Who's earning less this year than last?

[TomB]

Originally Posted by polr

I also agree that when we do see out this patch, we're on a much stronger ground for the coming years.

I couldn't agree more

I'm the same i was full time last year with my business as well, and now I am three days a week with my business as well as contracting for Collective ID, so i technically have 3 jobs if you like I was planning to give up the three days a week fairly soon but judging by the current climate i think i might hold on to the monthly salary and build up a bit of a rainy day reserve.

On the positive though my business has been takinf off lately and I haven't actually noticed a downturn, I'm hope that it stays that way!!

[Colin In Perth]

Originally Posted by polr

I worked full time last year so def. earning less this year. I wouldn't change it for the world though, being back to this time last year is the stuff nightmares are made of! To put it another way (and trying to put it in as least a cheesy way possible) in the last 6 months I can truly say that I know money doesnt equal happiness! I also agree that when we do see out this patch, we're on a much stronger ground for the coming years.

Absolutely right Lynne. I believe in getting a balance between work and free time. Its always tempting to never say no to work when it comes along but turning in a headless chicken does nobody any good and becomes a very inefficient way of working. This may sound cheesy but 'work smart' is better than 'work too hard'. Society blames premature death on convienient scapegoats like smoking, fatty food, lack of exercise because it happens to suit society to choose those scapegoats. Im not saying those thing are not bad for people, but it is my experience that people who have spent their lives stressed out and chasing money and position suffer more with poor health and early death than those who may have one or more of the standard bad habits but have learned to pace themselves and know when they have got enough in life without the need to be greedy. Business doesn't have to be about grab grab grab.

[Idea15]

As long as the bills get paid, the roof stays over our head, we can treat ourselves every now and then and I can go shopping :-), everything else is icing on the cake.

I tell a lot of people this - I strongly believe that if I was still in some miserable desk job, being underused and openly resented, putting myself through commuting hell, and coming home stressed and frustrated every day, then I would not be a good role model as a parent.

I didn't look up to my mother; I looked down on her, because she was always on her hands and knees scrubbing something as if her life depended on it, because she was never raised to be anything more than a housewife and a doormat. When she did enter the workforce, she stayed at the bottom of the ladder, always afraid to speak up for herself and always putting up with being treated like rubbish. She died without ever having asked herself, once, "What is it that I want to be?" I owe my daughter better.

[TomB]

I agree Colin there is a balance between work and free time, but in this climate i guess we can't be too picky when it comes to saying yes or no to work, you never know when it may the last bit of work you get for a while.

But i would rather turn down work that do a poor job because i've taken on too much.

I'm quite lucky that there is two people that do work for me on a freelance basis, and i trust them both entirely with the work which takes the strain off to allow me to do other things or business admin (the bit i hate).

[Colin In Perth]

Originally Posted by TomB

I agree Colin there is a balance between work and free time, but in this climate i guess we can't be too picky when it comes to saying yes or no to work, you never know when it may the last bit of work you get for a while.

But i would rather turn down work that do a poor job because i've taken on too much.

I'm quite lucky that there is two people that do work for me on a freelance basis, and i trust them both entirely with the work which takes the strain off to allow me to do other things or business admin (the bit i hate).

I've seen poor workmanship done far too often because of the need to get the job done in a hurry. So often the customer is as much to blame by wanting it done yesterday. But in most cases it is the workman (person sorry haha) who has got themselves into the situation. Of course there are bad workman who could never do a good job anyway. I have never fallen out with a customer but have come close to it when impatience sets in. However when the job is finished and they are delighted suddenly all is forgiven and the wait worthwhile. Maybe if we all learned to let time take its course - that is us the business people and the customers we serve, there would always be enough work and more satisfied customers who keep coming back. Surely it is better to let a workman take a few days longer and do a good job than hurry him on and then complain about poor workmanship. I recently got very tired and that affected my state of mind towards my work. I took a chance and moved the jobs back down the calendar. The customers could have cancelled but for their sake and mine I did it anyway. Now we are all happy. My problem with earning less than last year is that the prices charged have had to stay the same but the cost price to do the job has gone up, so therefore less money for myself.

[abs]

Originally Posted by Idea15

Sermon most definitely welcomed and appreciated, Colin.

Abs, one thing I learned is that the summer is a bad time for business services - no one's thinking of sorting their office in the middle of July. Don't lose heart - business WILL pick up.

Thanks for the moral support, I appreciate the positive tone. I, like you, am sure that it will improve and and least it's giving me the opportunity to do things that I never had time to do before!

Theresia

[abs]

Originally Posted by TomB

I agree Colin there is a balance between work and free time, but in this climate i guess we can't be too picky when it comes to saying yes or no to work, you never know when it may the last bit of work you get for a while.

But i would rather turn down work that do a poor job because i've taken on too much.

I'm quite lucky that there is two people that do work for me on a freelance basis, and i trust them both entirely with the work which takes the strain off to allow me to do other things or business admin (the bit i hate).

Tom, if you hate the admin side, why don't you outsource to a good Virtual Assistant?

Theresia

[Idea15]

Trust me, your best time will be the first two weeks of January - after everyone gets back to work fresh with New Year's resolutions, you will be booked solid! Just remember to advertise and network your little heart out in November and December. :-)

[Dizzydiza]

Well my business is just a little hobby business but since the start of June I have been extremely quiet. I was busy from the start of January until then, which was really good. But going on previous years, my business is not usually this quiet until October. My niece was watching a breakfast programme about the credit crunch and she tells me that they were discussing the effects of it. One being house prices and mortgages but now it seems the next thing that people are cutting back on are their weddings. Girls are prepared to buy dresses second hand and borrow things like veils, tiaras and jewellery

[Colin In Perth]

I had more Soil Testing work in the Autumn and through to end of January, which is a period that can be regarded as out of season or at least off peek, than I had from February through to May, which can be regarded as peek time. Garden work locally has been consistent this year but there are no big spenders. The emphasis is always on how cheap can the job be done, with a string of compromises. This has to be down to high fuel prices both for travel and heating. I think rising food prices will not have had much effect. There are always cheaper options with food such as frozen food instead of fresh. In my area there is no problem with the housing market which remains stable or a problem with employment. Perhaps uncertainty and a touch of paranoia is more to blame. A previously stable and competent UK government for the past 11 years now seems to be way off track and this can't be helping matters. The future is so uncertain how can people plan ahead. It is a serious situation that over 1/3 of the adult UK population has less than