RE: owning your own business

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SerendipityWM -> RE: owning your own business (7/9/2011 3:30:30 PM)
I've never seen the attraction of owning your own business. Whilst, being the person who has the greatest effect on your company, you can more actively effect your success and finances and all that nonsense, I can imagine there'd be little to distinguish between being at work and not - you don't have set hours and there's no one sending you home at the end of the day because your shift has finished.

AneNoz -> RE: owning your own business (7/9/2011 4:12:30 PM)
And at what age is your retirement planned? Be at peace Aneka

peppermint -> RE: owning your own business (7/9/2011 5:06:56 PM)
My son owns his own business. He hasn't had a vacation in 3 years while his brothers who work for others take 2 or 3 a year. Working 7 days a week is not unheard of. If he told his customers to not bother him because he was sleeping, those customers would take their business to someone who is awake and willing to work.

Aynne88 -> RE: owning your own business (7/9/2011 5:46:00 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: peppermint My son owns his own business. He hasn't had a vacation in 3 years while his brothers who work for others take 2 or 3 a year. Working 7 days a week is not unheard of. If he told his customers to not bother him because he was sleeping, those customers would take their business to someone who is awake and willing to work. Yep. This.

Icarys -> RE: owning your own business (7/9/2011 6:09:54 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: AneNoz And at what age is your retirement planned? Be at peace Aneka Mine will be in the next year and I'm 43 now. Not your "traditional" retirement but a marked difference to my life now. Working 12 to 16 hours a day.. 12 being the norm... it's gonna all be worth it. Since my business is that of working with other businesses helping them with ideas that make them money I hear first hand the ideas people have about running a business and get asked a lot for my own ideas. I'd say a majority of new business owners are at least pointing in the right direction.. they are eager go'getters with seemingly good work ethics.. Every once in awhile I'll get someone that's just getting started and believes they have a pass to a permanent vacation now. One lady came in awhile back and bought a good bit of signs.. one of them was the store hours and it read: Monday - Friday 8am till 1pm Saturday Appointment Only[:D] When I asked her what was with the hours, she said I'm used to working part time.. She also told me that she was taking one of her yearly vacations 6 weeks after her grand opening.. When I told her I hadn't had a vacation in 10 years she gasped and said I have to take my vacations.[:D] Must be nice!

susie -> RE: owning your own business (7/9/2011 7:25:27 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Aynne88 quote: ORIGINAL: peppermint My son owns his own business. He hasn't had a vacation in 3 years while his brothers who work for others take 2 or 3 a year. Working 7 days a week is not unheard of. If he told his customers to not bother him because he was sleeping, those customers would take their business to someone who is awake and willing to work. Yep. This. Agreed. Longer hours, no holidays and phone calls at any time of the day 7 days a week. On top of that is all the paperwork and record keeping associated with running your own company. Not an easy life by any means.

Termyn8or -> RE: owning your own business (7/9/2011 11:51:47 PM)
"When I asked her what was with the hours, she said I'm used to working part time.. She also told me that she was taking one of her yearly vacations 6 weeks after her grand opening.. When I told her I hadn't had a vacation in 10 years she gasped and said I have to take my vacations" Methinkst that will be a short lived account. T^T

SternSkipper -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 12:58:53 AM)
quote: Not to pick a bone, but I'd really say that makes you self employed, rather than saying you own a business. Your thinking of Male Prostitution as in your case... And you've got your goddamned nerve listing it under 'charitable organizations' in the phonebook!

4u2spoil -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 12:59:26 AM)
Though I definitely don't think owning your own business is any easier than working for someone else - and absolutely nowhere near as predictable, the one thing that I wouldn't trade unless I were in dire straits is truly working for yourself. It doesn't mean you get to ignore everyone else, but if you have a truly bad client, you can fire them (try that at a 9 to 5), if you want to try something new you don't go through 10 levels of bureaucracy to get it approved, if it doesn't work out you don't have to worry that you'll get fired for trying something new, and you're (hopefully) more likely to be doing something you truly love, so the long hours feel that much more rewarding. There's a lot of risk, but the potential reward makes it worth it. The rewards usually don't involve sitting on a yacht for 4 weeks while being fed grapes, but there are perks.

SternSkipper -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 1:01:35 AM)
quote: Mine will be in the next year and I'm 43 now. Not your "traditional" retirement but a marked difference to my life now. He's planning to strap on the vest and go down to WalMart and yell Gihad!

DavidLee44UK -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 1:22:32 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: susie quote: ORIGINAL: Aynne88 quote: ORIGINAL: peppermint My son owns his own business. He hasn't had a vacation in 3 years while his brothers who work for others take 2 or 3 a year. Working 7 days a week is not unheard of. If he told his customers to not bother him because he was sleeping, those customers would take their business to someone who is awake and willing to work. Yep. This. Agreed. Longer hours, no holidays and phone calls at any time of the day 7 days a week. On top of that is all the paperwork and record keeping associated with running your own company. Not an easy life by any means. answer phone takes whatever calls i have taken 5 holidays this year work 5 hours a day some businesses are different the net is on 24 hrs a day 365 days a year i can get someone who purchases my ebook at midnight while im asleep then contacts me during day leverage is the one thing that any business needs to use i had a prob with a prod i ordered on tescoes online , week later no answer discovered tescoes had a fan page wrote on there wall min later someone wrote back saying id get a call in 3 min the bloke called new my order num what id ordered said hed send out a replacement which i got next day

susie -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 1:45:40 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: DavidLee44UK quote: ORIGINAL: susie Agreed. Longer hours, no holidays and phone calls at any time of the day 7 days a week. On top of that is all the paperwork and record keeping associated with running your own company. Not an easy life by any means. answer phone takes whatever calls i have taken 5 holidays this year work 5 hours a day some businesses are different the net is on 24 hrs a day 365 days a year i can get someone who purchases my ebook at midnight while im asleep then contacts me during day leverage is the one thing that any business needs to use i had a prob with a prod i ordered on tescoes online , week later no answer discovered tescoes had a fan page wrote on there wall min later someone wrote back saying id get a call in 3 min the bloke called new my order num what id ordered said hed send out a replacement which i got next day What works for some internet based self employment does not work for those running a physical business. If we were to let an answer machine take our calls we would lose business. You cannot manage staff if you lie in bed until midday. We have potential customers turning up at our premises on spec. If we are not there to discuss their requirements they will take their business elsewhere. So do not assume that what you do is the same as running a business with physical premises and employees.

DavidLee44UK -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 2:12:25 AM)
susie i agree but as ive pointed out anyone can use leverage of the net my local dentist for example he owns page 1 google for the kewords i researched for him he has a membership site which he runs as of last month he had 12,500 members each paying 19 pound a month thats ongoing every month he still does his local practise its even blossomed because membershipsite google panda (latest updates by google) has made it a slightly different ball game and if i phoned a business up and needed there expertise and i got an answer phone and they got back to me 2 days later id prefer that to a businesses that answered the phone as id then think if there not to busy to answer phone how good are they not to be fully booked yes sometimes i work 10-12 hours a day because thats my choice

susie -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 2:30:44 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: DavidLee44UK susie i agree but as ive pointed out anyone can use leverage of the net my local dentist for example he owns page 1 google for the kewords i researched for him he has a membership site which he runs as of last month he had 12,500 members each paying 19 pound a month thats ongoing every month he still does his local practise its even blossomed because membershipsite google panda (latest updates by google) has made it a slightly different ball game and if i phoned a business up and needed there expertise and i got an answer phone and they got back to me 2 days later id prefer that to a businesses that answered the phone as id then think if there not to busy to answer phone how good are they not to be fully booked yes sometimes i work 10-12 hours a day because thats my choice So you are saying that if your car developed a problem and you were stuck somewhere you would prefer the company you phoned to get back to you in a couple of days rather that straight away?

Aneirin -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 2:33:24 AM)
I am on the very edge of starting my own business and that I look forward to because I know it will consume most of my time as I wish to be successful and this sleeping as long as one wants and going into work when one wants, is believe me, much overrated and precursor to losing interest, as laziness take it's hold. I have been in such a situation of sleep wealthiness for these past four years and from it I know which I would prefer and have so opted for sleep poverty by way of increased productivity, you only live once. Anyhow, if need be, I can grab a few zeds at work and still be ready to receive custom and as it is, myself being at my future work venue these past few weeks getting the place ready for my operation, the bussiness I rent the space from, the owner is getting very lazy, but I wish to see that business succeed as my tenue depends on it, so whilst my landlord is not at his post, I have been taking work in for him to do. Something he will have to get used to, or else turn up at work if it is he wishes through lack of interest to turn away cash paying jobs. My aim is to enhance the existing business through modern methods the landlord has no knowledge of, get his name and skill out there into the artistic realm where he can at last get the money that his skill with others more savvy receives. What I get out of this besides the satisfaction of helping a family with kids on the bread line, is the fact that a successful venue also provides attraction to my venture, which actually complements his for I am a jewellery maker specialising in non ferrous metals and the Blacksmith specialises in ferrous work of the heavier variety. So in terms of metal, we can as a combined venue cover every base and that completely on the premises. We are also both tool repairers of anything that comes our way, and with myself, maybe, possibly I will use my past experience and open up a small country based specialist tool hire business on the premises to include mini diggers and other small machines, the finance for such an operation coming from a cousin who wishes to be a silent financial partner in, besides running his own successful business as a traditional wooden boat builder and artist carpenter. The key to it all, is keep well away from banks and other financial parasites, only expand when we can afford to and even that carefully thought out.

susie -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 3:05:31 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Aneirin The key to it all, is keep well away from banks and other financial parasites, only expand when we can afford to and even that carefully thought out. Finance is one of the key areas when starting a business. It is all too easy to run before you can walk. As you said expand only when you know the time is right. I have ust seen a local business with a very large internet base go into adminstration. Their issues were all down to taking credit from suppliers without properly taking into account the pay back issues. He has closed owning money to many suppliers that he happily took products from on credit and could not pay. When we started our business we made sure that we did not set up credit accounts with any company. It has caused us huge headaches and sleepless nights on occassions when we have 2 or 3 large jobs in at the same time all needing parts. Thankfully we are now in a position where cashflow is not so much of an issue.

Aneirin -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 3:36:38 AM)
As it is my venture uses recovered scrap material, which I am it seems good at finding in the enviroment, some people are so wasteful, the things they dump. In the past with similar ideas, as a personal sideline I bought and recovered from dumpsters broken two stroke industrial machines, rebuilt them and sold them and from the proceeds managed to pay for two weddings. So I know there is brass where there is muck, other peoples waste I find interest and profit in.

Phoenixpower -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 5:33:04 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: susie quote: ORIGINAL: Aynne88 quote: ORIGINAL: peppermint My son owns his own business. He hasn't had a vacation in 3 years while his brothers who work for others take 2 or 3 a year. Working 7 days a week is not unheard of. If he told his customers to not bother him because he was sleeping, those customers would take their business to someone who is awake and willing to work. Yep. This. Agreed. Longer hours, no holidays and phone calls at any time of the day 7 days a week. On top of that is all the paperwork and record keeping associated with running your own company. Not an easy life by any means. What these lovely ladies said [:)] During my childhood my brother and I spent most weekends at my dads workplace (he didn't own it but he took his manager position very serious)...and whilst we had great holidays, I don't buy easily any fairytales about oh how so easy it is and how cosy it makes life... as quite frankly, the folks who are very successful indeed and are able to live a great life that way also have a massive amount of responsibility. My ex owned two companies before he started another career next to it (since then he sold one and does another career he enjoys to do) and gosh did he behave even worse than my dad....we had countless moments where meetings had to be cancelled as now this and that came in between, in his IT business he has. Quite frankly he knows if you wait for long to respond or to act, your customers will move on and so quite frankly, if e. g. a huge server breaks down he has to sort it out no matter what his plan was for that day and no matter how much time it took for me to visit him... His business always has to go first as he isnt just responsible for himself and his customers but also for the employees he has. If I go out with him for a meal...I know his phone is with him and always in his sight...and yes, meals get regular disrupted to answer calls (only a few ones he lets ring and doesn't answer but most of the time it is important and gets his immediate attention.) Now, he goes on holidays about 3 times a year, but with him working most of the time 7 days a week he also needs it, to stay alive. So say what you want but I am not buying your "oh so easy/great blablabla".... cause starting something might be easy...but maintaining it and growing bigger is quite something different....and having read your previous attitude on the boards I am simply not buying it. But good luck however true or not it is [:)]

Phoenixpower -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 5:49:04 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: susie quote: ORIGINAL: DavidLee44UK and if i phoned a business up and needed there expertise and i got an answer phone and they got back to me 2 days later id prefer that to a businesses that answered the phone as id then think if there not to busy to answer phone how good are they not to be fully booked yes sometimes i work 10-12 hours a day because thats my choice So you are saying that if your car developed a problem and you were stuck somewhere you would prefer the company you phoned to get back to you in a couple of days rather that straight away? This really makes me laugh....thanks for that one...quite frankly, if a company is able to answer soon to you, then it also shows they have enough staff to handle the workload they are dealing with....and got the fact that customerservice DOES matter...like my ex, he does not let his customers wait and if he can't answer at all for whatever reason he makes damn sure he puts another employee in charge to do so.... Quite frankly, a company letting me wait will lose business, but then again...I know that it is more common in the UK to just wait...forever....considering the matron from a nursing home was amused when I called back a company who failed to get back to us with their available appointment to fix a disability aid for a client in there... In that respect I was patient with them and gave them almost 2 weeks to get back to us, as I do know that our cultures are very different in that matter...nevertheless the matron considered that to be being sooooooo pushy and so impatient snort Quite frankly, if they can't be arsed to call back to let us know when they come I am in their back and hated it to give them more time than I would have done back home... though on another note, calling them back was quite fun for me as the person on the phone came up with the lame comment "it usually takes about 3 weeks for an appointment to be available "...thinking that this way she could justify their delay...but I just replied "great...with 2 weeks now being over tomorrow the person will come then next week, right?" following which she told me they woulf call me back and then also did so 5 minutes later with giving us an appointment. So quite frankly, unneccessary waiting ain't going down well with me, when its unneccessary....

DavidLee44UK -> RE: owning your own business (7/10/2011 6:06:56 AM)
lol phoenix u do it your way and ill do it mine its worked for me and if we all thought the same life be boring

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