On the subject of starting your own business..........
Discussion
Lots of threads asking how 'we' started our businesses - I'm asking a question that requires where possible an honest answer/s.
To possibly help those who might need an idea or two, just how low did you go to start and help your business get off the ground?
Me - I had been employed for 5 years and wanted to start my business. In order to conduct two jobs at the same time, for the remaining 6 months of my employment I bought a mobile phone which matched my company mobile phone exactly so that during the day and regardless of what I was doing or what meeting I was in (sometimes with the CEO) I would was able to take calls that related to my new venture without my current employer being any the wiser.
I of course can't condone similar actions (especially as I'm now an employer
), but 13 years ago I was a lot younger and had a slightly different take on life
To possibly help those who might need an idea or two, just how low did you go to start and help your business get off the ground?
Me - I had been employed for 5 years and wanted to start my business. In order to conduct two jobs at the same time, for the remaining 6 months of my employment I bought a mobile phone which matched my company mobile phone exactly so that during the day and regardless of what I was doing or what meeting I was in (sometimes with the CEO) I would was able to take calls that related to my new venture without my current employer being any the wiser.
I of course can't condone similar actions (especially as I'm now an employer
), but 13 years ago I was a lot younger and had a slightly different take on life I was unemployed, Had been for atleast a year. Got stuck in one of those Job centre courses full of people with no ambition or drive to actually get a job that doesn't involve sitting in bed watching Jeremy Kyle all day. Decided enough was enough, Went looking for grants to setup your own company and came across an opportunity i could do with no money up front. Took on the franchise, used the sub-contracting work to get me back on my feet and now im trying to build up to a position where i can move away from the sub-contracting and dedicate 100% of my time to jobs booked directly through me. (At the moment i'm working 5 days a week on the sub-contracting work, the other 2 on direct work.)
Had no savings when i started, and wouldn't of got through it without help from friends and family though. For the first 2 months i had no income at all. For the next 4 or 5 months it was very low income, and now i've built the relationship up to the point where i can routinely be one of the areas highest earners compared to other franchisers.
Had no savings when i started, and wouldn't of got through it without help from friends and family though. For the first 2 months i had no income at all. For the next 4 or 5 months it was very low income, and now i've built the relationship up to the point where i can routinely be one of the areas highest earners compared to other franchisers.
Edited by Mr AJ on Thursday 28th January 00:08
Mr AJ said:
I was unemployed, Had been for atleast a year. Got stuck in one of those Job centre courses full of people with no ambition or drive to actually get a job that doesn't involve sitting in bed watching Jeremy Kyle all day. Decided enough was enough, Went looking for grants to setup your own company and came across an opportunity i could do with no money up front. Took on the franchise, used the sub-contracting work to get me back on my feet and now im trying to build up to a position where i can move away from the sub-contracting and dedicate 100% of my time to jobs booked directly through me. (At the moment i'm working 5 days a week on the sub-contracting work, the other 2 on direct work.)
Had no savings when i started, and wouldn't of got through it without help from friends and family though. For the first 2 months i had no income at all. For the next 4 or 5 months it was very low income, and now i've built the relationship up to the point where i can routinely be one of the areas highest earners compared to other franchisers.
Had no savings when i started, and wouldn't of got through it without help from friends and family though. For the first 2 months i had no income at all. For the next 4 or 5 months it was very low income, and now i've built the relationship up to the point where i can routinely be one of the areas highest earners compared to other franchisers.
Edited by Mr AJ on Thursday 28th January 00:08
Well done!! Just shows what hard work and determination can do.Mr AJ said:
I was unemployed, Had been for atleast a year. Got stuck in one of those Job centre courses full of people with no ambition or drive to actually get a job that doesn't involve sitting in bed watching Jeremy Kyle all day. Decided enough was enough, Went looking for grants to setup your own company and came across an opportunity i could do with no money up front. Took on the franchise, used the sub-contracting work to get me back on my feet and now im trying to build up to a position where i can move away from the sub-contracting and dedicate 100% of my time to jobs booked directly through me. (At the moment i'm working 5 days a week on the sub-contracting work, the other 2 on direct work.)
Had no savings when i started, and wouldn't of got through it without help from friends and family though. For the first 2 months i had no income at all. For the next 4 or 5 months it was very low income, and now i've built the relationship up to the point where i can routinely be one of the areas highest earners compared to other franchisers.
hi which franchise was this if you dont mind me asking? Had no savings when i started, and wouldn't of got through it without help from friends and family though. For the first 2 months i had no income at all. For the next 4 or 5 months it was very low income, and now i've built the relationship up to the point where i can routinely be one of the areas highest earners compared to other franchisers.
Edited by Mr AJ on Thursday 28th January 00:08
I have just posted this in another thread
We started up a print and copyshop 3 years ago with reconditioned copiers (by me) a very small loan from bank, and a lot of customers who we had built up a very good relationship with that came with us. It did help a bit that our last company we worked for was sold off in stages (print shop first then supplies sales) to get customers to go with who they know. Its been a real struggle sometimes but well worth it. We relied a lot on building plan printing work, so as you can guess the recession has hit us hard. It still amazes me how many people think you are "loaded" because you run your own business!
If January was anything to go by this year should be good
We started up a print and copyshop 3 years ago with reconditioned copiers (by me) a very small loan from bank, and a lot of customers who we had built up a very good relationship with that came with us. It did help a bit that our last company we worked for was sold off in stages (print shop first then supplies sales) to get customers to go with who they know. Its been a real struggle sometimes but well worth it. We relied a lot on building plan printing work, so as you can guess the recession has hit us hard. It still amazes me how many people think you are "loaded" because you run your own business!
If January was anything to go by this year should be good
How low? Pretty f
king low.
I've buggered about restoring classic cars, travelling and pro music. I got sick of the dice-rolling and wanted a bit of stability, plus, that's what you do, get a safe job, a pension and then you just wait to die.
I trained to teach and to cut a long story short, I loved it, I used to walk out of the gate at 3pm with a smile on my face, I found it pretty easy and the kids did well. I gradually got more aware of regulation, not being able to have the freedom to really teach, I began to feel like I was in a framework that was gradually constricting me.....but you ignore that st and just get on with it. Life is like that. I got a new contract and was "headhunted" (wow, I must have been really good).... it was like being caught by a spider, I was miserable, bullied by the head of department and totally alone. I stuck at it for a while, kept my head down, used to have lunch in my room, used to just get on with it, then my HOD started poking me about the kids grades. (This is always the "oooh, not good enough, now we need to help you") that's the first step of booting out a teacher. Pick them to bits and then they fall to bits. I said, "I can see where this is going, here are my figures, the kids are doing well" and handed my notice in.
I thought "there must be somewhere better" and went on the supply list, in the meantime I observed some truths I couldn't hide from myself. How the grapevine worked, how people sucked ass to succeed and the small minded idiocy that pervaded the whole thing. As the recession grew on, more and more lazy teachers pulled their fingers out and supply work dwindled. I was dragging on the bones of my arse, nothing like money being thin to take away your joy.
In the meantime, I had neglected playing the piano and surfing, 2 safety valves. Sickeningly, I sold my equipment to buy my petrol. It was sickening. I gradually ebayed my stuff and scaled back to almost hibernation.
As time went on, I got some tax cheques back with which I had focussed on spending a couple of grand on a good piano to gig, I got a good offer of gigs and recording for a very very good band, I could also fix the cars and at least have a source of pleasure.
I had no idea what to do and then it came to me. Actually have a go at a couple of my daydreams. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. If I decided not to, the alternative was sitting around waiting to be thrown an £85 supply teaching bone..... if I was fking triply lucky.
I switched on the light at the end of the tunnel myself.
It's scary, it's fking difficult to change and say "Riiiight, that is enough of that, I'm going to bust my ass to make a success out of myself". What was odd, is that since that, I've had a few other ideas that I can do as well and rather than making excuses not to, I might as well give it a burn.
People don't like change and are happy to sit in their comfort zones, when your comfort zone becomes uncomfortable you act.
I'm still on the bones of my arse pretty much, but the plans are sound, they add up but the difference is, I'm on my way. With "jobs" there always seems to be a ceiling and a spirit killing timescale (as well as assholes/regulations being the price of safety). The sky will be the limit in due course
king low. I've buggered about restoring classic cars, travelling and pro music. I got sick of the dice-rolling and wanted a bit of stability, plus, that's what you do, get a safe job, a pension and then you just wait to die.
I trained to teach and to cut a long story short, I loved it, I used to walk out of the gate at 3pm with a smile on my face, I found it pretty easy and the kids did well. I gradually got more aware of regulation, not being able to have the freedom to really teach, I began to feel like I was in a framework that was gradually constricting me.....but you ignore that s
t and just get on with it. Life is like that. I got a new contract and was "headhunted" (wow, I must have been really good).... it was like being caught by a spider, I was miserable, bullied by the head of department and totally alone. I stuck at it for a while, kept my head down, used to have lunch in my room, used to just get on with it, then my HOD started poking me about the kids grades. (This is always the "oooh, not good enough, now we need to help you") that's the first step of booting out a teacher. Pick them to bits and then they fall to bits. I said, "I can see where this is going, here are my figures, the kids are doing well" and handed my notice in. I thought "there must be somewhere better" and went on the supply list, in the meantime I observed some truths I couldn't hide from myself. How the grapevine worked, how people sucked ass to succeed and the small minded idiocy that pervaded the whole thing. As the recession grew on, more and more lazy teachers pulled their fingers out and supply work dwindled. I was dragging on the bones of my arse, nothing like money being thin to take away your joy.
In the meantime, I had neglected playing the piano and surfing, 2 safety valves. Sickeningly, I sold my equipment to buy my petrol. It was sickening. I gradually ebayed my stuff and scaled back to almost hibernation.
As time went on, I got some tax cheques back with which I had focussed on spending a couple of grand on a good piano to gig, I got a good offer of gigs and recording for a very very good band, I could also fix the cars and at least have a source of pleasure.
I had no idea what to do and then it came to me. Actually have a go at a couple of my daydreams. I had nothing to lose and everything to gain. If I decided not to, the alternative was sitting around waiting to be thrown an £85 supply teaching bone..... if I was f
king triply lucky.I switched on the light at the end of the tunnel myself.
It's scary, it's f
king difficult to change and say "Riiiight, that is enough of that, I'm going to bust my ass to make a success out of myself". What was odd, is that since that, I've had a few other ideas that I can do as well and rather than making excuses not to, I might as well give it a burn. People don't like change and are happy to sit in their comfort zones, when your comfort zone becomes uncomfortable you act.
I'm still on the bones of my arse pretty much, but the plans are sound, they add up but the difference is, I'm on my way. With "jobs" there always seems to be a ceiling and a spirit killing timescale (as well as assholes/regulations being the price of safety). The sky will be the limit in due course
Same here.Gassing Station | Business | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff