Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Well either adjust your attitude (what sponsor is going to invest in paperwork you yourself calls worthless) or find sponors who make their business stating paper is obsolete. You in the computer biz should know who to go to.

To appeal to sponsors, post details of your trip here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/

Hi Pedro,

First thing, For what purpose you are going on a road trip. What all activities you will do in this road trip and finally what will you do post road trip. Are you going to make a photo series which you will sell across africa. Are you planning to write a book out of your road trip experience. you need to think on this. Wy one would invest even a penny on your road trip. this is for your fun, why one would give money for your fun, until they will not get anything in return. I agree with carol braha's comment. why somone would be interested in the paperwork which you think is useless.

If you want to have funds coming in from advertisers, you need to make your trip a commercial syccess and need to show the output which you will deliver to the advertiser.

Nishant Manchanda
www.virtualroundtable.wordpress.com

Pedro,
I was responsible for marketing in Africa for a Fortune 500 company and spent half my time there over a three year period in the 1980s. I had the idea of privately buying African art in the 20 + countries I visited and selling it in the U.S. But the constant meetings, tight schedules, and my complete ignorance about art meant nothing came of the idea.

My suggestion is to turn your trip into a "business + fun" trip. Do the Internet research to find business contacts, either in website design, or for another venture that appeals to you. Write and E-mail your targets in Africa that you are planing to come visit them. Emphasize you will have a flexible schedule.

Be sure to contact the commercial attaches of your embassies about your trip well in advance of arrival in that country. Ask the commercial attache specific business questions to help you with. That is their job! Most may be useless, but if only one finds gold for you, the effort will have been worthwhile.

You probably won't need a suit and tie for meetings, but a nice safari suit or the equivalent could be packed.

As you hit each country, be sure to do some serious homework about its history and culture beforehand. (That includes researching its health system and the prevalance of AIDS.) Africans are like the rest of us. They appreciate someone showing an interest in our culture and knowing a little about it. To facilitate on the road research, best is if you set yourself up for mobile web connection in Africa.

As you narrow down your business focus by looking at the quality of the E-Mail answers you are getting, you can now think of targeting sponsors for the trip.

Given the power of video on websites nowadays, you will want to have a decent video camera, better than what a smart phone offers.

Look into gifts for your business hosts before departure. They will appreciate your having thought of that with an appropriate gift from your culture.

Lastly, I'm from New York City, a place where a stranger who wanders off into the wrong slum will certainly be robbed, and, if he is unlucky, raped or shot. Some of the countries on your list have areas every bit as dangerous as the wrong areas of New York City. Making business connections before you depart for Africa will be a big help to your being able to travel safely.

Regards,
JH