Consto Commodities

2011-09-27T22:13:00.000-07:00

USED CLOTHES and SHOES

Now Available for Sale!!!

SORTED IN AMERICAN PREMIUM GRADES ONLY!

We NOW OFFER & SELL USED CLOTHES in LARGE quantities...

Quantities Available in 20ft, 40ft, and 40ft High Cube containers.

The clothes are carefully graded to make sure there are no holes, tears or stains. Therefore, we don't ever bother to deal in the other popular but low quality grades A, AA, AAA, B, C, etc.

20 ft Container = 20,000 lbs = approx 9,072 kgs
40 ft Container = 40,000 lbs = approx 18,144 kgs

40 ft High Cube Container Load = 50,000 lbs = approx 22,680 kgs
Minimum Order = 1,000 lbs = approx 454 kgs

Maximum Order = 10 x 40ft Containers per Order

We can SORT your order out according to your specifications by BRAND NAMES, SIZES, MEN'S, WOMEN'S, CHILDREN'S, MIXED T-SHIRTS, MIXED JEANS, MIXED POLO SHIRTS, UNDERWEARS, ATHLETIC SHOES, FORMAL SHOES, BRAND NEW NIKE ATHLETIC SHOES, etc.

CALL for our COMPETITIVE PRICING!!!

Tel. No: +1-817-691-1595

Tel. No: +1-214-801-3909

Or, send us an Email: info@constotrades.com
Thank you!

CONSTO's Products of Interest

2011-09-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of our Products of Interest:

Computer Hardware & Software

Brands & Products: Toshiba, Dell, Apple, HP, Acer, etc.
Products: Laptops, Desktops, Acorn Wooden Speaker with radio, iPad Hip Bag, iPads, iPad Flex Stand, Universal Gadget Wrist Charger, Microprocessors, Flash Drives, Hard Drives, etc.
Software: Microsoft Office Suite, Microsoft Dynamics 10.0, Malware, Text-to-Audio Reader, Operating Systems, Business Applications, Accounting Tools, Project Management Tools, Database Tools, etc.

Solar & Wind Products

These are off-grid energy products to power any size of residence. Way better than generators. Up to 15-year warranty. Solar Traffic Lights, Solar Parking Lot Lights with Covert Audio/Video Monitoring System, Water Pumps, Hidden Cameras, Hidden Camera Light Switch, Smile Spy Camera & DVR, Portable Recorders, Micro GPS Tracker, GPS System (with optional additional solar charger), Solar + Wind System for Heavy Uses, Solar Generators, Solar Fans, Solar Halogen Lamps, Flashlights, Toys, Camp Lights, Chargers, Radio, etc.

Tablewares

Porcelain, earthenware, Bone China, Stoneware, hollowware (plastic/glass containers), Flatware (spoons & forks), Cutlery (Knives), and other accessories.

Clothing Items (Textiles)

NEW: Denim Jeans, Linens, Fur, Leather, Nylon, Synthetic Fibers, Polyesters, Spandex, Natural Fibers, etc. For Babies, Men, Women, Kids, Teens and Young Adults, etc.
USED: Mixed Jeans, Children's Jeans, Mixed T-shirts, Polo Shirts, Bedsheets, Towels, Children's Clothing, Women's Blouses & Blazers, Women's Pants, Men's Shirts, Mixed Underwear, Household Goods, etc.

Gift Items

Toys like Anti-Stress “Squeezie” Phone Chair, Anti Stress Light Bulb, Anti-Stress Computer, Anti Stress Basketball, Anti Stress Cricket Ball, Kids' items, and so on; Mayer Plastics supplies, corporate desk items, promotional items such as novelty items, leisure items, writing instruments, packaging items, tools, torches, umbrellas, pearls, clothing accessories, apparels, key rings, headwear, golf items, ceramic mugs plastic mugs, metal mugs, thermos, flasks, etc.

Prison Yard Security Accessories

Barbed tapes, Mattress, uniforms, footwears, Pepper spray, Detention Hollow Metals (doors, frames, etc.), table wares, Floor mounted 4-person dayroom tables, Floor/wall mounted benches, Floor/wall mounted stools, Wall mounted pistol lockers with swing drawers, Wall mounted TV shelves, Pistol/rifle and key lockers, Package/paper passes, Wall-mounted shelves, Security mirrors, Floor/wall mounted double bunks, Floor/wall mounted single bunks, Floor mounted desks with storage shelves, Wall mounted seats and desks, Safe-T-Feed mounted on cell doors, Wire Mesh/Screening, Security Yard Lighting, Prison Gates, etc.

Forensics

Forensic Duplicators, Forensic Bridges, Acquisition Accessories, Digital Cameras for Investigations, Software, Hardware Accelerators, Power Supplies (TP2, TP3, T2), Drive Adapters, Cable Adapters, etc.

Medical Supplies & Consumables

Diabetes Supplies, Diagnostic Supplies, DME & ADLS, Incon & Urological Supplies, Infusion Supplies, Orthopedic Products, Respiratory Products, Skin & Wound Care Products, Ostomy, Enteral Feeding, Pain Management (Bodiwrap), Durable Medical Equipments, Surgical Instruments, etc.

Traffic Safety

Traffic Lights, Signal Lights, Traffic Audio/Video Monitoring System, Barricades, Barricade Lights, Flags & Pennants, Fold & Roll Signs, Ladder Safety devices, Safety Manuals, Roll-Up Signs, Safety Apparel, Safety Vests, Sign Accessories, Stop/Slow Paddles, Teardrop Cones, Ultra Panel, Utility tools, Traffic Cones, Delineators, Drums for ramps, Sign Stands, Barrels, etc.

Safety Gadgets

Radiation Detectors, Radiation Pager-S, USB Memory Watch, Hidden Wall Safe, Rearview Spy Sunglasses, Spynet Night Vision Binoculars, Mini iPhone Microphone, Spycam Video Pen Camera, Spycam Video/MP3/Camera Sunglasses, Book Vault, Micro Camcorder Pro, Button Pinhole Video Spycam w/ Mini DVR, Wireless Pan/Tilt Camera w/ Motion Detection, Mandylion Password Manager, Garden Watch Cam, Night Vision Digital Video Camera, Hidden Camera Detector, Super Ear, Dummy Security Camera with Blinking LED, SpyNet Mission Video Watch, Video Swim Mask, Pocket Radar, MiLi iPhone Projector, USB Digital Voice Recorder, Advanced Protection Digital Deadbolt Lock, AlcoHawk Digital Alcohol Detector, Invisible ID Pen, Car Demobilizer, Chainsaw safety, Child Safety Care, Ear Protection, Eye Protection, Face Protection, Gloves, Head Protection, Gloves, Hygiene Kits, Replacement Arm Bracket, Tectra Safety Cap, Helmets Hardhat, etc.

Law Enforcement Products

Police gadgets, Covert operations devices, Crime Scene Investigation, Gun Locks, Squad Car Equipments, Tactical Gear, Night Vision, Gear Kit, Small Tri-Fold Badge, Gear Kit, ID Case, Oval Swivel Holder, Circle Swivel Holder w/Velcro Closure, etc.

Marine Goods

Boats, Boat Trailers, Protective Gear & Apparel, Scuba gear, Kneeboards, Tubes & Inflatable, Wake Bindings, Ski Bindings, Ski Boards, Water skis, Neo Vest & Wetsuits, Board shorts, Surf T-Shirts, marine Hardware Electronics, EZ Ski Trainer, etc.

Educational Materials

Visual Aids, audio materials, vignettes, patient education materials, projectors, computer mediated materials, learning toys, audiotapes, CDs, DVDs, Flannel Pictures, Numeric & Alphanumeric Plastic Counters, Chats, Educational Games, etc.
Books, eBooks, Reports, etc.

Construction Equipments

We offer Building Materials & Construction Services, Compaction Equipments, Mechanical items, Heavy Duty Trucks, Generators & Welders, Lighting, Dewatering Pumps, Concrete & Masonry, Floor Preparation, Construction Safety Gadgets, etc.

Industrial Items

Carts, Fencing Products, Laundry Utility Carts, Drink Dispensers, Ice, Dispensers, Wind Tunnel Sensor, Air Seal & Frames, Bucket Tubs, 400lb-Heavy Duty Rolling Lift, Nice Heavy Duty Endoscopy Cart, Incubator Chamber Model T-51, Standing Drain Stainless Sink or Bath, Long Heavy Duty 500lb Steel Table For Heavy Duty Equipment for Fish Tanks, Detecto Stainless Trash Cans, Metal bars, 56 Gallon Rubbermaid Glutton Trash Cans, etc.

Office Products

Stationeries, Copy Machines, Printers, Laminators, Scanners, Projectors,Office Partitions, File Cabinets, Shelves, Rolling/Swivel Office Chairs, Office Tables, Conference Room Furniture, Tele-Prompters, Filing Cabinets, Heavy Duty Shredders, Large Metal Shelves, Drawers, Cabinets, Bookcase, Glazed Display Shelves, Glass Door Case Shelf Unit, Office Trash Cans, Mail Carts, Official Cars & Vans with Micro GPS Trackers & Demobilizer, etc.

Oil Field Equipments

Hoisting & Traveling Equipments: Drawworks, Blocks, Hooks, Swivels, Brakes, Elevator Bails, Clutches, etc.;
Handling Tools: manual power tongs, slips, etc.;
Rotating Equipments: pipe spinners, top drives, Kelly spinners, rotary tables, insert bowls, etc.;
Well Control: Blowout Preventers, choke & kill manifolds, control stations, etc.;
Power Equipments: Compressors, Engines, Electric Motors, Generators, etc.; and,
Circulating Equipments: Mud Pumps, Mud Tanks, Centrifugal Pumps, etc.

Refined Oil Products

Jet fuel - JP54,
Mazut Oil - M100,
Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel - ULSD,
Automotive Gasoil - AGO/D2,
Lubricants, Solvents,
Automotive Oil,
Kerosene,
Lamp Oil,
Bitumen, etc.

Scrap Metals & Auto Parts

Cars & Trucks (running or not), Maintainable scrap vehicles, battery leads, gear box, steering columns, alloy rims, tires, radiators, condemned copper wires, alternators, motors, hoods, fenders, seats, scrap metals (nonferrous), etc.

Janitorial Supplies

Garbage Bags, Bathroom Paper Towel Dispensers, Tampon Dispensers, Heavy Duty Plastic Bin, Laundry Bags, Trash Can Liners, Degreasers, Absorbents, Bleach, Styrofoam Disposable Materials, Latex Gloves, Disinfectants, Linens, Additives, Detergents, Sanitizers, Wipes, Scrubs, etc.

2011-09-27T17:34:00.000-07:00

How CONSTO Trades:

We serve as Buyer-Seller in our trades. By this, we mean our business process involves buying and selling products of diverse kinds on behalf of our clients; in some other cases where doing so would only make the best business sense, we serve as Manufacturers' Agent. We thrive on the strength of our diligent, straightforward, no-nonsense, firm, reliable, and trustworthy approach.

Our primary goal is to 'help our clients reach more', in all sense of the word. To this end, we tirelessly and diligently provide for our clients, but more importantly we ensure that each party experiences a win-win situation at all times. We will negotiate trade terms, process transactions, close and conclude transactions. Take note that for us to consider and proceed with any proposed trade, we will ask you to provide the following critical preliminary data:

In the case of a Seller:

Where is the Seller's product under consideration?
How much is in-tank, vessel, or storage and for how long has product been in there?
What is the Full Name of the Company in Ownership (a Title Holder)?
Where is the Titleholder registered to do business? What country and province?
What is the landline phone number of the Titleholder?
What is the name of the papered Mandate?
Where is the Mandate registered to do business? What Country and province?
What is the Mandate's landline phone number?
And, most often, we will also request for an "OFFER TO SELL" (OTS), aka "Soft Offer".

In the case of a Buyer:

What is the product and quantity of product under consideration?
What is the name of the End-Buyer (principal contact)?
What is the landline phone number of the principal contact?
What is the Legal Corporate name of the buying company?
Where is the company registered to do business? Its legal address MUST include Country and Province?
What is the landline phone number of the company?
Who is the authorized procurement officer for the company?
What is the landline phone number of the authorized procurement officer of the company?
We will also ask that our "REQUEST FOR QUOTE" (RFQ) be filled by the End-Buyer, (end-buyer or its authorized rep may ask for our RFQ format?

If you are still reading this note, we congratulate you as one of the very few who are sincerely interested in closing/consumating a REAL transaction. We welcome deals from all professionals, however, we will not accept offers from ghost buyers/principals. This refers to a situation where we do not have direct access to principal traders in view. To allay the usual fears among agents and affiliates, we do provide an Irrevocable Perfomance Guarantee (IPG) to everyone that makes it possible for us to directly access the principal traders under consideration. All referring or facilitating agents, brokers, and professionals will thereafter take a back seat with our IPG in hand in order to allow us carry on with what we require to successfully close on our deals. As you may know, 99% of deals from professionals, agents and brokers in this industry are bogus; not solely because they are not who they claim to be, but also because most of these people lack the wherewithal to successfully close on these complex transactions. Therefore, in order not to be part of this terrible statistics of predictable deals that fail, we have put in place certain guidelines to help weed-out the unwanted.

So if you are not directly connected to an END-BUYER, SUPPLIER, REFINERY, or MANUFACTURER (i.e. the official TITLEHOLDER of a product under consideration), by all means please share the information herein with your direct contacts.

As commodities trading moves into the future, we will continue to expand our product base in order to broaden our international exposure and reach. Therefore, we welcome new proposals from mandates, allocation holders, title holders, JVs, brokers, accountants, lawyers and other professionals involved in commodities. However, we do not get involved in long chains; if you have long chains, you must be prepared to introduce your direct source and take a back seat.

So far, if all these still look good and sound acceptable to you, please by all means know that we'd be glad to hear from you.

Thank you!

Consto Trades Mgmt

Vitamins for the Mind

2010-09-30T19:10:00.000-07:00

"It only takes one lie to taint your entire testimony in a court of law.

Honesty is a vital part of having a good reputation."

~ Jim Rohn

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE TO A WILLING HEART

You can do anything in this world you want to do, but you must want to do it badly enough.

You really can have everything you want, if you go after it. You have to want it first.

The first ingredient of success is desire.
Do you know what you want? Your desire is the planting of your seed.
Your desire for success must be so strong within you that it's the very breath of your life.
It must be your first thought when you wake in the morning,
and your last thought when you go to bed at night.
You can be whatever you make up your mind to be.
What's in your mind is all that counts.

"First comes thought; then organization of that thought, into ideas and plans; then transformation of those plans into reality. The beginning, as you will observe, is in your imagination."

~ Napoleon Hill: a personal success author and lecturer

"In all things, be willing to listen to people around you. None of us is really smart enough to go it alone."
~ John Clendenin

"People keep looking outside themselves for the money. It's inside."
~ Stephen Pierce: Internet marketer, author, speaker

"I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own limited experience I have found that the more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being."
~ Dalai Lama: a Tibetan Buddhist leader

ALL GREAT ACHIEVEMENT TAKES TIME
"Keep trying" is the rule that must be followed to be successful at anything.
Your success will always be connected with your actions.
Just keep moving towards your goal.
You'll make mistakes but don't ever quit.
You may even have to hang on after others have let go.
Persistence means taking pains to overcome every obstacle,
to do all that's necessary to reach your goal.
In the end, the only people who fail are those that do not try.
Your future is a big adventure.
Just remember, all great achievements take time.

There is no detail so small, no thought however fleeting, no word unspoken, no deed mindlessly performed, that doesn't send its vibration into the unseen, where it echoes and returns as more of the same.

And as your cumulative manifestations draw your attention to the stunning and absolute power you have over your destiny, you'll come to see that, really and truly, there's no such thing as a small detail.

You have the keys to the Kingdom... make it work in your favor.
"Business and life are marathons, just like the Iditarod. We have to strategically pace ourselves in order to achieve success."
~ Chris Fuller

"Heaven on Earth is a choice you must make, not a place we must find."
~ Wayne Dyer: Motivational author and lecturer

YOU CAN BE A WINNER IF YOU PLAN AHEAD
You gain the advantage in any situation through one medium: time
You can do things before they need to be done.
You can position yourself ahead of time in the best place.
Think ahead of any approaching action.
Make a plan and you will always have the advantage.
Let your advance worrying become advance thinking and planning.
The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.
In life, as in chess, forethought wins.

"We have committed the Golden Rule to memory.
Let us now commit it to life."
~ Edwin Markham

"Your power is proportional to your ability to relax."
~ David Allen: Productivity consultant, author, and lecturer

"I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening."
~ Larry King

EVERY FAILURE IS A STEP CLOSER TO SUCCESS
People who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.
Experiencing failure is inevitable on your journey to be successful.

Each defeat is merely an installment to victory.

You'll find that the number of times you succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times you fail and keep trying.

You won't be judged by the number of times you fail, but by the number of times you succeed.

Failure is nothing but education, nothing but the first step to something better.

You can't be a winner and be afraid to lose.

GIVING / SHARING / GENEROSITY

It's best to start the discipline of generosity when the amounts are small.

It's easy to give ten cents out of a dollar; it's a little harder to give a hundred thousand out of a million.

Giving is better than receiving because giving starts the receiving process.

Here's what is exciting about sharing ideas with others: If you share a new idea with ten people, they get to hear it once and you get to hear it ten times.

Sharing makes you bigger than you are.

The more you pour out, the more life will be able to pour in.

Somebody says, "Well, I can't be concerned about other people.

About the best I can do is to take care of myself."

Well, then you will always be poor.

What you give becomes an investment that will return to you multiplied at some point in the future.

Only by giving are you able to receive more than you already have.

~ Jim Rohn

“You never know when one kind act, or one word of encouragement, can change a life forever.”
~ Zig Ziglar

"When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier."
~ Roy Disney

We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.
~ George Bernard Shaw

People with goals succeed because they know where they're going.
~ Earl Nightingale

"The major value in life is not what you get. The major value in life is what you become. That is why I wish to pay fair price for every value. If I have to pay for it or earn it, that makes something of me. If I get it for free, that makes nothing of me."
~ Jim Rohn

IT'S NEVER OVER UNTIL IT'S OVER
The power to hold on in spite of everything, to endure, this is the quality of a winner.
Your greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time you fail.
It's your constant and determined effort that will eventually break down all resistance
and sweep away all the barriers before you.
Persistence means taking pains to overcome every obstacle,
to do all that's necessary to reach your goal.
All great achievements require time. Endurance is the crowning quality of success.

Trade Needs of the Moment

2010-08-31T16:51:00.000-07:00

We are looking for legitimate crude and refined oil products to buy and sell; we are fit, willing and able to take it down as early as possible. However, we are not in a position to issue an MT799 under any circumstances ever. Our community of buyers (mostly majors) do not participate in the broker / allocation gobble gook. If you feel that your deal is real then we are going to need to talk one-on-one with "The Title Holder", not a broker.

Usually, our talk will get to the nuts and bolts and in most cases when MT799's are requested, the so-called seller does not have 'Title' to the product. If you are not a principal, please provide us some basic infor and take a secured and guaranteed back seat to allow us secure and close the transaction.

So in order for us to move swiftly, please provide us with the following 8 KEY ITEMS:
1st. Where is the D2? How much is in-the-tank?
2nd. Full Name of the Title Holder Company.
3rd. Where is the Title Holder registered to do business? What country and province?
4th. What is the land line phone number of the Title Holder?
5th. What is the identity of the (papered) Mandate?
6th. Where are they registered to do business? What Country and province?
7th. What is the Mandate's land line phone number?
8th. Most often, we will request a Soft Corporate Offer, or better a Draft Contract.

An acceptable procedure would look like this:
1st. Seller/Title holder will send a confirmation letter with a statement that (Title Holder) is the owner free and clear of this QTY (e.g. 3m bbls of JP 54 spot in Rotterdam) along with the SCO.
2nd. After receipt of both documents, a conference call will be set up between Seller and an officer from the Buyer (Major) to talk one-on-one.
3rd. The Major issues a confirmed Purchase Order for this product.
4th. Seller will sign, seal and return this Purchase Order to Buyer (Major) along with a Dip Test permission.
5th. The Purchase Order Number will be placed on the Commercial Invoice and the Seller will send the Commercial Invoice, SGS reports and Tank Receipts either directly to the Buyer or via bank-to-bank. Whichever was decided during the phone call between the Buyer (Major) and the Seller/Title Holder.
6th. After verification of POP documents, the Major will issue an MT103 for all liftable product.
7th. Lifting Commences.

Other acceptable procedure:
1st. Seller issues FCO - Full Corporate Offer (OTS, Offer To Sell);
2nd. Buyer issues verifiable P/O - Purchase Order;
3rd. Buyer and Seller complete Contract Agreement and lodge in their respective Banks;
4th. Seller sends Commercial Invoice and partial verifiable POP to Buyer including Tank Storage Receipts and SGS Reports;
5th. Buyer issues proper payment of MT103/23 to Seller for Products in Tanks against Title Name Transfer;
6th. For subsequent deliveries, Seller issues Non-Operative 2% Performance Bond (Bank to Bank);
7th. Within five banking days, Buyer issues RDLC; of that would automatically activate PB;
8th. Shipments start per schedule and payment paid in full against presented full supporting documents;
9th. The Payment is released by Buyer’s Bank to the Seller once the commodity has been delivered without delay (immediately). SGS report will specify quantity in Metric Tons of delivered commodity and quality according to specifications.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FOOD FOR THE SOUL
"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, his greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle, victorious".
~ Vince Lombardi

"The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek."
~ Joseph Campbell: a mythologist, author, and lecturer

"The human brain makes up only 2% of your body weight; however it consumes 20% of the oxygen you breathe in. You can actually increase your creativity and learning power by taking a few minutes to relax and breathe deeply before starting any new project."
~ Healthy Tip

"Patience is the ability to let your light shine after your fuse has blown."
~ Bob Levey

"It's OK to send flowers, but don't let the flowers do all the talking. Flowers have a limited vocabulary. About the best flowers can say is that you remembered. But your words tell the rest."
~ Jim Rohn

Success is loving what you do; "the passion that lies within you must be discovered."
~ Laurie Calzada

Books/Library/Reading
Miss a meal if you have to, but don't miss a book.
Some people claim that it is OK to read trashy novels
because sometimes you can find something valuable in them.
You can also find a crust of bread in a garbage can,
if you search long enough, but there is a better way.
Most homes valued at over $250,000 have a library.
That should tell us something.

Everything you need for your better future and success has already been written.
And guess what? It's all available. All you have to do is go to the library.
And there's probably a library in every neighborhood.
Some people read so little they have rickets of the mind.
I now have one of the better libraries. I admit that I haven't read everything in my library,
but I feel smarter just walking in it.
Don't just read the easy stuff. You may be entertained by it, but you will never grow from it.
The book you don't read won't help.
Books are easy to find and easy to buy. A paperback these days only costs six or seven dollars.
You can borrow that from your kids!
It isn't what the book costs; it's what it will cost if you don't read it.

DREAMS DO COME TRUE!
You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it come true.
The achievement of your goal is assured the moment you commit yourself to it.
If you have the desire, you have the power to attain it.
You can have anything you want in life, if you will sacrifice everything else for it.
Your dreams can come true, if you pursue them.
Where there's a WILL, there's a ALWAYS a WAY.

"We are not human beings on a spiritual journey. We are spiritual beings on a human journey."
~ Dr. Stephen Covey: Best-selling author and professor

EVERY FAILURE IS A STEP CLOSER TO SUCCESS!
People who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.
Experiencing failure is inevitable on your journey to be successful.
Each defeat is merely an installment to victory.
You'll find that the number of times you succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times you fail and keep trying.
You won't be judged by the number of times you fail, but by the number of times you succeed.
Failure is nothing but education, nothing but the first step to something better.
You can't be a winner and be afraid to lose.
Most of the things you worry about will never happen.

Vitamins for the Mind
Sowing and Reaping ~ by Jim Rohn
You must get good at one of two things: sowing in the spring or begging in the fall.
God has the tough end of the deal.
What if instead of planting the seed you had to make the tree?
That would keep you up late at night, trying to figure that one out.
Plant, don't chant.
One of my good friends always says, "Things don't just happen; things happen just."
The soil says, "Don't bring me your need, bring me your seed."

"Human beings have the remarkable ability to turn nothing into something. They can turn weeds into gardens and pennies into fortunes."
~ Jim Rohn

"Success, real success, in any business requires a sense of urgency, a sense of personal mission."
~ Ken Carnes

"You can begin now to give your heart perhaps the most important thing it needs "a reason to keep beating" and it starts by knowing that every moment matters."

~ Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.

"Possession of material riches, without inner peace, is like dying of thirst while bathing in a lake."
~ Paramahansa Yogananda: Was an Indian yogi and guru

80% OF SUCCESS IS SHOWING UP
When you're sure you're on the right road to success you don't have to plan your journey too far ahead.
Don't burden yourself with doubts and fears as to the obstacles that may bar your progress.
You don't need to know all your answers in advance.
Just have a clear idea of the goal you want to reach.
You can only take one step at a time.
Once you muster up the courage to begin, you'll find the courage to succeed.
It's the job you never start that always takes the longest to finish.
You can have all that you desire if you ACT on your dreams.
Being the B.E.S.T. ~ by Jim Stovall
In our society, we revere those who are the best at what they do. Chants of "We're #1" are heard frequently. If we want to be the BEST at whatever we do, we've got to break it down into its individual components.

"B" is for Balance. It is the element that keeps our lives stable. We've all heard about superstar athletes, multi-millionaires, and movie stars who wreck their health or family relationships in their quest for greatness. No matter how much we achieve in one area of our life, if we lose the overall perspective that we are many-faceted beings, we can never be successful.

If we want to have balance in our lives, we are going to have to be proactive. Most of us plan our workday. We have things we are going to try to do, things we really need to do, and the ever-present list of "things we better do today, or there will be no tomorrow!" But how many of us really plan,with the same degree of diligence,our family time, recreation time, exercise, etc?

Several years ago, my wife Crystal and I began a tradition. We take the week between Christmas and New Year and focus on the things we have done in the previous twelve months and those we hope to do in the twelve months to come.

We plan our leisure time and focus on where we are in each area of our lives. While I have certainly not reached the levels I want to in every area of my life, this practice has brought a degree of balance to me that I had never known before.

Most of us spend all of our time, effort, and energy on professional and business pursuits, and the other areas of our lives get whatever is left over or, in too many cases, they get shoved completely aside.
Balance means investing in yourself in every area of your life.

"E" is for Enthusiasm. This is the first thing we receive when we enter this world as the doctor slaps us on the backside, and the last thing we give up before they close the coffin lid. I have had the privilege of interviewing superstars from the worlds of entertainments, sports, and politics. The one thing that each of these individuals have in common is a tremendous passion or enthusiasm for what they do. If you don't feel that kind of daily passion, as you pursue your life goals, you need to either get a new career or a new attitude about the career you currently have.

I remember interviewing Katharine Hepburn. When I asked her what she would have done with her life had she not pursued show business, she replied, "If they did not pay me to be an actress, I would have to find another way to support my acting habit. I have an innate need to do what I do."

This type of enthusiasm will bring you an Academy Award or whatever is the highest honor in your field.

"S" is for Single-mindedness. This is the ability to focus on one thing at a time. This does not mean we are one-dimensional in our lives. It simply means, when we are working, we work; when we are playing, we play; and any other task we choose to undertake receives our total attention and focus.

We spend far too much time living in the past, worrying about things that cannot be changed or living in the future, planning for eventualities that may never come. If we will live in the moment, we will find that mistakes of the past and frets of the future simply fade away.

If something is worth investing your time in right now, it deserves all of your attention.

"T" is for Tenacity. This is the one element that will always result in eventual success. As a blind person myself, I could hit a baseball thrown by the best pitcher in the major league if you would let me keep trying until I succeed. The immortal message from Winston Churchill echoes down through the years, "Never, never, never, never, never give in."

The whole world belongs to the man or woman who realizes that the game is not over until you quit; and when it comes to your dreams and goals, remember that it is always too soon to quit.

Go out and be the B.E.S.T.
Today is the day!

We Need "BUYERS"!!!

2010-07-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

If you are an end-buyer/agent/mandate, we would be glad to review your needs. Please consider the basic information that we will require from you for starters, plus our preferred procedure:

Product: AGO - Atmospheric Gasoil (for example)
Specifications: XYZ...
Quantity: XYZ in mt/liters/bbls, pieces, etc.
Payment: UCP600 Letter of Credit: Non Transferable: Non Cumulative Revolving Guaranteeing 12 months total contract quote-payable at sight of clean delivery documents- Renewable one month before total contract expiration at seller’s option.
Performance Guarantee: Buyer requires 1.50 to 1.75 PG issued as an ISP98 SLC upon Acceptance of the Buyers financial instrument.
Contract Period: 12 x 12 x 12 per a total of 36 months
Delivery: Price quote: Strictly FOB Incoterms “Named Port of Shipment’
Delivery Schedule: (1) 1st delivery date must be stated.
PROCEDURES:

Seller accepts quote and applies firm price basis- (Allow 5 days)
Buyer confirms quote, Seller issues full offer
Buyer accepts full offer, Seller issues Draft Contract
Formal Contract signed returned by e-mail and overnight courier
No. 2 to 4 above to be completed within 28 days; ...thereafter;
Buyer issues financial instrument /Seller advises acceptance (Allow 5 days)
Seller advises bank issued ISP98 SLC PG (Allow 3 days)
Buyer accepts SLC PG, Seller initiates reservation of berthing at loading terminal
Buyer advises reservation/ Seller advises name of each ship, ETA, Flag;
First delivery Initiated, Documents produced
At sight collection on DLC applied.
Next shipment initiated- For a further 11 months delivery
Buyer to advise Seller one month before final shipment if contract is to continue with the shipment for a further 12 months. New Financial instrument advised.

RULES: UCP600, ICC Incoterms 2000, URC 522, and the ICC Rules of Agency.
Language: English language; with English common law of contract
Buyers Advice required:

Price application benchmark - transparent and searchable on the internet
Specific Port of loading
Confirmation of Grade
Confirmation of Delivery date (later but not earlier)
Name and Country of Bank accepting DLC

IMPORTANT NOTE:
We serve as Buyer-Seller in our trades. By this, we mean buying and selling products of diverse kinds while still serving as Manufacturers' Representative in some other cases where doing so would only make the best business sense. We thrive on the strength of our firmness, reliability, and trustworthiness.

Our primary goal is to 'help our clients reach more', in all sense of the word. To this end, we tirelessly and diligently provide for our clients, but more importantly we ensure that each party experiences a win-win situation at all times. We will negotiate trade terms, process transactions, close and conclude transactions. Take note that for us to consider and proceed with any proposed trade, we will ask you to provide the following critical preliminary data:

In the case of a Seller:

Where is the Seller's product under consideration?
How much is in-tank, vessel, or storage and for how long has product been in there?
What is the Full Name of the Company in Ownership (a Title Holder)?
Where is the Titleholder registered to do business? What country and province?
What is the landline phone number of the Titleholder?
What is the name of the papered Mandate?
Where is the Mandate registered to do business? What Country and province?
What is the Mandate's landline phone number?
And, most often, we will also request for an "OFFER TO SELL" (OTS), aka "Soft Offer".

In the case of a Buyer:

What is the product and quantity of product under consideration?
What is the name of the End-Buyer (principal contact)?
What is the landline phone number of the principal contact?
What is the Legal Corporate name of the buying company?
Where is the company registered to do business? Its legal address MUST include Country and Province?
What is the landline phone number of the company?
Who is the authorized procurement officer for the company?
What is the landline phone number of the authorized procurement officer of the company?
We will also ask that our "REQUEST FOR QUOTE" (RFQ) be filled by the End-Buyer, (end-buyer or its authorized rep may ask for our RFQ format?

If you are still reading this note, we congratulate you as one of the few who is sincerely interested in closing/consumating a transaction. We welcome deals from all professionals, however, we will not accept offers from ghost buyers/principals. This refers to a situation where we do not have direct access to principal traders in view. To allay the usual fears among agents and affiliates, we do provide an Irrevocable Perfomance Guarantee (IPG) to everyone that makes it possible for us to directly access the principal traders under consideration. All referring or facilitating agents, brokers, adn professionals will thereafter take a back seat with our IPG in hand in order to allow us carry on with what we require to successfully close on our deals. As you may know, 99% of deals from professionals, agents and brokers in this industry are bogus; not solely because they are not who they claim to be, but also because most of these people lack the wherewithal to successfully close on these complex transactions. Therefore, in order not to be part of this terrible statistics of predictable deals that fail, we have put in place certain guidelines to help weed-out the unwanted.

So if you are not directly connected to an END-BUYER, SUPPLIER, REFINERY, or MANUFACTURER (i.e. the official TITLEHOLDER of a product under consideration), by all means please share the information herein with your direct contacts.

As commodities trading moves into the future, we will continue to expand our product base in order to broaden our international exposure and reach. Therefore, we welcome new proposals from mandates, allocation holders, title holders, JVs, brokers, accountants, lawyers and other professionals involved in commodities. However, we do not get involved in long chains; if you have long chains, you must be prepared to introduce your direct source and take a back seat.

So far, if all these still look good and sound acceptable to you, please by all means know that we'd be glad to hear from you.

Thank you!

Consto Trades Mgmt

We Need "SUPPLIERS"!!!

2010-07-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

If you are a Supplier of any of the listed products below, we would be glad to review your offer/quote. To this end, you may consider this as our "request for quote" (RFQ). Please consider the basic information below that we will require you provide for starters plus a preferred procedure:

Name of Product
Specifications of Product
Origin of Product
Price of Product
Payment Terms: Acceptable leading bank issued Pre advised UCP600 Letter of Credit Transferable Non Cumulative Revolving Guaranteeing 12 months total contract quote payable at sight of clean delivery documents. Pre advised DLC converts to active DLC once genuine verifiable proof of Interests in goods has been supplied. All cost for credit activation and transfer fees at cost for account of the buyer. Should buyer not accept the pre advised credit applications, Seller will accept only a bank issued Confirmed irrevocable Non transferable UCP600 credit.
Performance Guarantee: Supplier offers Buyer LDD "Late Delivery Discount" as must be shown or offered on the supplier/seller's invoice to favor the buyer upon each and every failed delivery.
Maximum Quantity of Product (MQP)
Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)
Liftable Quantity of Product (LQP)
Contract Period: 12 months initially, with possible rollover 12 x 12 per a total of 36 months at supplier/seller’s option for buyer’s further consideration.
Delivery: Price quote; Strictly FOB Incoterms “Named Port of Shipment’
Delivery Schedule: Please state your projected 1st Delivery Date
Procedure:

Buyer accepts offer and applies firm price basis (Allow 5 days);
Seller confirms quote, Seller issues full draft contract;
Buyer accepts full contract. Draft contract becomes formal Contract;
Formal Contract signed returned by e-mail and overnight couriers;
No. 2 to 4 above to be completed within 28 days; ...thereafter;
Buyer issues financial instrument;
Seller advises acceptance of DLC and issues PPI (policy proof of interest), (Allow 5 days);
Buyer has 3 days to verify PPI, Pre advised DLC become operational and Seller initiates reservation of berthing at loading terminal;
Buyer confirms reservation/ advises to seller name of each ship, ETA, Flag;
First delivery Initiated, Documents produced
At sight collection on DLC applied.
Next shipment initiated- For a further 11 months
Buyer to advise Seller one month before final shipment if contract is to continue with the shipment for a further 12 months. New Financial instrument advised.

Rules: UCP600, ICC Incoterms 2000, URC 522, ICC Rules of Agency.
Language: English language; English common law of contract

For Intermediaries/Brokers/Agents:

We will not be interested in long chain offers and would advise ONLY on deals with SUPPLIERS ONLY (not sellers, except on some preferred terms); and of course, i.e. after your due diligence or proper verification has been conducted with a descriptive note from you justifying same. You must also be willing to take a guaranteed back seat and allow us to take it from the moment we accept. If a supplier is not sourced in-house, we will not discuss money until we can vouch for supply source and the product of subject matter.

Commodities of Interest

Crude Oil: BLCO (Nigeria), REBCO (Russia), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Forcados (Nigeria), Agbami (Nigeria), Aqua Iboe Light (Nigeria), Forties Blend, Kuwait Blend, Lion Crude, Canadian Par, Fateh (Dubai), Tijuana Light (Venezuela), Saharan Blend (Algeria), Minas (Indonesia), etc.
Refined Oil Products: Diesel Fuel (petrodiesel - D2, AGO, Gasoil), JP54 (Aviation Kerosene, Jet Fuel), Kerosene (heating oil), Bitumen, Mogas, LPG, LNG, M100 (Mazut), Fuel Oils, Gasoline, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), Petrochemicals, etc.
Solid Minerals: Iron Ore, Rutile, Bauxite, Barite, Copper, Bentonite, Limestone, Coal, etc.
Other Products:

Charcoal: Lump, Hardwood of various species
Steel, Scrap Metals, Pre-fab Metals
Aluminum
Plastics
Agro Products: Rice, Corn, Raw Cotton, Fertilizers, Peanuts, Sugar, Seafood, All types of Nuts, Natural Rubber, etc.
Hardwares
Clothings
Security gadgets, GPS, & wears
Hybrid Energy: Solar & Wind
Medical & Pharmaceutical Products: Automatic Ventilating Machines, Disposals, Wheelchairs, Stretchers, Pads for Seniors & In-Patients, Inhalers, Chlorine for Water, etc.

Thoughts for the MOMENT!

2010-07-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

"Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it."
- George Halas: a ballplayer, coach, and founder of the Chicago Bears.

"You are the right person, this is the right time, you've paid your dues, you're thinking the right thoughts, you're doing the right things, and this very moment, you are exactly where you're supposed to be... poised for the happiest time of your life."
- Message from the Universe

"So you've got a problem? That's good! Why? Because repeated victories over your problems are the rungs on your ladder to success. With each victory you grow in wisdom, stature and experience. You become a bigger, better, more successful person each time you mend a problem and tackle and conquer it with a positive mental attitude."
- W. Clement Stone

"Repeat anything often enough and it will become a part of your way of thinking."
- Hilton Johnson, CoachTrainer

IN THE MIDDLE OF DIFFICULTY LIES OPPORTUNITY

You can not have success without dealing with problems.
Look for your opportunity in every difficulty
Instead of being paralyzed at the thought of difficulty in every opportunity.
Each new experience brings with it the seed of your success.
Even your current difficulties have within them opportunity.
Welcome your problems as opportunities.
Each moment is your greatest challenge and the best thing that ever happened to you.
The more difficult your problem, the greater the challenge in working it out.
When it's dark enough, you can see the stars.

Thoughts becomes things, choose the good ones!!!

'New Offers' and an Intro to 'URPIB'

2010-07-08T23:26:00.000-07:00

PRODUCTS AVAILABLE:

BITUMEN, MOGAS, AGO 0.1%, FUEL 180, JET-A1, PMS

SPECIFICATION: Standard Specs in agreement with NNPC

QUANTITY: 5,000 MT x 12 Months with possible rollovers/extensions

DELIVERY DATE: 15 days after receipt of TPAC-DLC or Bank Guarantee

DELIVERY: FOB Cotonou Waters OR CIF Outside Bar Lagos

PRICE: Due to market fluctuations, please call for details. Thank you!

PAYMENT: By UCP600 Transferrable Pre-Advised & Confirmed Documentary Letter of Credit (TPAC-DLC), Payable at Sight

OUR PROCEDURE:

1. Seller and Buyer agree per Soft Corporate Offer (SCO) ‘subject to contract’;

2. Buyer sends Bank Comfort Letter (BCL) with authority for soft probe;

3. Both parties then review and sign the contract, Sales & Purchase Agreement (SPA);
4. Seller in turn issues a Pro Forma Invoice (PFI) to Buyer who accepts terms by signing and returning the PFI;
5. Buyer, in turn, issues a Documentary Letter of Credit (TPAC-DLC), PAYABLE AT SIGHT;
6. Seller verifies and confirms the TPAC-DLC, then issues a Proof of Policy Interest (PPI) Certificate for Buyer’s verification.
7. Seller, per CIF term:
    a. Charters vessel, and provides ETA and details of chartered vessel, etc.,
    b. Loads chartered vessel and sails for End-Buyer’s agreed Port of Discharge;
    c. Sends all documents of the cargo via email to Buyer and the originals to the Buyer’s Bank for full payment.
8. In case of FOB ABIDJAN term:
    a. Buyer charters his own vessel to come and load in Abidjan;
    b. Seller sends all the documents of the cargo via email to Buyer and the original to the Buyer’s Bank for full payment.
9. The said procedure continues in case of a contract term for the next 12 months; if SPOT deal, this term is subject to further review and agreement by both parties with possible extensions and rollovers.

CALL FOR MORE INFO.

========================================
Intro to 'URPIB'
This is to inform all readers of our blog that we also do reckon with FTN Exporting's UNIFORM RULES AND PRACTICE FOR INTERMEDIARIES AND BROKERS (URPIB).

URPIB encompasses a set of rules that are recommended for all commodity export dealers, and specifically designed for private or corporate intermediaries, brokers, agents and those intermediaries who are described as intermediate ‘buyers’ and ‘sellers’ worldwide. URPIB is considered to be the first uniform set of guiding rules of its kind, created by FTN Exporting and specifically for intermediary usage. Ideally such rules are ideally applied once FTN doctrine of trade has been studied.

Our guiding principles are based on strict but safe international trade rules of application such as: UCP500, URC522, Incoterms 2000, ICC Rules of Agency, UCP600, URPIB, etc.

========================================
USED CLOTHES and SHOES
Now Available for Sale!!!
SORTED IN AMERICAN PREMIUM GRADES

We NOW OFFER & SELL USED CLOTHES in LARGE quantities....
Quantities Available in 20ft, 40ft, and 40ft High Cube containers.

The clothes are carefully graded to make sure there are no holes, tears or stains. Therefore, we don't ever bother to deal in the other popular but low quality grades A, AA, AAA, B, C, etc.

20 ft Container = 20,000 lbs = approx 9,072 kgs
40 ft Container = 40,000 lbs = approx 18,144 kgs
40 ft High Cube Container Load = 50,000 lbs = approx 22,680 kgs

Minimum Order = 1,000 lbs = approx 454 kgs

We can SORT your order out according to your specifications by BRAND NAMES, SIZES, MEN'S, WOMEN'S, CHILDREN'S, MIXED T-SHIRTS, MIXED JEANS, MIXED POLO SHIRTS, UNDERWEARS, ATHLETIC SHOES, FORMAL SHOES, BRAND NEW NIKE ATHLETIC SHOES, etc.

CALL for our COMPETITIVE PRICING!!!

Tel. No: +1-817-691-1595
Tel. No: +1-214-801-3909

Or, send us an Email: info@constotrades.com

Thank you!

CHARCOAL OFFER

2010-07-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

FEATURES:

Product Type: CHARCOAL
Origin: NIGERIA

Color: BLACK
Shape: LUMP
Wood Types: IROKO tree, OAK tree, MAHOGANY tree, IRON Woods, etc.
High quality hardwood lump charcoal
No Smoke, No Odor, & No Sparks
Ignites quickly, Burns Hotter, Cleaner, & Longer
Much Purer & Easier Cleanup
All natural, No Additives
No Chemical Enhancement
Lovely Natural Smoky Flavor on Food
High Density & Totally Carbonized
Size: 100-300 mm

SPECIFICATIONS:
Fixed Carbon Content................... 78-80% Minimum
Ash Content.................................. 3.0% Maximum
Volatile Content ........................... 12-13% Maximum
Moisture Content ......................... 1.0% Maximum
Burning Heat Rate......................... 23KJ/Min or 7400kcal/kg Minimum
Certificate/Inspection..................... SGS/Bureau Veritas on Buyer's Account
Product Usage............................... BBQ, Grill, Cook, Domestic, & Industrial
Conveyance/Delivery..................... 17 - 23 MT / 40" HQ
Packaging...................................... 50 kg per jute bag OR per Buyer's specs
Preferred Instruments..................... LC at Sight
Delivery Terms.............................. FOB Apapa-Lagos Port, Nigeria
Delivery Time ............................... 4 weeks after Purchase Order Confirmed
Minimum Order Qty (MOQ)......... 20 - 23 MT per 40" Container
Maximum Qty .............................. 1,000 MT x 12

Other Notes:

Buyer appoints independent Inspection Agents for Q&Q certification;
Printing of Customized Labels Available also at customer's request;
Samples are Available Upon Verification of Buyer Seriousness;
We send FREE SAMPLES through courier services on ground on Buyer's account;
We will provide Buyer with courier service contact info to inquire about costs of shipping;
If Buyer has a Courier International Membership Account, shipping is also FREE to Buyer!
Quality first, Prompt Delivery Next (for Relationship Building), while Rewards come Later!

PRICE/PACKAGE
* Price/package is subject to change without notice per market fluctuations.
5 kg J/Bag ………... 255 USD/MT ………… 23 MT/40" Container
10 kg J/Bag ………. 245 USD/MT ………… 23 MT/40" Container
20-25 kg J/Bag …... 235 USD/MT ……….… 23 MT/40" Container
50 kg J/Bag …....…. 225 USD/MT ……….... 23 MT/40" Container
Loose in Container .. 210 USD/MT ………..... 23 MT/40" Container

NOTICE OF AVAILABLE PRODUCTS!!!

2010-06-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

NEW DEALS as of June 15, 2010

PLEASE NOTE THAT PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.
THIS SERVES AS A GUIDELINE TO PROSPECTIVE BUYERS.
FINAL PRICE WILL BE ON THE SALES & PURCHASE AGREEMENT.

Commodity: RUSSIAN D2 GAS OIL L.0.2-62, GOST 305-82

QUANTITY: Up to 2 million MT/mth x 12

Delivery: FOB Rotterdam

Price: USD $565/$555 per Metric Ton

Note: 200,000 MT available lift after SPA.

Commodity: AVIATION KEROSENE Colonial Grade Jet Fuel JP-54

QUANTITY: Up to 10,000,000 barrels / per months X 12 Months.

Delivery: FOB Rotterdam

Price: USD $ 75 / $72 per Barrel

Note: 1,000,000 barrels is available for lift after signing of SPA.

Commodity: BONNY LIGHT CRUDE OIL (BLCO)

Quantity: Two (2) Million Barrels to Four (4) Million Barrels

Delivery: FOB/CIF/TTO/TTT

Discount:

FOB - $7/$5

TTO - $6/$4

TTT - $6/$4

CIF - $5/$3 to European Ports, $4/$2 to US Ports, $3/$1 to Asia Ports

BLCO Specifications are:
API Gravity 35.4°,
S.G. 0.85,
Sulphur 0.14,
Pour point -18°C,
TAN 0.27 mg KOH/g,
Nickel 3.6 wppm,
Vanadium 0.4 wppm,
Visc. (50°C) 2.9 cSt.
Sulfur Content is 0.2%

EMAIL OR CALL US FOR MORE INFO!!!

Thank you!

Need 100k MT of KEROSENE urgently!!!

2010-06-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

KEROSENE

Qty: 100,000 Metric Tons per Month

Spot/Contract: Contract x 24 months

Toal Qty: 2,400,000 MT spread over 2 yrs
Port of Discharge: Outside Bar Lagos, Nigeria

Flash Point: 45 Degrees Celcius / 113 Degrees Farenheit

Specifications: Standard Kerosene - K1

Note:

The other name for this type of "Kerosene" is "Heating Oil".

Kerosene is used as a cooking fuel, mostly restricted to some portable stoves for backpackers and to some less-developed countries, where it is usually less refined; usually contains impurities and even debris.

As a heating fuel, it is often used in portable stoves, and is sold in some filling stations. It is sometimes used as a heat source during power failures in developing countries.

Heating oil is a clean burning, highly efficient fuel that produces negligible amounts of smoke and soot emissions. Heating oils are graded 1 through 6, with Fuel Oil No. 2 being one of the most common.

As the name suggests, heating oils are primarily used in burners and furnaces to heat buildings and residences. It is typically stored in above ground or underground tanks near the point of use, with a key safety feature being that it will not burn in its liquid form. Depending on market supply and demand, heating oils can offer a cost-efficient solution to your energy needs.

Please submit your terms and procedure for review. Thank you!

The difference between a SEED and a FRUIT

2010-06-28T15:25:00.000-07:00

Have you ever paused and wondered about seed, how it grows, the growing challenges, and the conditions in which it has to grow? I bet you must have heard about seeds and fruits in discussions many a time as well. Many of us hold these discussions without paying a real close attention to the seed-growing concept. Even if we start paying attention from hereon, the one million dollar question still remains, 'what is the difference between a seed and a fruit?' Though the effect is nothing but cause in another form, but frankly, there is no difference between a seed and a fruit. The whole intelligence of the fruit must be in the seed. The seed cannot grow into a fruit unless the intelligence of the fruit is embedded in the seed. You might not be able to see the fruit in the tiny seed but that doesn’t mean its not there, and that doesn't mean the intelligence of the fruit can’t exist in a subtle form in the tiny seed. The cause has to contain the intelligence to produce the required effect.

Why am I saying all these things? Because the wool/veil of concealment has just been recently removed from my inner eyes, that, we all have the abilities and causes to attract and produce all those fantastic things we dream. All we've got to do is meditate on the seed which we already own, which we already possess and then watch as the universe works it's magic filling us with the choices of love, light, abundance and joy.

We have every right to become rich.

We have every right to enjoy the best of relationships.

We have every right to benefit from healthy bodies and minds.

We have every right to each own businesses of our own.

All the good things in life should come to us. "Should", that is the word, and if they do not, there are ways and means for allowing them to come to us and this is why I am so excited to introduce tell you that the greatest wise men and women knew something about human consciousness that you are probably not aware of”. But this is coming as a wake up call to create a path for a better tomorrow from the ever flowing pool of eternal possibilities.

Change will happen with lightening speed. Abundance will come rushing to your doorsteps and love will light your way at every step once you understand the power of ramping up your consciousness using the vehicle of meditation or reengineering the way you think. Read the following books: "Think and Grow Rich", by Napoleon Hill; "Dianetics, The Modern Science of Mental Health" by L. Ron Hubbard; "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne, and you can also attend one of Sri Vishwanath's "No-Nonsense Meditation" teleseminars.

The first thing to understand is that Meditation is not an activity. It is not an exercise which you choose to do during certain times of the day. Meditation is like breathing. If you stop it you lose your awareness and connection with the life force. It has got nothing to do with sitting in one place and closing your eyes. Meditation is simply a medium to convert powerful thoughts into reality.

There is a old saying “ Every thought that you think is a little hammer blow on the lump of iron which our bodies are, manufacturing out of it what we want it to be. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; thoughts become things, because they travel far. So take care of what you think.” How do we do that? How do we take care of what we think? We all know that we have a past and our past shapes our present and out of our present evolves our future life. Why are we stuck up in our life? Why don’t we have the ability to convert our dreams into reality? What is stopping us?

"For a long time, it had seemed to me that life was about to begin- real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way. Something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin, I thought. At last, it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life...", so says Dr. Alfred Dsouza.

The supreme obstacle is the doorway to ultimate success. This is the highest truth. Your past is a fact. It is not a reality. Your current circumstances do not reveal your true nature. It only reveals your current state of thinking. So despair not. Your current circumstances can quickly be altered by changing your nature of thoughts. Look what I said. I said “by changing your nature of thoughts” .

Pay close attention to the lives all the great men and women, all their success stories, and you'll find a common thread amongst all of them... “That which you seek you already own. Acknowledge it and everything that you deeply cherish will manifest itself in abundance...”

What is the greatest mistake we make in reaching out for our dreams? We start with the assumption that we do not possess the fruit (goals). That we are lacking something and we focus more and more on the fruit and less on the abilities (seed and environment) which can help us grow the fruit.

- Much appreciation and credit to the most invaluable emails I received from Sri Vishwanath (The Secret Teacher).

Welcome to Consto Trades Blogspot

2010-05-12T22:17:00.000-07:00

If you need a reliable commodities trading company with whom to work; if you are sick and tired of agents or brokers who waste time, carry fake docs, and make bogus claims; if you agree that 98% of agents in this industry are scammers, time-wasters, fraudsters and all, then we are happy to inform you that you need look no further. Consto Commodity Trades is your final answer and solution to all these concerns. We created this blogspot to share, encourage, enlighten, and promote our excellent trading practices in contrast to what is widely, but unfortunately known world-over in the commodities trading industry. We have evaluated the frustrations and gridlocks that many Buyers and Sellers experience on daily basis and resolved to bring solutions and relief to numerous parties who are interested ONLY in legitimate and authentic sources for reasonable deals.

Consto Trades LLP (dba Consto Commodity Trades) is a partnership corporation duly registered in the State of Texas, USA with services such as domestic business loan origination, global commodity brokerage, and trade representation for a wide range of physical commodities. We have a team of ethically sound and experienced trade agents with relevant educational background and years of experience in different fields that are in trade network with us as brokers, facilitators, intermediaries, papered mandates, and certified representatives, bringing serious Buyers, Sellers, and Suppliers to the table for trades in diverse physical commodities. We stand as a Reseller in some cases, direct source to Sellers/Suppliers in other cases; and an intermediary for both Sellers and Buyers in some others. Our primary goal is to facilitate deals while ensuring that ALL PARTIES to a deal EXPERIENCE a WIN-WIN SITUATION every single time AT OUR NEGOTIATION TABLE. We are very fair-minded, we work with diligence and all sense of purpose, but very firm in our standard principles and beliefs.

As trade merchants, brokers, intermediaries, and facilitators, our duties include ensuring both parties to a transaction ultimately agree to a set of procedure that will be acceptable to all concerned; especially if the two parties are dealing with each other for the first time. Below is a list of our preferred procedures as submitted in previous deals by sellers and buyers.

We hope interested parties would find these acceptable, appreciable, and also be Ready, Willing, and Able to proceed after due consideration.

Procedure Checklist
1. After a successful discussion about price and product specifications, Buyer issues either

LOI or BCL
authorization to verify funds
authorization for soft probe
and signs

ICPO (irrevocable corporate purchase order),
NCNDA (non circumvention, non disclosure agreement), and
IMFPA (irrevocable monetary fee protection agreement)

2. Seller confirms the ICPO or makes a counter offer, with an FCO (full corporate offer)

availability
price
payment terms
delivery schedule
and signs IMFPA

3. Buyer

confirms the FCO or issues a counter offer
buyer signs and seals contract (sales & purchase agreement - SPA)

4. Seller

sends Draft Contract with
full terms and
conditions

5. Buyer

signs the Draft Contract with notary
seals it and sends hard copies of the Draft contract back to our Manufacturer by fax or email

6. If both Buyer and Manufacturer agree, then

Manufacturer will mail 5 original copies to the Buyer via DHL or FedEx

7. Buyer forwards to Manufacturer

Pre Advise SBLC or Partial Bank Guarantee
irrevocable
transferable
unencumbered
unconditional
100% at sight
in the name of our main manufacturer

8. Seller

receives the Pre-Advised Bank Guarantee by fax or mail and

sends a copy to our main manufacturer by fax or email

9. Seller sends proof of product (POP)

in form of the letter from the manufacturer/plant
confirming the product to the Buyer's Bank and posts a 2% Performance Bond (PB) for the transaction

10. Loading commences as per schedule supplied in the contract

usually within 30 to 45 days from date of receiving an operative payment instrument

OR, Our preferred term - CIF:
1. Seller issues Contract with Full Banking Coordinates and Proof of Product

(POP)

2. Buyer and Seller

sign the SPA contract incorporating their full banking details
parties deposit copy of properly executed SPA with their banks for the records

3. Buyer returns the signed SPA with:

a corporate undertaking to confirm RWA
the RWA shows that Buyer is to issue by SWIFT, BG, or MT760 POF after receipt and confirmation of the issued ETA by Buyer's storage tank farm
Buyer provides end-buyer's Discharge Port facility

4. Seller within 72 hours, Seller verifies POF and Buyer verifies POP respectively

5. Loading commences

6. Delivery at Buyer's preferred Port

7. Buyer's Inspectors

usually within 24 hours after berthing, Buyer's Inspectors conduct QandQ, sends certified report to both Seller and Buyer

8. Seller

collates all cargo info and marine docs, and
swifts same to Buyer's bank for payment

9. Buyer's Bank

Within 72 hours, Buyer's bank releases ALL payments including commissions by SWIFT to Seller and all middlemen.

Other Terms:
1. SELLER or seller's agent

issues soft offer
SCO to Buyer.

2. BUYER issues ICPO to Seller.

first response

3. SELLER

issues draft contract to Buyer.

4. Seller and Buyer

Both parties sign the contract

5. SELLER issues full POP, Allocation Number and Tank receipt via Seller’s Bank.

6. BUYER’s Bank issues Irrevocable Revolving Transferable Documentary Letter of Credit (IDLC).

7. SELLER issues 2% PB to activate Buyer’s payment instrument.

8. Payment instrument activated.

9. Delivery commences as scheduled, within 20 to 30 days.

Thoughts of the Month!

2010-03-25T04:38:00.000-07:00

LIFE RESPONDS TO YOUR OUTLOOK
Life is largely a matter of expectation.
You must expect to succeed, if you want to succeed.
When you expect things to happen, strangely enough,
They do happen.
Expectation energizes your goals and give them momentum.
When you believe something good can happen, it will happen.
Set your goals high.
If you begin with some wild expectations
You'll succeed beyond your wildest expectations.
The dreams you believe in MUST come to be.

THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS IS DESIRE!
If you're willing to pay the price, any of your circumstances will change.
If you want something badly enough, you're sure to get it.
Obstacles don't matter very much.
Pain or other circumstances can be there.
But if you want to do something bad enough,
You'll find a way to get it done.
Your desire will in time externalize itself into concrete fact.
Your reality will form around your commitment to succeed.
Desire is the fire of life.
You only have to love a thing greatly to get it.

YOU MAKE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES
Your destiny isn't a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice.
It's not something you wait for, but rather something you pursue.
Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities.
Seize common occasions and make them great.
Opportunities sometimes come disguised
In the form of misfortune or temporary defeat.
Start where you are.
You're at this moment standing right in the middle of opportunity.
Act on your dreams and you can have them.
It's a universal law: You have to give before you get.
You must plant your seeds before you reap the harvest.
The more you sow, the more you will reap.
In giving to others, you will find yourself blessed.
The law works to give you back more than you have sown.
The giver's harvest is always full.
Those that obtain have little.
Those who scatter have much.
Nature does not give to those who will not spend.

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;
an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Winston Churchill: a British statesman, author, and soldier

"There are many paths to enlightenment.
Be sure to take one with a heart."
- Lao Tzu: a Chinese philosopher

"Faith is a state of mind that can be induced
Through auto-suggestion" - Napoleon Hill

When "bad" things happen to "good" people,
It's often because they want to become even better teachers,
Better guides and helpers to those precious souls
Who will one day need them to be their rock.
Plus, today's bad is always tomorrow's boon,
No matter who you are,
No matter what has happened,
No matter how bad it seemed.

"As we let our light shine,
We unconsciously give other people
The permission to do the same."
- Marianne Williamson
If you look to others for fulfillment,
You will never truly be fulfilled.
If your happiness depends on money,
You will never be happy with yourself.
Be HAPPY with what you have; BUT NEVER SETTLE;
Rejoice in the way things are.
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
The whole world belongs to you.

"I found that when you start thinking
And saying what you really want,
Then your mind automatically shifts
And pulls you in that direction.

And sometimes it can be that simple,

Just a little twist in vocabulary
That illustrates your attitude and philosophy."
- Jim Rohn

"Energy flows where attention goes" - unknown

STOP! Just STOP for a second, and ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS:

What is the principle of auto-suggestion?
Can I translate my dreams into organized thoughts?
Am I a practical dreamer that never quit?
Am I conscious of the dynamics of my subconscious mind?
Do I refuse the beliefs that I don't understand or am I open-minded?
What is faith and desire, and is there a difference between desire and burning desire?
Am I a seeker of truth, then why am I here?

"The SECRET" The most powerful law in the universe. The knowledge of this law has run like a golden thread through the lives and the teachings of all the prophets, seers, sages and saviors in the world's history, and through the lives of all truly great men and women. All that they have ever accomplished or attained has been done in full accordance with this most powerful law. http://www.whatisthesecret.tv/

Who is Bob Proctor?- find out in "The Science of Getting Rich"

Imagine landing on just one solution that catapults you to the life you always wished you'd have, one that's abundantly rich and rewarding in every facet. My exposure to Bob created a “mind-shift” – that’s the best word I can think of. Within ONE day I changed the way I looked at and approached my business. And its never been the same, upward motion, ever since!

HERE ARE IMPORTANT LINKS TO FEW OF BOB'S VIDEOS:

30 QUESTIONS TO BUYERS

2010-03-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

- A revision to the previous 20 Preliminary Questions to Buyers.

Briefly stated, Consto Trades LLP (aka Consto Commodity Trades) is a partnership corporation duly registered here in the state of Texas, USA; our services include business loan origination limited to 48 states in the U.S. except Alaska and Hawaii for funds ranging from $10k to $3m; global commodity brokerage; and trade representation. We have a team of experienced agents with relevant educational background and years of experience in different business fields that are in trade network with us as brokers, facilitators, intermediaries and representatives, bringing SERIOUS Buyers, Sellers, and Suppliers to the table for trades in diverse physical commodities. Our primary goal here is to FACILITATE DEALS while ENSURING that ALL PARTIES to a deal experience a WIN-WIN SITUATION at the negotiation table.

For all ethical reasons, for confidentiality compliance and to avoid all potential circumvention in the interest of all parties to ANY AND ALL transactions to which we are a party, WE DO NOT RELEASE ANY INFORMATION TO ANY INQUIRER ABOUT ANY OF OUR AGENTS, BUYERS, SELLERS, and/or SUPPLIERS WITH WHOM WE DEAL WITHOUT CONDUCTING OUR 1ST LEVEL OF DUE DILIGENCE.

For us at Consto Trades, just as it is in the case of Sellers that have to answer 60 questions, the decision to work for a Buyer really depends on the response to the following 30 questions:

Is the buyer window-shopping for this product at this time?
Does the Buyer really need the product NOW?
What quantity does your Buyer really have in mind?
Does the Buyer have a maximum shipment quantity (for each delivery) in mind?
Has the buyer shopped around for suppliers?
Does he know the market prices?
Does the Buyer have quotes from any other competitor?
Has the buyer offered any price? ______; if so, what is the price?
If the buyer has a price, where did it come from?
Is the price realistic?
What is the best price of a real, alternative supplier?
Has the buyer bought this product before?
Does he have a business license in the country he wants to do business?
If you ask the buyer the amount of the total purchase, will he stumble or does he know what he's spending?
Can the buyer pay for this purchase order?
What is his payment instrument?
When does he plan to pay? At sight of goods, as they leave the port, after SGS inspection, bill of lading?
Are his other terms acceptable?
To which port does he want the goods delivered?
What is the discharge rate of that port?
Is there a match between port discharge rate and buyer's quantity request?
Does the Buyer have a preferred process or procedure?
If the Buyer has, what is the preferred procedure? (please state fully)
Will the Buyer sign an NCNDA/IMFPA agreement and have signature notarized?
How long has the Buyer been in business?
Does the Buyer have a reliable bank?
Is it one of the world’s top 50 banks?
What is Buyer’s response time to communications such as inquiries, concerns, questions, feedbacks, updates, etc.?
For the agent representing the buyer, have you ever been paid by the Buyer?
And, how long have you known this Buyer?

Title: Watch Bob Proctor's video
Link: http://gotaf.socialtwist.com/redirect?l=-450367722836039361211

U.S. GASOLINE FOR SALE!!!

2010-03-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

ARE YOU AN END-BUYER?
DO YOU HAVE A FACILITY INTO WHICH OUR PRODUCT CAN BE PUMPED AFTER PURCHASE?
CAN YOU SHOW LOI AND 637 "S" AS PROOF OF LICENSE TO DEAL IN GASOLINE?

IF YOU ANSWERED "YES" TO THE THREE (3) QUESTIONS ABOVE, THEN WE WELCOME FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH YOU ABOUT OUR AVAILABLE GASOLINE. SEE MORE INFO BELOW:

PRICE: Low Rack minus 7 cents per grade

MOQ: Minimum 10,000,000 gallons per week

PROCEDURE:

1) Intermediary / Mandate furnishes Seller the company name of the Buyer. Seller verifies that he is able to do business with Buyer.

2) Once verified, Buyer submits LOI with their 637 "S" License number & complete logistics (Store Tank information or Pipeline Number or Logistic Carrier information , is a must) along with the Spec sheet for the specific octane 87 the buyer wishes to purchase since there are about 8 different variations of 87 octane. Buyer indicates on the LOI the product, quantity, frequency and target price desired.

a) Seller issues Commercial Invoice.

b) Buyer signs, seals and returns Commercial Invoice

c) Seller issues Proof of Product.

d) Buyer verifies POP

e) Buyer's Bank issues payment via EFT or TT for liftable amount within 24 hours of receipt of POP.

f) Buyer's Bank issues Letter of Credit for the value of one (1) week lift.

~ RDLC for the Remaining if the buyer wants a contract.

~ When issuing the LOI, the Buyer should provide direct contact information of the "Person in Charge" of consummating the transaction. This must be verified by the company when the validity of the Document is being researched. If this information is not on the LOI, it will be re-requested, thus slowing down the progress of the transaction.

Thank you,

Consto Mgmt

Optional Information

- HS Code : 2709 Petroleum Oils and Oils Obtained from Bituminous Minerals (Crude)

- Payment : LC/EFT

- Origin : USA

- Minimum Order : 10,000,000 Gallons

- Samples : Not Avaliable

10 ITEMS AN 'ICPO' MUST HAVE

2010-02-25T23:26:00.000-08:00

Most ICPOs you see these days are improperly put together by uninformed agents and end-buyers. We have found out that many ICPOs are not enforceable; some in most cases get trashed by seasoned Sellers who can’t afford to have their time wasted. So in order to do business with us, a Buyer MUST BE prepared, WILLING & ABLE to supply us an ICPO with certain required information in it.

Note also that we hold our clients’ information with utmost high regards and sensitivity, and as such we don’t float our clients’ docs around anyhow; specific docs ONLY go to specific clients depending on the match up we have between our buyers and sellers. And on any given transaction, a seller and the next closest seller to a buyer’s deal in terms are the ones that only get to see any document.

This list below comes from my blog page on commissions; here are the 10 Items an ICPO should have:

1. Product Name

2. Product Specifications

3. Price per units (e.g. per metric tonne)

4. Quantity in units (e.g. metric tonnes)

5. Port of Destination (broker should confirm that the port discharge rate is realistic)

6. Heading reads: IRREVOCABLE CORPORATE PURCHASE ORDER

7. Signed by someone in the company with authority to sign and ICPO should be notarized (publicly witnessed)

8. Bank information (with authorization for soft probe)

9. ICPO offer should have a commencement Date

10. Date of expiration of the offer (document might be invalid, without one)

 The commission in this industry are huge, but only if you get paid

 The ICPO must be a legal, enforceable document, because if you have a problem and sue, you can't win

 These ten items make the 'contract to buy' a legal document

 Few brokers are capable of determining if the ICPO is a legal document

 An incompetent broker doesn't really know when he has something valuable

 Being able to create a legally enforceable document makes the broker's efforts valuable

 The banking information should be first confirmed, by the broker and subsequently, by the seller

 Very few brokers confirm that the buyer can pay for the product or get an L/C; They don't know how to do it

 Most of the time, when we reach the finish line, we can't cross, because the buyer can't pay!

 Deals which don't close have no commission for anyone,

 It pays to learn brokering skills and do it right

 A skilled broker arrives at the bargaining table with good information

 A skilled broker is more valuable than an incompetent broker

 A skilled broker is a very welcome participant to any deal.

20 PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS TO ASK A BUYER

2010-02-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

These questions will help you win favor with buyers and suppliers. Brokers, who do a superb job, make a lot of money and retire. Those who are not very professional remain behind. The average broker who is left behind is not very good at his job. So this list will help any broker improve his professional skills. Then each can get rich, leave the industry and live happily ever after. Of course, that means he or she leaves behind a bunch of stumbling, bumbling 'clowns' who haven't got a clue. If you want to work for every fake buyer who comes along, don't ask any questions. Waste your time and lose your chance to work for those who are real buyers.

For me, the decision to work for a buyer depends upon the following:

Does the alleged buyer really need the product?
Is the quantity sufficient to put out the effort to find what the buyer wants?
Does the buyer have a maximum shipment quantity (for each delivery) in mind?
Has the buyer shopped around for suppliers?
Does he know market prices?
Does the buyer have quotes from any other competitors?
Has the buyer offered any price?
If the buyer has a price, where did it come from?
Is the price realistic?
What is the best price of a real, alternative supplier?
Has the buyer bought this product, before?
Does he have a business license in the country he wants to do business?
If you ask the buyer the amount of the total purchase, will he stumble or does he know what he's spending?
Can the buyer pay for it?
When does he plan to pay, at sight of goods, as they leave the port, after SGS inspection, bill of lading?
What is his payment instrument?
Are his other terms acceptable?
Which port does he want the goods delivered to?
What is the discharge rate of that port?
Is there a match between port discharge rate and buyer's quantity request?

I consider these, preliminary questions of the well-trained, professional broker. A broker invests his time and he has to be selective and bet on winners, not losers. Some buyers are real, but most are not and so you have to ask questions. In asking questions, you get a clearer idea of who your buyer is and how real his order is. If you have a friendly discussion with the buyer, you will learn what he wants to do and what he is capable of doing. You will discover if he has unrealistic expectations or if he has experience, knows the market and really wants to buy product. So, please develop a list of your own questions and collect the responses.

When you make a presentation, give some facts to show that you are a skilled broker and a professional. When you prove your value, it's much easier for others to justify paying you. If you make up a presentation checklist and use it as a format, you gain the respect of the suppliers and they are less likely to betray you. If you and your buyer agree on a price, then ask your buyer to sign an NCNDA, before a notary public and give you an ICPO with six issues covered, adequately. If your buyers comply with these requests, you can consider them very serious about buying product.

I will respect your professional style and take your buyer very seriously and respond with the same seriousness, to get the job done, so we can all get paid. We will all make much more money, if we operate in the most professional manner.

Buyers recognize our skill and so do our suppliers.

Hope this helps :-)

60 QUESTIONS TO ASK A SELLER

2010-02-11T21:23:00.000-08:00

Which product is in question?
What are the product specifications?
Is there anything unusual about the product, such as being recycled or irregular in some way?

With bitumen, one seller did not tell me that the product is recycled...

On D2, a seller in Venezuela forgot to tell me that the sulfur content was extremly high;

Does the product conform to any widely acceptable world standards?
What is the current price of the product?
Has that price been verified, recently?
Is the price quoted a CIF price or is it FOB or other?
What is the entire process?
What are the complete details of how the product is packaged?
Is there any requirement for application or license with any entity?
Is there an up front fee?
Does the seller have a quantity minimum?
Is there a seller-mandated quantity maximum?
How many brokers between you and the seller?
Is there a commission?
How much is the commission?
Who takes part of the commission?
Who is considered the buyer's side of the transaction?
Who is considered the seller's side?
Who are the intermediaries?
How is the commission divided?
What is the claim of commission, for each person in the chain?
What will each broker in the chain be doing, in order to earn his/her share?
Will the brokers be forging any seller signatures?
From which port will the product depart?
Does the seller interfere with what is charged for the product?
Does the wholesale price vary, as a function of what is charged?
Will the seller sign an NCNDA?
Will the seller have his signature notarized on the NCNDA?
What is the policy of the seller, when buyers attempt to circumvent brokers?
Which method of payment is acceptable to the seller?
Is the seller flexible on payment method?
Is there a higher price if the payment method is varied?
Have you shipped with them?
Has anyone ever shipped with them?
Which insurer has issued performance bonds for this seller?
Can we speak with the insurance company?
When can the seller begin shipping?
How long has the seller been in business?
Does the seller require that the buyer use a reliable bank or world top 50 bank?
Does the seller use a reliable bank?
Who is the Paymaster?
How do brokers get paid?
Are the brokers paid directly by the Paymaster or paid by the seller?
Have you ever been paid by the seller on any transaction?
Are the procedures flexible or rigid?
How long does it take to get a Soft Offer?
How long does it take to get an FCO?
How long does it take to get a Draft Contract from the seller?
How long does it take to get a Final Contract, with full cooperation from the buyer?
Who is the Paymaster?
Can we trust them to pay us?
Will the seller ever have possession of our commission?
Is the Paymaster the seller's bank?
Is there a contract with the Paymaster that we can read now?
Do you have this Paymaster contract in your possession?
Will the Paymaster send each broker a notarized copy of the IMFPA?
When will we receive a notarized copy of the IMFPA?
Has the Paymaster ever been sued in a dispute over commission?
If so, what were the results of that case?

If you are short on questions to ask, here are 50 to get you started, there are many more questions you could ask:

Questions about Price
Questions about Procedure
Questions about Payment Terms
Questions about Broker Commission
Questions about Shipping
Questions about Available Stock
Questions about Packaging
Questions about Seller's History
Questions about Documents
Questions about Insurance
Questions about which Banks are accpetable, to handle the transfer of money
Questions about the Paymaster, which might be the most important questions of all, for a broker

I have not exhausted the list here and these eleven categories are not the full story.
I think I've merely scratched the surface on the total list of questions, which could be asked about any commodity.
It takes time to get to know your seller and the questions never end.
After you have done 100 transactions with your seller, you will know the answers to many of these questions
If you don't ask questions, you will be taken advantage of, by 'hit and run operators' who take what you have and try to give you nothing for it.
If you're allowed one question for each dollar of commission, you might as well ask enough questions to have a clear understanding of the deal, so you don't get 'experienced' again!

Hope this helps :-)

Cover Letter - The Professional Broker

2010-02-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

Real buyers want ......real sellers and ........real products. Our job is to find them and we need to get paid, if we are to continue helping buyers find what they want Documentation and information is the key.

Every purchase starts with the money and without it, you don't have an order, you just have product. We must know with certainty that we have the money to make the purchase. If a buyer wants us to work for him, we have to have reason to believe that he is a real buyer. So, I put together 20 questions to ask the buyer (ref. January, 2010 Blogpost herein). If the buyer can pay and has a reasonable price, then I'm willing to work for him.

Proving that I have a real seller is also part of the process, but sellers want orders from competent brokers who have documents and information. Real sellers are busy with real orders from real buyers and we can't pester sellers with requests for prices on all their products, every day, without an order. They won't give me price quotes, allocations, FCOs, commitments or even a soft offer, without a commitment from the buyer.

We can discuss price with the buyer, initially, but if the buyer hasn't shopped around, isn't familiar with market prices or has unreasonable price expectations, then the seller will regard the request as frivolous. A skilled broker asks the appropriate questions and assembles the necessary paperwork to make a professional presentation to the seller.

When brokers bring a deal to a seller, they must have something valuable to offer and information and documents are what is called for. Brokers want a real seller and we will prove that the seller has product, in the process, but the buyer's capability comes first. A buyer who is not proven capable of paying or who has not made a commitment to buy with an ICPO is not a real buyer.

If brokers arrive at the bargaining table without documents, they make of all us look unprofessional, unskilled and quite useless. Most brokers lack skills in negotiating, have no idea which documents are needed and therefore, have no means of obtaining such documents. A broker has to know which documents will be needed. A broker has to be capable of convincing buyers and other intermediaries to bring those documents forward, properly executed. Brokers have many reasons for not being able to obtain the proper set of documents. Most of the brokers I have met haven't even obtained an NCNDA, signed by the buyer. Some will go so far as to forge the buyer's name to this very important document. Forging the buyer's signature puts all brokers at risk of losing our commission. We need a real signature on the NCNDA!

All signatures must be real and all documents must be carefully reviewed by all brokers in the chain. The most competent brokers will find the mistakes and advise the others. Please try to be the most competent broker in our transaction. Make lists and use them for all future transactions. Avoid the timewasters by asking the right questions early and making a decision about who to work for and who to avoid.

When a buyer asks you to 'chase the stick', like a dog, don't go running, without asking some preliminary questions. I have prepared a list of preliminary questions and its been shared in this blogpost in January 2010. Add to this list and then the list will evolve into your own list. There is nothing wrong with asking the buyer a few questions, like:
'Have you bought this product before?'
'What did you pay, last time?'
'Can you still get product from that source?'
'What is the current price of this product?'

Buyers who have never bought before and have not shopped around will not have prices and those buyers are unlikely to make a purchase. If a buyer has a supplier aren't you curious why he doesn't buy from them again? You may ask:
'If you have a supplier, why are you seeking a new source?''
'Can you pay for this product?'
'Will you provide me with proof that you can pay?'
'Will you sign an NCNDA?'
'Do you sometimes have your signature notarized?'
'Is it any trouble for you to sign before a notary?'

From experience, buyers who do not cooperate are less likely to make a purchase, because cooperation is necessary and real buyers know it. Be decisive and don't waste time, once the odds of closing drop below your minimum chances. If the buyer is cooperative, it is more likely that he is a real buyer and can pay for the product. Intermediaries influence the chances of success too. Most of the time, you are not working directly with the buyer. There are brokers insulating you from the buyer and I have found that most of these intermediaries are incompetent. When you begin to ask them questions about the buyer, you find that they don't know much, they don't have facts or documents. They have a lot of excuses for noncompliance and they have many stories to tell you about fakes in the business. A lack of documents reveals a broker's incompetence or it reveals a buyer's lack of cooperation; the broker who stays with an uncooperative buyer is also incompetent. We can't close deals with incompetent brokers, who have no documents and possess few organization and negotiating skills.

Intermediaries must be capable of ascertaining information from buyers and obtaining the appropriate documents. Choose your cohorts, carefully; some are already skilled and some are worth teaching, but others are hopeless and will waste your time. Know what the seller needs to give us a commitment and make sure you arrive at the bargaining table with something useful to all.

Collect all necessary information from your buyer, return it to me in a proper template, so we can put it on the soft offer. I'll send it to you at your request, and you can send it out to your buyer. All brokers must sign an NCNDA, prior to exchanging documents which contains contact information of buyer or seller. I'll send you my promise not to go around you at your request, to open the door to a long term business relationship.

If you do not have a blank NCNDA, you may also get one from me so you can sign and return asap. Send this blank NCNDA to other brokers to sign as well. You and the other brokers will not need to have your signature notarized. You may also need to send a blank NCNDA to your buyer, as well. The buyer should sign, with a witness present, so he doesn't later claim that the signature is not his. A broker can't afford to put buyer and seller together, without a promise from both that they won't circumvent us. If we have a dispute, do you want to give the ICC exclusive rights to arbitrate?

You should know that the ICC doesn't arbitrate for non members and most brokers aren't aware of this. Notice that my NCNDA for does not give the ICC exclusive rights to arbitrate our disputes. If you call the ICC, they will tell you that they want an upfront fee, just to consider arbitrating a dispute for you, if you are a member. The ICC told us that they wanted a total of $88,000 and you will know more, if you call them too. When I tell brokers about our experience, they are surprised to hear that there is an upfront fee and that the ICC does not arbitrate for non members. We must have knowledge about all aspects of this business, if we are to succeed.

Sharing information helps a great deal and this blogspot has a collection of useful facts, opinions, ideas and experiences. It should be read by everyone and the lessons passed on to all that you meet. We are all teachers and if you train those around you, they can do a better job of closing your deals. Assembling the documents is necessary, if sellers are going to take our request seriously. If you can't persuade the buyer to cooperate, then you don't have a buyer. If the other brokers can't get the buyer to cooperate, then you don't have brokers. Unskilled cohorts often have their hands out and are expecting to be paid millions of dollars for their incompetence.

Surround yourself with those who have the highest skills, because this increases your chances of success. Every deal begins with money; Money to pay for products!

If you don't establish that you have the money to pay, the request is just a request, it's not an order.

The first question a broker should ask is not, 'Do we have product?', but 'Do we have a buyer?'

The skilled broker knows which questions to ask and knows what to do when the answers are given. Real buyers know that they must put out a real commitment, in order to get the skilled and professional broker to work for them. When you get a large order from an unskilled broker who has no documents, you should realize that this is a very unlikely event.
Do you invest your time or quit early?
If you invest your time, what will be required in order to make this unlikely event a likely event?
Will you have to train brokers?
How fast will they learn?
Will you have to persuade brokers to persuade brokers to persuade brokers to persuade the buyer to cooperate?

This might be a waste of time if there is a weak link in the chain. Unskilled brokers are incompetent; some are capable of learning and others are not going to learn fast enough to make the deal happen for you. You don't have time to waste and neither does the buyer. A real buyer is a very smart person with a lot of money and a lot of experience. Real buyers don't engage unskilled brokers, because they know the results from experience. A real buyer is very selective about who gets the order and who is trusted with bank information. It would be prudent to be the most capable broker you can be and demonstrate your skills early, by asking the right questions. You must convey to the seller that you have competence, because this implies that you have product and that's what a real buyer wants. The skillful broker goes from verbal discussion to written contract, in a short time.

We discuss price, first, and once we agree on a reasonable price for both sides, buyer and seller, we discuss other terms of the order. We must know where the shipment is going, how it will be packaged, who will do the inspections for quality and quantity and the process for paying for it.

It is extremely important to advise the buyer that we have no up front fees of any kind and that will be in the contract. After the verbal discussion, it's time to go to contracts. The NCNDA is the first test of the buyer's belief in you and the others on your team. If you asked the right questions and conducted a probe of depth to ascertain exactly what the buyer wants to do, you will find that your probe does not offend the buyer. On the contrary, you will convey professionalism, careful attention to detail and the result is buyer will have confidence in you and you'll get the buyer's cooperation and respect.

Buyers spend billions of dollars on commodities, such as the one you are offering here. Buyers quickly recognize a skilled broker, who asks the right questions and does not simply 'chase the [imaginary] stick', like a dog. Brokers who hear of a large order and go running off, without any facts, demanding proof of product, before they know much about the buyer are regarded as fools. Buyers will not trust a careless, thoughtless broker with a valid ICPO, because it has confidential information on it. When a broker brings you an order request and has no information, no documents and no skills, save time and reject the timewaster, because it can't close, without facts and documents. My seller will not take your buyer seriously, even if the buyer is real, because the brokers haven't a clue about how to organize and consummate that transaction.

Look at the files that are herein and consider each a valuable collection of ideas. Try to understand how each file can help you organize useful information, process an order from a real buyer and earn for you a seat at the 'bargaining table'. Your chances of getting paid depend upon your skill level.

It's not how long you have been in the business that counts, but rather, how fast you learn what is necessary to close a deal.

Hope this helps :-)

NCNDA - NONCIRCUMVENTION, NONDISCLOSURE & WORKING AGREEMENT

2010-02-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

Whereas the undersigned Parties wish to enter into this Agreement to define certain parameters of their future legal obligations, and considering their mutual promise herein and other good and valuable considerations, the receipt of which is acknowledged hereby, the Parties here to mutually and voluntarily agree as follows:
1. The Parties hereto and/or their affiliates of what_so_ever nature shall not, in any manner solicit and/or accept any business from sources that have been made available by and through the parties hereto, nor in any manner shall access, contact, solicit and/or conduct any transaction with such said sources, without the expressed and specific permission of the party who made such said sources available.
2. The Parties shall maintain complete confidentiality regarding each other's business and/or their affiliates and shall only disclose knowledge pertaining to these specifically named Parties as permitted by the concerned Party, unless agreed and granted and expressed written permission of and by the Party whom made the source available. This means that brokers may not reveal any source to any buyer or other broker without liability. No buyer, who gains privy to a source may reveal that source to any broker or buyer who is not a party to any transaction, without similar liability.
3. The Parties shall not in any way whatsoever circumvent each other and/or attempt such circumvention of each other and/or any of the parties involved in any of the transactions the parties wish to enter and to the best of their abilities shall ensure that the original transaction codes, date and proprietary information established are not altered.
4. The Parties shall not disclose any contact revealed by either Party to any third Parties as they fully recognized such information and contact(s) of the respective Party, and shall not enter into direct and/or indirect offers, negotiations and/or transactions with such contacts revealed by the other party who made the contact(s) available.
5. In the event of circumvention by any of the undersigned Parties, whether direct and/or indirect, the circumvented Party shall be entitled to a legal monetary compensation equal to three times the maximum service it should realize from such a transaction, plus any and all expenses, including any and all legal fees incurred in the recovery of such compensation.
6. In the event of circumvention by either Party, directly or indirectly, the circumvented Party shall be entitled to a legal monetary penalty equal to three (3) times the value of the transaction or the benefits derived thereof, whichever is higher, without any protest or litigation plus any and all expenses, including but not limited to all legal costs and expenses incurred to recover the lost revenue. The ICC does not arbitrate for non members and a charge of $88,000 in advance, just to consider the case is unacceptable to us, so we don't use the ICC for arbitration. A private attorney will be sought, if we have a problem to resolve.
7. This Agreement is valid for five (5) years from the date of signature, for any and all transactions between the parties therein, with renewal to be agreed upon between the signatories.
8. This agreement is valid for any an all transactions between the Parties herein and shall be governed by the English Law and in English language. It is further agreed that any controversy, claims, and or dispute arising out of and/or relating to any part of the whole of this agreement or breach thereof and which is not settled between the signatories themselves, shall be settled in a court of law of the United States of America.
9. This Agreement shall be binding upon the Parties hereto, and in the case of individual Parties, their respective heirs, administrators and executors and in the case of all corporate Parties, their successors and assigns.
a) The non_circumvention damages, the total commissions, fees or profits which would have been due and;
b) All loss sustained by the non_defaulting party by reason of such breach, and;
c) All expenses incurred in enforcing any legal remedy rights based upon or arising out of this Agreement.
10. Signature to this Agreement shall be deemed to be an executed Agreement enforceable and admissible for all purposes as may be necessary under the terms of this Agreement.
11. All signatories herein acknowledge that they have read and each Party fully understands the terms and conditions contained in this Agreement and by their initials and signature hereby unconditionally agree to its terms as of the date noted herein.
12. All signatories herein further acknowledge that by their initials and signatures, that they have full and complete authority to execute the document for and in the name of the party, for which they have given their signature.
13. The purpose of this instrument is to establish an internationally recognized Non_Circumvention, Non_Disclosure Agreement between the participating Parties. This Agreement may be signed in one or more counterparts and the parties agree that facsimile copies of this Agreement to be considered as a legal original and signatures thereon shall be legal and binding.
14. Signatures on the NCNDA must match signatures on all other documents in particular, the IMFPA and Letter of Credit.
15. This document is for the purpose of protecting Brokers and so, Buyers and Sellers must sign before a notary public, in order to avoid claims that their signature is a forgery.

This contract shall remain in force, for the duration of the term herein, provided that supplier and representatives of supplier act in good faith to keep promises, meet delivery deadlines, provide updates in a timely fashion and provide true information to buyer and buyer_representatives. Failure to do so, releases buyer representatives from this agreement, while it continues to bind seller and seller's representatives from circumvention.

This agreement is accepted without change and attested to this 17th day of June 2009:

PARTICIPANTS TO THE AGREEMENT
First Party_Buyer's Broker #1
Name:
Title:
Nationality:
Passport Number/ID:
Company Name:
Address:
State/Province:
Country:
Telephone:
Mobile:
Fax:
E_mail:
Web:
Date:
Seal and Signature:

Second Party_Seller's Broker #1
Name:
Title:
Nationality:
Passport Number/ID:
Company Name:
Address:
State/Province:
Country:
Telephone:
Mobile:
Fax:
E_mail:
Web:
Date:
Seal and Signature:

Seven Contracts

2010-02-11T13:24:00.000-08:00

NCNDA
Preliminary Soft Offer
ICPO
Allocation & Soft Offer
FCO
Draft contract
Final contract

Since there is a sequence to these 7 contracts, some brokers might think it’s a procedure

These are not the steps to the seller’s procedure,

It is a list for brokers to use to explain how we process the order and contract it

It is a summary of the documents that the buyer must sign in order to get product from my supplier

They are a large company and have been around a long time

They have made changes over the years in their procedures and we have to follow them

This list is not their procedures

It’s our list

Brokers want to avoid circumvention and so we develop a list

Buyers develop a checklist too and they use it when they scrutinize sellers and brokers and that helps them work effectively and efficiently

Everyone wants to get the job done, correctly and swiftly and that’s why we develop a list

The contracts listed have two purposes

For a broker, the first concern is commission

Buyers like to circumvent brokers and sellers often invite them to do so

My supplier doesn’t do that

When buyers go around me, my supplier tells me about it

My supplier has ten mandates

I deal with one of them and there are at least ten seller’s brokers, like me

I have at least ten buyer’s brokers, regularly looking for buyers and each broker has at least 10 prospective buyers

When you multiply it out, 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 = 10,000 buyers being interviewed by brokers for a possible sale

My supplier doesn’t want 10,000 prospective buyers calling his office, every day
He only has 100 people in his office
Those in the office don’t want to carry on the task of negotiating prices with buyers
They prepare the final contracts and don’t want to be involved in the lower level contract stages, because most go nowhere
Small sellers are more likely to invite buyers to come to them, directly
They know it’s circumvention, but they don’t care about playing fair
Circumvention ruins relationships
As a broker, I won’t tolerate it and you shouldn’t tolerate it, either
We should do our job in the most professional manner and we should get paid, if we succeed
A reasonable seller will agree and a large seller will insist upon it
Only if we are paid, will we repeat the process of finding buyers, negotiating price and writing contracts
There should be no contact, between buyer and seller
Contract are passed from broker to broker to the seller’s mandates
This list protects the broker’s commission, while doing all the legwork for the seller
Brokers who carry out the signing of these documents have value with sellers
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Here is a list of those seven contracts which lead to sales to buyers

After we agree on price, buyer signs seven contracts
1. NCNDA

All brokers sign, first
Then we ask buyer to sign in front of a witness, like a public notary, so that the buyer doesn’t later tell us that he didn’t sign our NCNDA

2. Preliminary Soft Offer

Buyer signs ………. from me
No notary is needed, but a seal is nice

3. ICPO

Buyer provides signed IRREVOCABLE CORPORATE PURCHASE ORDER and bank information

4. Allocation & Soft Offer

Seller provides allocation and soft offer and buyer signs and returns

5. FCO

Seller provides a Full Corporate Offer and buyer signs and returns it to his broker and then to the seller

6. Draft contract

Prepared by seller and sent to buyer, who signs and returns with corrections

7. Final contract

Prepared by seller, following the recommended modifications amended by buyer
Buyer receives, signs and returns
Buyer is then invited to visit the refinery, meet the important people and returns home with confidence that his order will be shipped

Broker's Kit

2010-02-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

- Extract from Larry Wingo's Journal

Format

Many brokers are novices and that's OK.

What's not OK is the failure in communications, because deals fail as a result of a broker's inexperience.
I have devised a format for new brokers so they can tell me all the details about the order.
Fill it out once and use it each time there is a correspondence, between us.
It helps in communicating exactly which deal you are talking about and gives me all the facts on one page.
It saves me time and makes you look extremely professional in your field.
The form is not copyright protected.
You can use it anywhere, without fear.
It's my form.
I created it and I authorize you to use it, free of charge.
For the sake of clarity, use this format.

============================================

BROKER KIT
Here are the forms you need, to get started:

Cover Letter
NCNDA
IMFPA Buyer Signs 7 Contracts
20 Questions for Buyers
Blank Soft Offer - JP54
60 Questions for Sellers
Blank Soft Offer - Urea
Broker Duties Blank Soft Offer - Mazut
Collecting Information ICPO-10_items
The Process Blank Soft Offer - Cement
Official Seal Generator 20 Clues That It's A Scam!
Help with writing ads here Blank Soft Offer - Bitumen
Format
Payment Terms

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NCNDA - Commissions can be large and if you want to try to protect your commission, you will need a signed document from both buyer and seller, pledging that each will not go around you.

It doesn't mean that they won't go around you.

If your commission is high enough to give them an incentive, some will certainly try.

When you have a problem and call the ICC, you learn some new things about the ICC.

First, they don't arbitrate for you, even if you put them into your contract.

We called them and they said they don't arbitrate for non-members.

That might explain why they pass out their NCNDA forms for free.

They even make it easy for the buyer to go around you, with a penalty of one to one.

If they buyer or seller gets caught, he has to pay the commission, without penalty.

That's like a store putting up a sign which reads;

IF YOU GET CAUGHT SHOPLIFTING IN OUR STORE, YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE MERCHANDISE THAT YOU STOLE - (No Penalty!)

This would certainly encourage every shopper to attempt to steal, rather than stand in long checkout lines.

In my opinion, that's what the ICC does.

They encourage stealing from us brokers.

Why would they do that?

Would it be to get more chamber of commerce members?

Maybe!

We also learned something else about the ICC.

They want money up front and then they assign someone to your case, within 30 days.

You don't even know if they will take the case yet!

Including dues, that figure came to $88,000 when we had a problem.

Brokers typically don't have $88,000 laying around to hand to the ICC for membership dues and up front fees and so we had to drop our case, but we learned from that lesson and we took the ICC out of our contract and we beefed up the penalty and we deleted all references to arbitration.

Why should we use arbitration when we can go to a private attorney and say, We have a commission of $50,000,000 and our NCNDA calls for triple damages, so it's $150,000,000.

Private attorneys would chase ambulances for part of a fee this large and we have the notarized signature of the buyer and his bank account too.

If the lawyer wants an up front fee, we contact other attorneys, until we find one who just wants 40% of $150,000,000 and thinks we have a good case.

You must use competitive forces to negotiate your best deal with attorneys.

The reason that they charge 40%, instead of 2%, is because few have the tchutzpaho negotiate with attorneys.

If you have two, competing, with both knowing about the other, they will cut each other's throat and a bidding war will ensue, because there is a $150,000,000 case and we have the documents to prove that the buyer and seller signed.

Maybe you can even get one of them to pay you an up front fee.

Hehe!

Then your sign can read; GO AHEAD, STEAL IN MY STORE AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BUTT!

I'LL HAVE LAWYERS KILLING EACH OTHER TO GET THE CASE!

So, in conclusion, my NCNDA form has no mention of the ICC and no arbitration provision, for the reasons stated above.

If you agree, use my form and if you want to call the ICC and see what they tell you, to confirm or negate what I am reporting, you can do so.

You can call the American Arbitrator's Association too.

They have no membership dues, but they wanted an up front fee of $65,000 to handle our case, should we have a problem.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IMFPA - If you are going to be paid, we will need your bank information so we can wire funds to your account.

I ask for this at the time of the NCNDA, because brokers, eager to run away with all the commission will put all their relatives on the payroll and some will even invent imaginary people who have to be paid.

When the IMFPA comes in, it has only one name on it.

One guy wants to receive the money for all others.

That's the giveaway that they are not telling the truth.

It happened to me, more than once.

Now, I want to see the separate names and bank accounts of those who are going to be paid, complete with SWIFT codes, so the Paymaster can pay each with a wire transfer to his or her own account.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Payment Terms - Nothing wastes more time than buyers who can't pay and if you will just use this form to confirm that the buyer will pay according to these terms, we can discover, early, if we have a real buyer or just another broker who wants to 'buy cheap and sell dear'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Format - Many brokers are novices and that's OK.

What's not OK is the failure in communications, because deals fail as a result of a broker's inexperience.

I have devised a format for new brokers so they can tell me all the details about the order.

Fill it out once and use it each time there is a correspondence, between us.

It helps in communicating exactly which deal you are talking about and gives me all the facts on one page.

It saves me time and makes you look extremely professional in your field.

The form is not copyright protected.

You can use it anywhere, without fear.

It's my form.

I created it and I authorize you to use it, free of charge.

For the sake of clarity, use this format.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Signature - If you're going to be in the commodities business, you will have to be able to sign your name and send it over the internet, on a document, so you might as well learn how to do it now.

I can help you, if you have a digital camera and can sign your name.

Just take a photo of it and send me the bit map, JPG, GIF or PNG image.

You can scan it too and then you don't need me

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Process - The baseball analogy helps many understand the complex process, by using similarities of the well known baseball game.

Just sit back and watch the explanation, in its easy-to-remember format of a baseball diamond.

First base is getting the NCNDA and IMFPA signed.

The the FCO or draft contract.

Next, the final contract and finally, the SGS inspection and funds are wired to your bank account.

It sounds simple, but most brokers can't get to first base.

Believe it or not
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Friday, January 15, 2010
Three main faults; Carelessness, Laziness and Greed
Today, I received a soft offer from a seller

We had negotiated a commission of $5/mt for the broker and me and the soft offer still shows $2/mt

My buyer has signed the NCNDA, given me an ICPO with bank information and I think he's a well qualified buyer who can afford to pay and wants to buy

So, what does my supplier do?

Does he give me some specific attention? No! He sends me the generic soft offer and he didn't even open it to see if it has all the details

The product specification is missing

This means that he expects my buyer to spend $42,000,000 per month for a year, more than $500,000,000 (five hundred million dollars) without product specs!

So, I write back and say, You are lazy and you are careless and the generic form isn't going to convince me to buy from you

The commission is wrong and there is no NCNDA from his source or their sources

I advised my counterpart to get organized, make a checklist and put on the checklist the things that we need, if we are to do business

Suppliers who treat you badly, before they get your buyer, will not treat you any better, after they get your buyer's ICPO, with his name, address, phone number, email and bank information

They don't need you, once they have your source and if you want them to respect you, you have to put it on the line, prior to handing over the ICPO

They structured the deal where the $8 of the $10 commission goes to them

This is pure greed and it's not wise, because the world is very competitive

My counterpart and I would have to share what's left, which is about $1/mt each

Almost all American boys have played basketball and therefore they have common experiences

I allude to the lessons learned on the basketball court

The boy who owns the basketball, is not often the best player

Neighborhood kids congregate to play a game

Two leaders begin to select kids from those who have assembled

Leaders choose the best players, first, naturally

At the end, there is one kid left over, typically the player with the least ability and in this case, he owns the ball

If he is not chosen to play on a team, he goes home and takes the basketball with him; GAME OVER!

Leaders don't consider ...... Who owns the ball?...... and What happens if he is not happy and leaves?.... when they chose their teams

They make the fatal mistake of not choosing the ball owner, so that they can, at least, have a ball in order to play the game

So, invariably, you have the same situation every time

The last guy to be chosen for a team does not play

He takes his ball and goes home

That ends the basketball game, before it has started!

Greedy brokers and those who like to be called, 'mandates' seldom consider that it is important to leave a little commission on the table for the guy who has the buyer, because if he takes his proverbial 'basketball and goes home, GAME OVER!

In our D2 deal, I pointed out that I have the buyer and my buyer has the money

I asked how much they make if I give my order to someone else

This is a thought provoking question and some can reason, but most people are not smart enough to figure it out

If I propose a 50/50 split, without giving them some new choices, greed allows them to think about only these two scenarios:

1. $8 to them and $2 to us; their proposal

2. $5 to them and $5 to us; my counter proposal

The psychology is not right and you can't expect anyone to select #2 when #1 is so much better, for them

Boys on the basketball court are not very thoughtful

They are impassioned by the game and they think only of winning

If the worst player were to remind them, as they are choosing players for a team, that the basketball is his and if he goes home, the game is over, before it has begun, they might be more thoughtful and considerate and allow him to play

So, I had to give them these options:

1. They get nothing (because I take my basketball (buyer) and go home and that ends the basketball game (D2 order))

2. They get $2 and we keep $8 (which is the deal they offered us and I want them to see how it feels)

3. We each get $5/mt (which is a fair deal and they should recognize that it's fair and at least they get something)

After I have delivered the stinging notion of giving my order to one of 64 D2 suppliers I have, at present, I proposed that we keep $8 and they get $2 to share among themselves

Once that torturing thought has settled in, I make a third proposal ....................'or we can just take $5 and all of them can share the other $5'

You can see how sophisticated the negotiation process can be

Greed is not very smart and if you are going to break them of the 'greed habit', you have to use psychology and draw from your basketball days or any other experience you have had

They wisely agreed and we had, at that point, a verbal acceptance of $5/mt for the two of us

Then the soft offer arrives and we're back to the $2/mt commission and it appears that they think they are going to cheat us by reneging on their agreement

They won't get my buyer; I'll take my basketball and go home!

This is the lesson of greed, now let's move to the next vice, carelessness

The buyer wants unleaded gasoline as well as D2 and he has given me specs for both

It is my job, as broker, to make sure he has what he requested, or he will take his 'basketball' and go home!

The guy with the money is the boss and he holds all the power in this game

If you forget it, you pay dearly

The soft offer is lacking the product specification, required by my buyer

It has the designation for D2, which is GOST 305-82, but it's lacking the ASTM 2699 for unleaded gasoline

The buyer is American and so he gives us the American spec, ASTM 2699

Perhaps the Russian Federation equivalent is acceptable, GOST 8226

Without any spec, the prices are meaningless

It's like ordering a pizza and you get a price, without the size

How do you know what you are getting?

Buyers don't spend $500 million on D2 without specs and you had better pay attention to the details!

Failing to give this very important issue it's due diligence is pure carelessness and you don't get rewarded for vice

If you are organized and you pay attention to detail, carrying out each duty, then some might say you are professional

If you don't have a checklist, some might say that you are lazy, but I'm not sure if it's laziness or the lack of experience

If you work with me, I'm going to train you and you will quickly become more professional or you won't get my order

I know the job of the broker and I've been a broker for 25 years

You have a job to do

If you know your job, then do it and if you don't know it, I'll tell you, but you must learn quickly or I will get impatient

Nobody likes to repeat a lesson over and over; We don't have time for that

I'll mention it once and if you don't have a pencil in your hand, you will lose it

If you don't review yesterday's lessons, today, you lose both days and next week, you better go over your checklist again to make sure you did it all correctly

When a buyer is spending $500,000,000 on one order, you have to get it right or you don't get paid

This is what you learn over 25 years, if you're smart

Don't be lazy! Get your pencil out and take notes of what you have to do

My broker kit web site is there to help you and it's free, if you are wise enough to use it and learn from the experiences of others

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Ob Ajayi ob@(protected).com
Sent: Mon, December 28, 2009 12:30:56 PM
Subject: Broker Agrmt - OB & LW

Hi there Larry,

Compliments of the season.
I have been to your web site many times than I can now count. As I mentioned to you in our previous phone conversation in times past, this is a huge piece of work; infact, I don't have sufficient words to describe my appreciation of the loaded infor you have on the site. And the outpouring of love and appreciation by many visitors to your site as evident in their statements lend more credence to my words here as well. All I can say is THANK YOU, SIR!

The closest person to my impression of you on commodity trading is Davide Papa of FTN Exporting. The depth of your knowledge and wisdom is unparalled; why? ...because you are also willing to share with others so this industry may be a better place for us all to trade.

Attached herein is my signed Broker Agreement as a sign of my faith in you and willingness to do business with you because I have read through your materials and have come to believe in what you say. Uhm! this is accordance with what my pastor always says, "don't take what I tell you on the face value, go through the Bible to corroborate what I tell you." Although, I have been into many similar and not-so-similar businesses in the past 10-11 years, I have come to realize during my short period in this particular business, that though there are many trading concepts in the commodity biz, sadly and obviously, 98% will NOT lead to success. Yours belong to the other preferred 2%. Thank God I am not stupid, hence, the desire to be on the winning team; according to Davide Papa, 99% of commodity brokers chase deals with no luck/success for many years, I don't want to be part of that statistics, with your approach and his, I believe I stand a better chance to succeed; you really don't have to go through the school of hard knocks to learn in this business, especially from a team of like-minded people such as the ones you have around you, sir.

I wish you well in all your life endeavors, Larry, and please keep up the good work, the world needs more forthright businessmen and brokers like you. And, I ernestly look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

O B Ajayi
Consto Trades, LLP
Arlington, TX 76017
Ph#: 817-691-1595

My reply:

December 28, 2009

Thank you OB, for the praise

The gift that you have received is not received by all, because it takes two

One writes and one reads it

You are a gifted individual, because you take the time and put forth the effort to read what has been written,

So you will benefit by the lessons learned by others who took the time to write them down so that others can benefit

I did not do it for praise, please understand, I did it for the pleasure of giving, for the benefits of organizing an industry which is very poorly organized and does not work well, most of the time

There is a procedure that should be followed because it is the best procedure we have developed so far

If anyone can make it better, their ideas and contributions are most welcome

As we collect additions from each who feels that his or her own experiences are worthy of putting into the record, we amass a vast pool from which everyone can draw

Imagine that we have a bank account and each person puts in a small amount and all can draw out the entire balance

If that were possible, then everyone would want to be part of that group, which owns the bank account

That's what we have with knowledge, for it costs nothing, but your time to withdraw the full amount from that account

No one has to make a contribution to that account, if they don't want to

Anyone can make a withdrawal, because knowledge is a gift from the creator and it is meant to be shared

When we give this gift to others, the benefits and ramifications just continue, like repercussions

Suppose that one person makes a sale and receives $10,000,000 in commission

How long will he or she enjoy the benefits of that money?

Perhaps a lifetime and perhaps several lifetimes, when you consider the children of the children of the original broker

So, we all should draw a lesson each day, write it down, review it periodically for our own benefit, in case we forget and we should pass it on to others, so that they might benefit

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: GENR8 TRADING CC - Warren v.d.Westhuizen
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 11:22:21 AM

Hi Larry,

Thanks for the previous mail , much appreciated. A quick question , is there any possibility whatsoever that we can provide any past B/L and SGS that are sanitized? as this most definitely seems to a very common pre-requisite. Is it possible as it would most certainly strengthen my case with my respective buyers?. Please revert at your earliest convenience. Many thanks.

Kind Regards
WARREN VAN DER WESTHUIZEN
GENR8 TRADING CC
+27 71 133 5329 ( South Africa )
E-mail : (protected)@genr8trading.co.za
(protected)@gmail.com

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Warren,

Only a novice would ask you for such a thing

They think this proves something, but it can easily be faked

Just imagine that someone send one to a deceiver; He would make it his own and use it as proof, to others

They might also want to know the name of my source

How can you provide proof of a past shipment, without showing the seller?

Don't be fooled by this ploy to gain the name of my seller or get a document to fool others

I do not trust those who ask for this kind of document

I think they have bad intentions

No, they can't have and B/L or SGS, sanitized or not, but they can have a visit to the factory or refinery, if they sign the final contract and prove that they have money to pay

Nobody is going to ask anyone for money up front, as the crooks do The professionals in this business have one way of operating and the amateurs and crooks have other ways and you are discovering the difference

We have developed a procedure, to avoid mistakes and if this procedure is not the best, then tell me how we can improve it

Procedure is here:
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January 20, 2010

Fethi is new at brokering commodities

I explained that there are three major skills that a broker needs to survive here

1. Command of the English Language

2. An understanding of International Law

3. An undertanding of Standard Business Protocol

I don't mind broken sentences, as long as I understand what they mean

There are many language translators out there

Google

Langenberg

Type in a simple sentence, convert it to the language, then copy the foreign language and convert it back

If it says what you said, you can use it

If you can't understand what it says, then it probably won't be clear to the recipient

Don't get fancy with your sentences

Long, run on sentences won't translate, clearly

If you don't need a translator, to write in English, then you must write in clear sentences, to be understood

Most brokers fail at communication of basic ideas and following standard business protocol in letter writing, speech and discourse

There are many chat places

Skype

Yahoo Messenger

MSN

Google

If you can communicate clearly, you can send your ideas around the world, crossing many oceans and seas

You can make deals and make money, but if your sentences leave your associates confused, your deal can die

You can lose $6.3 million on one deal, so if you don't write in full sentences and if you can't communicate ideas clearly, then work on that, because it's very important to master #1, above

In #2, above, I have listed, 'An understanding of the law

If you don't know why the NCNDA is important or why it must be signed by the seller, you might pay $6.3 million to find out why the NCNDA deserves careful attention

All brokers are on the same team and all should work to protect the team

No conflict should arise out of the required signature of buyers and sellers, as stated in IncoTerms 2000 rules of international commerce

I try to explain all this on my web site

All you have to do is read it

If you are extremely lazy, you can still listen to it

Just download Firefox and download the Add On, which converts any web page to a PDF, then download the Add On, which converts text to speech and sit back and hear the page being read to you

You can use this on all contracts, to read the fine print

There is another program which is good

It's called ReadPlease 2003 and you can begin with the free version to try it out; I'm still trying it out and I use it every day and I've done so for years

Here, you load the text, with a copy and paste and you sit back and listen at the speed you like most; I'm up to 8, which is about 300 words per minute; I read a book per day now

If a book is 1,000 pages, it's not a problem; This thing devours contracts, like snakes, eating mice! It makes me powerful

People send me a complicated document and they are always surprised, when I send back an articulate assessment of what's written there and you can do the same!

So, Fethi is new at this and he sent me a signed NCNDA from a broker

He had to send it to her, three times, because she repeatedly told him that she did not get it

He sent her my revised form and what she signed was her own form and that form has typical problems

It requires all who sign it to use the ICC for arbitration and it has one to one damages, which I don't think is fair

The lawyers have to be paid and it's risky to sue anyone and it's very costly to fly here and there and stay in hotels, while you argue cases with attorneys

The damages should be triple, to make buyers and sellers think, not twice, but three times about circumventing a broker

Fethi knew that I don't approve of the standard form; We talked about it and he agreed that one to one damages and exclusive rights to arbitrate for us are bad ideas

Fethi had my NCNDA form and he sent it to this lady in South Africa, but she used her own form, instead and then Fethi forwarded it to me, as if I'm the boss and asked me what I think

Here is what I wrote:

I think you already know the answer, if your question is, Will this NCNDA work?

From the document:

ARBITRATION

All disputes arising out of or in connection with the present contract shall be finally settled under the rules of arbitration of the “International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)” by one or more “Arbitrators” appointed in accordance with the said rules.

Have your lady call the ICC to ask if they will arbitrate for non members..........We did this and were surprised by what they told us

The ICC does not arbitrate for non members, so you have to join the ICC first, all brokers must join; Plus, they charge an up front fee for arbitration, if they take your case

Have her ask the ICC what the up front fee is and then you will know why we can't use the ICC appointed arbitrator, as it states above

If she read this document, then she already knows that brokers can do nothing, if circumvented, except call the ICC and ask them to appoint an arbitrator and pay arbitration and membership fees

Yet, she doesn't know the cost of membership, because that is the first requirement; She doesn't know the cost of the arbitrator

When we called the ICC, we were quoted $88,000 which has to be paid, at the time of your request and the ICC told us that they take 30 days to consider the merits of a case

If you pay them $88,000 up front and your case is not strong, they could decide not to take it; What happens to your $88,000? Do they send it back with a Thank You!

Once anyone gets your money, it is unlikely that you will ever see any of it again and that's the way life is, if you ask me

For the above reasons, I have deleted the ICC from my contract, removed the requirement to use them as arbitrators and this removes the up front fee for membership and arbitration

Now I can take my signed contract to a private attorney and get legal help on contingency! That's powerful, because I have the capacity to act, when circumvented; Other brokers don't!

I tripled the damages so that I can afford to pay an attorney 40% of whatever he collects and still be left with 180% of the earned commission and brokers who work with me could still get paid

Being circumvented is routine in this business, because brokers are clueless about what's going on and they argue for the seller and refuse to get the NCNDA signed with a witnesss present

If you want to continue doing things as all other brokers do them, then you can spend 16 years in this business and not get paid for putting buyers and sellers together to make a deal

The revised document I sent you was not used, and therefore, not explained to the lady in South Africa and you must sell her on the concept of 'playing on a team' or she will not sign my form.

If she thinks that she can get my order by creating huge problems, with up front fees and the requirement that we all join the ICC, tell her that I have brokers who want her share of the commission and they might comply with my requests

She loses part of $5 /mt or some $6.3 million on the unleaded gasoline order and there is a D2 order for the same quantity, right behind the unleaded gasoline order; The buyer sent a valid ICPO

She will lose my orders and if she gets a third, each time, ask her if she would trade $2.1 million for this issue, because that's what she is doing; No cooperation, no deal from me

She insists on using the standard NCNDA form, with the requirement of ICC arbitrators and the $88,000 'up front fee', along with a 'one to one' damages clause

This form is unacceptable to me and if you understood why and if you explained it clearly to her, there should not be any dispute over the use of this poorly contrived form

All who understand will agree that we don't want arbitration, because both the ICC and the AAA (American Arbitrators Association) charge up front fees

The AAA does not have membership, so their up front fee is only $65,000

All of this is on my web page and if anyone will study it, they can avoid making mistakes which put all brokers at risk, as a result of using the standard form that is floating around

The obvious problem is that brokers don't read; They don't understand; They don't act to change anything

Some have been in this business for 16 years (Gordon, friend of Jason) and still they don't know anything useful

The most useful information for the new broker is that the NCNDA must succeed in protecting brokers

If there is an up front fee of $88,000 and brokers can't pay their phone bill and they are borrowing money to survive, how can they pay this fee?

They are completely at the mercy of the seller and buyer, because they have money and they know what brokers don't know

Buyers and sellers are swift to exploit their advantages

Every one of them will go around you; Some will do it, on the roll over, when you are supposed to be paid another $6.3 million as a group; Many of them will circumvent brokers immediately after they get the ICPO, without signing a valid NCNDA

Be wise! Be careful! Be paid!

Broker Duties

2010-02-04T01:20:00.000-08:00

ATTENTION

ALL BROKERS, FACILITATORS & INTERMEDIARIES

Please use the following outline to determine your readiness for further discussions:

Verbal Agreement on Price

Has the buyer shopped around? Yes No
Has the buyer received price quotes? Yes No
Are the buyer's price quotes realistic? Yes No
Has the buyer's best price quote been verified? Yes No
Is the buyer satisfied with the price quotes he has received? Yes No
Is the buyer ready to make the purchase? Yes No
If we beat the buyer's best price quote, will the buyer buy, today? Yes No
Did you explain to the buyer that the PB insurance will be 2%? Yes No

Review Documents

Is the buyer a broker? Yes No
Can the buyer pay? Yes No
Does the order have product specifications? Yes No
Is there a company seal? Yes No
What did you learn, from the seal?

NCNDA

Have all brokers signed the NCNDA? Yes No
Has the buyer signed the NCNDA before a notary? Yes No

IMFPA

Have the brokers agreed on commission split? Yes No
Have the brokers filled out their bank account numbers on the IMFPA form? Yes No

Which of the following do you have?: LOI or ICPO

Do you think the documents were carefully prepared? Yes No
Do the documents appear to be prepared by a real buyer or a broker? Yes No

Duties at Seller's End:

FCO or Draft Contract

Broker's Commission
Performance Bond
Product Specifications
Shipping Deadline

Final Contract