, i.e. companies to whom we are outsourcing work, on behalf of my employer, a major oil company.  In fact, this is pretty much the main role for … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Oil & Gas | 7 Comments

Why Some Countries are Poor

Posted on December 25, 2011 by Tim Newman

“Why do some places prosper and thrive while others just suck?”, asks P.J. O’Rourke at the start of Eat the Rich, “It’s not a matter of brains.  No part of the earth (with the possible exception of Brentwood) is dumber … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Economics, Nigeria, Russia | 15 Comments

Nokia’s Demise Unsurprising

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Tim Newman

There has been a fair bit in the news lately of Nokia’s troubles, and the likelihood of the company having to lay off several thousand people as they try to arrest what looks to be a terminal decline.  Whereas folk … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Customer Service | 8 Comments

Great British Retail

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Tim Newman

First shop, advertising itself as a “diamond and watch specialist”: Me: “Can you stick a new battery in this watch (an ordinary Seiko) and replace the seal?” Assistant: “No, we’d have to send it away for 6-8 weeks.  We don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, UK | 4 Comments

Buying Airline Tickets in Russia

Posted on July 12, 2011 by Tim Newman

In February 2011 some changes were made to how you can book tickets on Thai Airways from Moscow.  The website on which the new rules are described speaks volumes about how business is conducted in Russia. Please be informed that … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Russia | 2 Comments

Murdoch: Not Actually Stalin

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Tim Newman

Amongst all the speculation as to why Rupert Murdoch has not fired Rebekah Brooks, the chief editor of what was the News of the World, there doesn’t appear to be the most reasonable explanation: he considers her a valuable employee and … Continue reading →

Posted in Business | 1 Comment

Doing Business in Russia – Part 5

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Tim Newman

If you want to set yourself up as a company in Russia providing, amongst other things, scaffolding services (for construction, not public executions) then you need a license.  This seems reasonable enough, as badly assembled scaffolding can be pretty dangerous.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Russia | 3 Comments

Doing Business in Russia – Part 4

Posted on November 17, 2010 by Tim Newman

I was first exposed to common business practices when I worked in Dubai.  How to generate a budget, business development, financial reporting, all the usual stuff.  Included in this was the contents of a contract, and I realised that this … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Russia | 9 Comments

Doing Business in Russia – Part 3

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Tim Newman

Via Andy at Siberian Light I have come across the rather good blog of Mark Nesop, calling himself The Kremlin Stooge, which I have added to the blogroll.  In one of his recent posts he asks: What is it about … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Russia | 8 Comments