She May Have To Go

samuri-240 said:
Thank you for the comments & concern, yes it is down to the shite times we are having, the job I am stuck in at the moment pays little more than minimum wage, its not just that the main problem is the hassle & stress that goes with it, need to get away from this, the plan is to start over, set up my own business. Doing everything I can to avoid the sale of the z but if it comes to it she will have to go as a whole car or in bits, will know more in about 6 weeks time. Thanks guys :thumbs:.
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Any help i can give you setting up your business give me a shout.

Here to help out a mate.
 
I am sorry to hear about your situation I hope that all turns out well. I have been there and done it. Still struggling on a daily basis not knowing where the next sale is coming from.
Have a little faith I have found over the years that one door closes and another opens.. Sometimes you have to barge your way in through the door to get where you want to be.
I am sure even if we are offering just passive support. It is nice that you have a forum that you can get your emotions 'out' and at least be able to talk to others.

Best of Luck
 
SeanDezart said:
Right then deal with facts - have you had the car recently valued by Moggy ? The, place a few adverts asking for offers - see what the market thinks it's worth which may tip the balance into keeping or selling - no point selling just to scrape a miserly £10,000 together - that isn't going to make or break a business, that's just going to be the point where you throw good money after bad ! Get a proper loan and take serious advice from a good accountant beforehand.

Then there's the emotional side.........

Or move to France - what do you do, what can you do ?
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Cheers Sean, the thing is I do not like dept of any kind never have done, yes the emotional side is what hurts, its only a car at the end of the day isn't it ? NO its a Z :D. Your right I know I would always regret it if I sold this one & 10k is peanuts these days. The business we are looking at is interiors, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms etc the whole service start to finish, to a very high standard, my partner is top of the league in this game. It is truely amazing how generous & caring Z owners are, the offers of help & support has touched me deeply, a big thank you to everyone. Just been offered to have the van signed up foc also cheers Dave.
 
Rob Gaskin said:
Just to add my thoughts - for what they are worth!

Running your own business in this day and age may be more stressful that your current job. Better to learn to deal with the aggro you have without getting stressed - very easy to say of course - stress is not good.

Working on a project and having an interest is a good way of dealing with stress - if you get rid of the Datsun you may suffer more, I'm being serious here!

Like Sean said you may not be able to 'realise' the amount of money you think from selling your pride and joy and then how would that affect you mentally.

Also don't rush into anything, situations can change. Look at Moggy he tried to sell his lovely 240 - I'm bet he's glad he didn't.
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Very wise words indeed Rob, this venture has been on my mind for 2 years now so it has to happen, the only things I do not want too put at risk is my marriage & home. Also see where you are coming from about the Z it is just something that keeps you going.
 
gywn mate.
is now the right time to get involved in high end kitchens, interiors etc?
the answer is i honestly don't know.
the family business is the property game in all aspects of the trade.

on one hand, as well you know, some are on on there arse and have no money to spend. so no money spent on anything other than surviving.
on the other hand there is money, and i have to say quite a lot, still out there.
one of my best friends owns a high end prestige car showroom.
seriously he's never been as busy. and its the case with all decent used car sales.
why?
because the less people buying new cars the more buy used ones.
it 'could' be the same in your game. not many buying new homes, so 'maybe'
plenty wanting to upgrade and staying put.
i hope whatever you decide on is the right choice mate and with that comes sucess.
 
i hope you decide whats right for you mate.just this week we was told 2 of our depots are closeing down.good news for our depot whol get extra work bad for the the two closeing though.a bit selfish but its made me more secure.maybe better to grit your teeth and bear through next few months?.whatever you decide good luck mate.and if you can keep your z all the better.
 
Mate I hate to give a life tale but here is mine, I really would not advise you to go down this route at the moment and this climate if your job is at all stable please even if it's scrapping poo off a bin lid keep it! Trying to get a job now is a nightmare for skilled and qualified.
After my old man was killed in 2007 and after the sale of the house etc. I did what we had always planned to do and get into house renovations a field I had experience in and could do 90% of all work myself. I bought a house at the begining of 2008 right money right ish localtion did it to a fantastic standard and not just saying that. I bought it in jan and had it finished in the march on the market 1st April. Oh what a fool that through up the market was at this point starting to aim downwards and the house market was on the way from been sky high aiming south a little at that point. Got a valuation 10k lower! than i would have 3 months earlier and 18k less than that time in '07. Now the original idea was to do it to good "servicable" standard and straight out on the rental market. I spent a lot of time in the place and ended up half way through realising I had done a better than servicable job and decided to knock it out as high standard new first time buyer material. I gutted and totaly modernised this house. new kitchen, bathroom fixtures and fittings from the basement to the loft conversion this house was to end up with a perfect starter home for a young family.

I still have it on the market.


To this day the house market in the area I have bought has gone belly up and when I bought there where 7 estate agents in that area now 18 months on there are 3. Drastic drop to say the least. the only market I can feasably get in there is DSS and I am not in for that I could have had it out in a week according to the agent but in my eyes 1 party and its another 3 months work in the place and a failed insurance policy I'd own the problem so I have a tight person spec.

When I looked to kit the place out I visited 29 different places for bathrooms kitchens lighting etc.
I will say now that I in no way underestimate yours and your partners abilities but I do put a price on a £ I had estimates that ranged from the silly to the extreme to the right price. I ended up going with on guy that made bespoke kitchens to order and to you exact needs in any finish you wished with any tops, handles etc you could shake a stick at. And even though his original pricing came in 3k lower than any others I still got a grand off that. What I am saying to you is in the climate backv then when money was no where near as tight as it is now and he was in need of the business as he had started to notice that things where getting tighter.

I would strongly recommend that you do not give up a job in this economic climate. Even as a test just try applying for jobs without notifying your boses etc and see how many job offers or interviews you get. There are a lot of people and fewer jobs so employers are taking the pick of the bunch now. I am not saying there are less jobs as such but there are a lot more applicants! and people with money are still spending but they do know the state of play and will not pay over the odds or even near them. And if your profit margin is what pays the mortgage, food bill and rates then think on this;

You get a client that wants a new kitchen and bathroom fantastic you get a down payment at best 10% (I wouldnt pay more! ) They then have you start the job etc and half way through the client looses there job! no matter what contract they sign I would be very tempted to say that you'd struggle to get any more money out of them. As a case in point this 1 job falling through could put your house in question!

I am not disuading you from ever doing it But I would say set up a site do all the things you would do whilst you both still work, do it in the evenings weekends till the sun rises! (I have had my own business and you do spend all hours making them work) so do it while you have security in another job as opposed to getting into the big blue yonder. The world is a hellish place when things start bouncing I'll tell you debt will be the last thing on your mind if it went wrong.

I hate to sound so dour but god now is not the time mate, Try it as a side line and even look into doing the deal and advertise the work initially act as a bit of an inbetween service taking a slice (thin maybe) of the money/profit with less risk?

But be carefull is all I will say, dont mean to lecture but didn't want to see you getting into strife trust me it's a shed load easier to say "thats a great idea well done you go mate!"

Harder to give a reality check, in reality.

Good luck and still run a whip round if it gets bad but I am not needing a kitchen at the mo lol
 
This is what i'm after........
 

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grolls said:
This is what i'm after........
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Can't belive how kitch you like it......bit then looking at those gold wheels - it gives it all away !

Nidge - you're asking to be insulted by asking for offers on a 25 year old car that's been modified that makes it uninsurable........:).
 
If you are facing redundancy and have no choice it may be worth considering starting a new business. I have been running my own business or freelancing for the last 10 years and it is tough out there, really tough at the moment. The stress is there all the time even weekends, so its not an easy option.

Your target market for top end is fine, but unless people have cash to spend, they are unlikely to be paying with credit/loans. Even high end customers are worried about their employment at the moment, so it is not a given that there will be enough work to feed two mouths, in which case even a nominal wage in a crap job may be the way forward for the time being.

Having said all that if you can make a go of it in the next year, in the current climate, you should be well on your way to a long term business.

Good luck and hope you can keep the Z.
 
Oh man, don't be saying things like that.

I work for myself and have been doing so since I graduated in 2003. It's such a hard thing to do and constantly think about it. My advice is that at the moment it's bloody hard, there is a lot of work out there but you have to be ready to fight for it, offer a great deal more and be just that much better than the next person/company/candidate.

I feel quite lucky at the moment as there is work that is coming in that we have been chasing for a while and are also working on several projects but, there is always room for more. I have got my staff trying to get more in and they don't like me because I'm always on them to bring more in. lol.

Unfortunately the area of work you are entering, I have no knowledge of at all. But I wish you all the best of luck Gwyn, I really do. You've given me some great advice regarding the Z and am thankful for your help.

Again all the best.
 
Sorry to hear about your situation Gywn, I wouldn't sell the car if I were you..... life is way too short and too many people are too busy chasing £££ to notice. Everywhere you look people are stressed and unhappy....not everyone, but it seems more and more people have too much to deal with. I've only been employed once,for 9 years...it was ok, the Boss was a complete c*ck and I had to work 70 hr weeks most of the time until I had a breakdown that is. I started my own comapny in 97 went to work in the States for 2 years, came back in 2001 and have worked for myself ever since. I would find it very hard to be employed again..... It is very stressful being your own boss, I have to look at the work, do the work, quote/invoice for work. I can be on the phone and have a voice mail left then another voicemail and so on 8 times in a row :( On the plus side,sometimes I can earn in a weekend what used to take a month(employed) which gives me much more time with my kids....at the moment this is extremely important.
I'm not sure I would have a partnership though, it puts a lot of strain on the two of you.
Maybe you could start off by only working weekends to test the water.
Do you spend money on anything else? or is your car your main interest?
 
SELLING YOUR CAR SHOULD BE THE LAST RESORT !!!!!!! as you have put a lot of time and effort into it and you will never get that back.
i was so glad i did not sell my car as i would be totally gutted if i did not have it now.
 
samuri-240 said:
Cheers Sean, the thing is I do not like dept of any kind never have done, yes the emotional side is what hurts, its only a car at the end of the day isn't it ? NO its a Z :D. Your right I know I would always regret it if I sold this one & 10k is peanuts these days. The business we are looking at is interiors, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms etc the whole service start to finish, to a very high standard, my partner is top of the league in this game. It is truely amazing how generous & caring Z owners are, the offers of help & support has touched me deeply, a big thank you to everyone. Just been offered to have the van signed up foc also cheers Dave.
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Lets add a few pennys to this little adventure!
I have a large bathroom showroom in Leeds. I can supply ANYWHERE in the UK at prices you will not beat.. But thats not the point. If you are doing this then do it right.

We already have a supply and fit service running in the Leeds area. Take a look at:
www.bathroomsofdistinction.co.uk
www.buyabetterbathroom.co.uk

I own them both.
WE can do this as a company.. or as partners. or associates. suppliers etc etc. The main thing is to provide a service and make some cash.

Lemme know.;)
 
Zed-the-red said:
I can supply ANYWHERE in the UK at prices you will not beat.. But thats not the point. If you are doing this then do it right.
.

Lemme know.;)
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I need 3 bathrooms and a toilet put in along with, a kitchen, utility room and much more soon, perhaps if I sent you a set of plans you could come up with some ideas and possible prices....pm me your details and ya never know.

Ta
Paul
 
Grolls - can't you put that business Gwyns' way........or are you gonna play 'em off against each other:rolleyes: - you're crafty - I thought you socialists loved throwing money around !:devil:

Gwy, I'll never be rich with my job (take home €1600 per month before tax.....which I don't pay 'cos I'm the only one working and we have two kids) but I enjoy it, it is flexible AND it allows me to spend time with the family and very occasionally in my Z. It also provides me with a laptop and 3g card so I can log on and chat here during the day.

If one has less outgoings, you don't need to earn so much - if you have a shitty job that makes you ill for many different reasons, look around, find something else and leave.

BUT DON'T RISK A STEADY END OF MONTH WAGE without VERY, VERY careful thought and be prepared to lose all the spare time you thought you had.

And for effs' sake, don't sell the Z because we'll hear in 12 months time that everythings' folded and you've topped yourself or had a heart-attack !:(
 
SeanDezart said:
Grolls - can't you put that business Gwyns' way........or are you gonna play 'em off against each other:rolleyes: - you're crafty -
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Crafty...moi? never:eek:

I have had plans drawn up for 2 extensions, i will need bathrooms, bedrooms,central heating, wiring, you name it. If someone comes up with a great design and is a sensible price they will get the job. Oh and I won't be haggling on price as I work on one principle "price it right first time"

I hope the extension work is started in about 6 months, so the interior to start in about 10 months.

As for playing off, nooooo I dont play that game, it will go out to tender....the best all round design and cost will get it....pretty simple really....:D
 
So there you have it - no crisis in 'North Surrey' so long as you whack businesses for in contempt......of contemptable laws........!
 
Update is its not going to happen, the business needs 100% trust & commitment, this works from one side but not the other. So the old girl can remain in the garage & I'll try to grin & bare it for now (ride out the storm). Thanks to my many friends on here, my mates, my mrs, & my long term doubts we finally have the answer. :cheers: everyone.
 
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