Wednesday 23rd May

Bright sun again - great for the solar panels but not so good for the woodburning stove and accessories market me thinks ! Got the import duty * VAT bill yesterday for the TEG modules - paid that online and received the modules by 9.30am this morning.

Having checked the machined sample parts which arrived last Saturday, I have modified the base disc 8mm was just too thin and looked it. The prototypes have all been 12 - 14mm thick - which not having measured them (I ordered 10mm slices) I hadn't expected them to be over size by that amount.  So I suspect the component price will be 'reviewed' in light of more material - coupled with the slightly higher import duty & VAT & 'handling fee !..... the margins are already being squeezed !  More order volume will off course improve things, though no orders this last weekend or this week. Possibly the arrival of the sun and Stoves have been cleaned out and left cold - which I always think looks sad.

Once the components arrive I can start the assembly and get some new product images for the website, twitter account @thefan_ce and brochure / flyer  - I hope to have a part batch by the end of this week so that I can fulfill existing orders which I have been holding back awaiting the new improved parts.  I also hope to get some in so that I can make up some demonstration units for the Derbyshire Food Festival at Hardwick Hall this weekend. With an expected 10,000 + visitors I hope to at least have a few interested.

It has surprised me how many 'Twitter' accounts are out there promising to 'shout' about your business in return for your 'following' them, does this ever work ? It costs nothing to follow... other than a seemingly endless stream of links which you couldn't possibly follow up.  Do users follow up the abbreviated links... an awful lot of tweets are as far as I can tell encrypted / abbreviated links - I only follow the links if I have a vague idea of where its going to in which case the 'tweet' has to at least have some kind of introduction. Maybe Tweeters ave some advanced Tweet user software which allows the links to pop up in a side view for a quick review ? When I have a few minutes I will spend some time looking at Twitter as apposed to Tweetdeck or my HTC mobile version.

Tonight is the Twitter Hour for 'Look East Midlands' - last week we picked up a few followers and I hope to be a little better organized this week and pick up a lot more !