Vinnie's World - Nicaragua Beach Properties and China Business Opportunities
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Expand your horizons, follow your dreams. It's still a big world, "Our's" is about closing the gap and creating options... It's about presenting information, exchanging ideas, and working together to take advantage of opportunities. Emerging Markets... for Emerging Lifestyles.

Columbia educated site creator and entrepreneur, Vinnie Apicella, offers viewers a unique blend of global perspective, building on diverse relationships and experiences to bring together the world of journalism, the Internet, entertainment, overseas travel, and business in the development of his flagship website, Vinnie's World. Its content is meant to enrich and inform as well as provide compelling investment solutions that are often many steps ahead of the mainstream. Pack your bags...let's go.

View our Press Release archive:
Discover China | Paradise on the Pacific | Vinnie's World

Interview with Vinnie Apicella:

First off, what is "Vinnie's World?"

Great question. It took me quite a while to figure it out. On the one hand, it's about showcasing my skills and experience as a writer and editor, as evidenced by the archive of articles, plus the website itself; on the other, it's a focus on many years of traveling overseas researching various markets, finding potentially rewarding investments, and conceiving of ways to allow others to benefit from my experience. So the "World" aspect is very much a product of my own environment based on what I've learned over the years.

But it's also about community, bred from the many overseas connections I've made and yielding the opportunity to collaborate with many insightful business owners and individuals. All of this combined sets the framework of "Vinnie's World," where our goal is to present information, provide services and create options for others interested in exploring the opportunities we uncover.

Your approach is unique, combining several sets of expertise. Is the goal to gain leverage over one-dimensional emerging market consultants?

I think in a way it is. And yet it wasn't necessarily by design. I've been fortunate to wear a number of different hats during my working life, allowing me the opportunity to expand into such areas as public relations and property sales. My experience as a writer, first through employment at Forbes Magazine, then later as a graduate of the Columbia University writing program, has allowed me to present myself well, not only on paper, but in person. And regardless of whatever it is you're trying to promote, whether it's a 100-page research report or a $100,000 parcel of land, it's all about the presentation.

So the written articles all serve their purpose in the grand scheme of things, and people will take from them what they will. We can write you a proposal or sell you property. There's plenty of terrific research out there and I've seen some excellent resources. But I've also seen a fair share of junk. We focus on emerging markets for both individuals and businesses seeking a means of entry, but we don't and won't overextend ourselves into areas that we haven't personally explored and established as a potentially solid investment. My team and I can truly bring a global perspective about the markets we cover.

What are investors going to find with Vinnie's World that they won't find anywhere else, if anything?

Investment properties for sale in Nicaragua, for starters. It's a country that's still under the radar where most international real estate companies are concerned, even those that focus on emerging markets. The closest they come is Costa Rica, and I can't say with certainty Costa Rica is still a good investment. Ten years ago, yes. Now... Nicaragua is the next Costa Rica! It was the catalyst that basically laid the groundwork for us to discover and research emerging market locations overall. And developmental property in China...

But the key is first hand knowledge. Either through our own personal investments or on-the-ground sources that actually live in the locations we cover and can speak from experience, we can say we've "been there and done that" because we really have, and will continue to do so. We won't approach the numbers that others can feature right now, but we're probably dug in deeper than some others.

What markets interest you the most right now and why?

Nicaragua is at the top of the list. We've been established there for a number of years already and witnessed some tremendous change for the better. But still in all, there are few, if any places left in the world where investment property can be had for such discounted prices. Granted, Nicaragua's a location that's "emerging" slower than most, but that's why the opportunity continues to exist as long as it has. And the smart investors who arrive early and can realize the potential there have a great opportunity for success.

China is another, albeit a market that's moving much quicker. There are still so many untapped opportunities there outside of the major cities that offer tremendous growth potential. It's still a buyers market and this is particularly true for businesses. We're actively pursuing locations in Eastern Europe, such as Bulgaria, and then South Asia, where the spillover effect from China's emergence should benefit a number of neighboring countries.

What is the biggest mistake an investor in emerging markets can make?

Well like any investment they must be careful to do their homework and understand what they're buying into. Unlike established markets, emerging markets are a much riskier proposition for a variety of reasons. There's a reason why an area may be more attractively priced than another, and understanding what the reasons are and then analyzing the market's ability to "emerge" in the future is really where it begins. It's about educating oneself, and again, this applies to any investment. Of course that's an area where we can offer assistance, identifying and analyzing the prospects for a particular market's potential. It's also the smart investor that prepares for the long-term and allocates only a portion of their investment capital into an emerging market, understanding that inherent risks apply.

You are hands-on with your site. That suggests to me that you are keenly interested in the minute-to-minute workings of your service. Does that prove challenging?

The site's actually been two years in the making, from the first sketches on paper to the completed product...and it's still very much a work in progress. So yes, I definitely am very hands-on and will continue to be. So as a business owner and webmaster, I feel confident in my ability to offer this conglomeration of services, from content and design to overseas business entry; but as its progressed, it's become very much a team effort.

While I'm still responsible for the day-to-day operation of the site and the content presented, I have many valuable resources and international contributors that will continue to move us forward to provide the kind of content and present opportunities that our audience will benefit from.

Where do you see Vinnie's World going in the two years? And beyond?

My first goal is modest, and that's just that we're still functioning and can maintain a level of relevance in the global marketplace. People have the ability to travel more and more today and many are realizing that investment opportunities do exist offshore that do not or no longer exist here in the States. So what that means is we'll be seeing growing coverage on overseas markets—more travel agents, more investment brokers, realtors, etc., and with the increasing competition, we have to continue to work diligently to maintain a level of quality that permits us to stay in the race. At the same time, we have to be careful to focus on our strengths and not spread ourselves too thin.

Toward the future, visitors to our site can expect to see expanded locations for emerging markets coverage, additional property listings, an increased focus on overseas business and international trade, and more value added content that will enhance their experience.

Finally, what's the best way to contact you?

Email is the most reliable way. We can be reached at info@vinniesworld.com. Our email contacts are located all throughout the site. We've also got online forms that visitors can submit to us about any of the editorial services we provide or specific property listings... anything really. At some point, we'll create an (800) number for visitors to reach us as we continue to expand our reach.

We've also got a discussion forum and blog available to increase the level of communication between visitors and ourselves. We strive to make Vinnie's World an enriching experience for everyone and to that end, we'll always make ourselves available to anyone that seeks our assistance.

View Vinnie Apicella's profile on LinkedIn

—Brian Coles, Owner
Thunderground Media

Our Services

International Property Sales: For developers, we'll help you promote and sell your project. For investors, we align ourselves with worthwhile overseas projects designed to deliver superior value and growth potential. Visit our Properties section, learn more about our key locations, find an offering that interests you, then contact us for more details and special discounts. We'll consult with you and make sure you have everything you need to make an informed and potentially rewarding investment.

Global Business: We can bring international buyers and sellers together within our key locations. Whether it involves wholesale and retail exchanges or promoting large developmental projects, we know where these opportunities exist and how to navigate through sometimes difficult terrain to make the best deal and ensure a seamless market transition. From the initial planning process, we can help establish or expand your business in your chosen industry. Additionally, we can create a strategic plan for international trade, and serve as sourcing consultant. Global Business

Partnerships

At Vinnie's World we are always interested in developing new relationships with quality businesses by way of reciprocal linking, banner exchanges and any qualified means to increase the value for our visitors. Please contact us to discuss how we might cooperate on future business initiatives.

Contact Us

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For questions about our services or to schedule an appointment with one of our representatives, please email us at: info@vinniesworld.com. You may also use our convenient Contact Us form.