BuBu Business Directory: May 2017

Saturday, May 27, 2017

GOAL ZERO NOMAD 7 PLUS

Goal Zero, the leader in portable solar panel technology, has revamped their popular solar panel model. The new Nomad 7 Plus (available on Outdoor Prolink late May 2016) has been ruggedized, slimed down and equipped with new energy regulation technology resulting in a superior product.
The GOAL ZERO NOMAD 7 PLUS is the smallest panel of the Goal Zero line-up. I tested the original version of the Nomad 7 on a climbing expedition last spring and loved it, which has only made me more excited to see the new Nomad 7 Plus perform.

Recently I took the Nomad 7 Plus to South Platte when a spring storm rolled in and trapped our vehicles, and the Nomad was invaluable while charging phones to organize a pick up. The Nomad then traveled to the desert with me to guide a canyoneering course in the North Wash area of Utah. The Nomad gave me confidence that my devices, especially the important ones, wouldn’t die on me.

The new Nomad has a simplistic and durable design with few bells and whistles. The magnets closing the panel seem powerful enough to withstand the abuse of backcountry travel. There is a detachable magnetic kickstand with a zipper pocket to shade batteries and other devices.

The detachable kickstand allows for a less bulky and lighter setup, which is nice if you are concerned with weight. The Nomad 7 Plus is 4 oz. lighter than the Nomad 7, and has one USB port making it the most user-friendly panel I have used. The new matte finish on the Nomad 7 Plus has a more rugged and durable feel.

At each corner and in the centerfold of the panel there are several holes for attachment points making it easy to rig towards the sun even without the kickstand. The 7 Plus is advertised as weather resistant. Goal Zero does not recommend charging while the junction box is wet, so keeping this piece of equipment dry is important.

The junction box has a new unique feature: the solar intensity indicator. The simplistic solar intensity indicator uses four LED lights to indicate the amount of solar energy the panel can transfer. For charging a smartphone you want at least three to four lights. Four lights is the maximum producing up to 5+ watts. I have found with full power I can charge my phone or an equivalent battery like Goal Zero’s Lighthouse Mini Lantern in roughly 4 hours, as Goal Zero advertises. A new feature on the 7 Plus is the auto restart which tracks power flow history. The jist of the auto restart is to keep your equipment charging in an efficient fashion.

During my travels with the Nomad two of the powerful magnets came un-glued from the panel itself. Yet, the panel still works great and the kickstand still works with just two magnets. I don’t think I abused the panel too harshly, so maybe a little more glue from Goal Zero would do the trick here. This was the only issue I saw with the Nomad 7 Plus.

After using the Nomad 7 Plus I am impressed with its overall performance. The panel charges quickly, and its simple, user-friendly design makes it great for any person who wants portable power!

Need a Business Idea? Here are 5

BICYCLE REPAIRt - In many parts of the country, this business tends to be seasonal, but you can find ways around that. Rent a storage unit and offer to store people's bicycles over the winter after you do a tune-up and any needed repairs on them. If you want to cater to the Lance Armstrong wannabes, you can have business all year round. These road race riders are training through snow, sleet and dark of night. Some of them work on their own bicycles, but many of them don't, so you can get their business all year. And if you keep Saturday shop hours, you can be sure you will have a group of enthusiasts coming by to talk all things cycling.
BOAT CLEANING - Boats that are hauled out of the water for the winter or even just for mid-season repairs will need the hull cleaned. And depending on the type of boat, it is a good time to give a major cleaning everything else too--the decks, the sleeping quarters, the head, and the holds. Start by approaching homes that have a boat sitting in the yard. Or you could market your services to the marina to contract you to do the boat cleaning it offers to customers.
BUSINESS PLAN SERVICE - Offer a soup-to-nuts business plan, including market research, the business plan narrative and the financial statements. Plan your fee around the main one that the client will want and offer the others as add-on services. You can give clients an electronic file and allow them to take it from there, or you can keep the business plan on file and offer the service of tweaking it whenever necessary. Have business plan samples to show clients--and make sure to include your own!
CHIMNEY SWEEP - Learning to be a chimney sweep may mean nothing more than apprenticing with someone already in the business. By becoming a chimney expert, you can combine a chimney sweep business with a chimney inspection service--covering more than just whether or not the chimney needs cleaning but whether the chimney is in good working order or in need of repair.
CLEANING SERVICE - There are many directions you can take this business. If you want to work during hours when no one else does, you can focus on office clients. You can focus on retail businesses and keep your customers clumped into one or two blocks. Restaurants are in great need of daily thorough cleaning and can be a great source of steady clients. Perhaps you would be more interested in house cleaning. Many times with cleaning services you don't have to spend lots of money on advertising or marketing because your customers will come by word of mouth.