Trading in Null Sec

After two years in Eve Online, and after much inspiration from Sugar Kyle's most excellent blog Low Sec Lifestyle and her ventures in creating a low sec trading venture, i have decided to try and set up a trading venture in Null Sec.

My business in High Sec is doing fine, making me 217bn ISK to date.  I hear that Null Sec is the place to be though i really have no idea about what is best . . . . . 



Research into travelling around in null sec

That, of course, meant going into null sec.  For the first time.  I had once ventured into low sec but never null sec.  Never seen a bubble.  Never had local open as a default.  Never felt the need to cloak.

One of the best pieces of research i found was on the forums, written by a player called Gummy Worm, titled Null Security Space Guide to Running Sites.  Seems to cover everything (at least everything i can think of):



Chosen ship and fitting to travel in null sec

I went for a Helios to travel around in null sec.

At gates, when i land, i do the warp and insta-cloak.

[Helios]
Inertial Stabilizers II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II
Nanofiber Internal Structure II

5MN Microwarpdrive II
Scan Acquisition Array I
Scan Pinpointing Array I
Scan Rangefinding Array I
Scan Rangefinding Array I

Covert Ops Cloaking Device II
Expanded Probe Launcher I

Small Gravity Capacitor Upgrade I
Small Gravity Capacitor Upgrade I


. . . . . not even sure why i have the scanning / Probe items to be honest.  If i could think if anything to replace them with that makes my survivability in null sec improve then i would go for it.



. . . . . . .  died a number of times

i believe the expression is podded.

Three times so far, all can be seen on zKillboard.  First one undocking in Scalding Pass, putting on the mwd to get distance and getting blasted by a battle ship.

Second time was in a bubble when coming through a gate.  A bit of bad luck, landed right next to a waiting ship so could not re-cloak in time.

Third time was not cloaking quick enough when warping after a jump - actually, this one i doubt i could survive if i did it again.  I thought i cloaked as quick as i could after starting the warp sequence.

Not annoyed about losing the ship and fittings, it is the implants that is annoying.  80m or so ISK to replace them all.

So far, lost about 360m in ships / fittings / implants.



Chosen Region

Firstly, i decided to go for only NPC stations - last thing i want is to be locked out of my items.

Secondly, i could have gone for a NPC station in a player owned region but instead i went for a NPC region (i don't know if that is a good idea, i will see).

That all said, for now i have gone for Venal.
I travelled all the way up to the ORE region and all the way as far south as Scalding Pass and Catch regions.

It is amazing how empty null sec can be.  Quite often, when i was wondering around, i would be the only person in the system.  Other times, the bubbles on gates were off the dials.



Hauling items to sell

Third party haulers, for sure.  Not a chance i am hauling my own items for now.

Costs me about 250m ISK to contract my items from Jita to my chosen station.  So far i am using New Evolution Express.

One of my characters is learning Jump Drive but has a way to go before fully able to use it for the best.



Chosen items to sell

I am starting with T2 fittings - no idea if this is a good idea, or how it will go.  I have posted 11.4bn of items for sale.  If it does not go to plan i will initially seek to find another region to sell in rather than change what i am selling.

It will cost me about 300m ISK every time i seek to move my items.



In Summary

I honestly have no idea if this will work and i very much suspect that i will be moving my goods from one null sec region to another until i find one that works.