Monday, May 5, 2014

Bundu Trek Ltd.

Over the years people have asked me for a business card with my name and phone number so that they can contact me later.  I've handed out my employer's business card, scratched out my office phone number and written in my personal phone number, but it is a clumsy process and sometimes I don't have a pen handy to undertake the needed alterations to the card.

I have always thought that having a business that guided tours for hiking or Jeeping would be fun - not something to make a living off of, but legitimate enough to maybe get some people to pay for the privilege of being with me in the semi-wilds.  Like a lot of day dreams, this has never gotten beyond the 'wouldn't it be fun to...' stage.

Recently I merged the two things - a personal business card and a company; even though the company is, right now at least, still a day dream.  My business card has my company name Bundu Trek Ltd and my title "gentleman adventurer".  I thought the gentleman adventurer was a nice touch.  It even has an email which I never remember to check.  I was going to call the company 'Bundu Safaris' but a chap in South Africa beat me to the name.  'Bundu' by the way is from the Bantu language and means  a largely uninhabited wild region far from towns.   That describes the kind of place that I like to go.  Along with the business cards I got address labels and a T shirt with my company name on it.  What fun!

So, what is needed first for a start up business?  A business plan?  Capital?  A market survey?  Nah, what is needed is a Logo!  Yeah, that's the ticket!

So, unveiled here, for the very first time, is the logo of Bundu Trek Ltd., on my very own Jeep spare tire cover:



The significance of the Cape Buffalo is from our (the Missus and I) trip to Kruger Park in South Africa in the mid 80s.  The cape buffalo herds were thick on the ground.  We were told that they are cunning animals and would stalk a big game hunter as he thought he was stalking them.  The lodge that we stayed in while in Kruger had a cape buffalo on the car stickers that they handed out.  Alas my sticker went with my old Samurai 4x4 when it got sold off with a busted rear differential.  I've had an admiration for the cape buffalo; he doesn't go looking for a fight but he will positively destroy anything that messes with him or the herd.

Snazzy eh?  Older son gave me a GI tire cover from his Humvee when he was chasing bad guys in the middle east but after 6 years exposure to wind, sun, and dust it started to rapidly rip and disintegrate.   That tire cover has been retired to a display in the garage where it can rest in honor.  Hopefully the new tire cover will last at least as long as the previous one.

So, maybe sometime in future after I've had fun with the logo and maybe get some T shirts made up to give to friends and family I'll actually start booking some tours.  I'll let you know when it is time to book your trip!

2 comments:

  1. How cool! I had no idea this was an aspiration of yours. I think I should take a test tour with you. And I definitely want a shirt :)

    PS. Sorry about the Suzuki!

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  2. Can I get the family discount? Sign me up!

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