I want to be you when I grow up some more Robert ;):cool:, even to the little "bird",, oh, and can I have a dog too?:p
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Pedro, I thought about getting a big dog. One that I could train to tow my golf clubs around, in one of those small garden trailers.
But then I thought, I would probably have to lift the lazy coot in and out of the Disco.
Its not that easy being a professional layabout either. You have to be prepared for the unexpected. You have to be prepared at all times for the WHIMS... they can strike at any time. Bit earlier on a WHIM I felt the need to go fishin, ended up for weeks up in the Gulf, potterin about. Damn.
The other week, on a Whim I decided to go for a drive. Ended up doing a lap around around the Birdsvile and Strzelecki tracks. It was'nt easy.
At the moment I am trying to ignore a Whim to go and see vast areas of wild Hops.
The blasted Whims play havoc with my local golf.
Robert.
I have the same problem, we set up a small business in 2007 just before the "GFC". So far, we are travelling along fairly well, but definately not rakeing it in, the thing I found is to offer something that your competition cannot, in my case 30years of industry knowledge and treat your customers like friends and not an account number. We have a few fall over on us and take us for, in 2 cases, a lot of money, and one of these guys was a personal friend. He said, I guarantee you will get your money, but I dont know when, 3 years later his attitutude is, when I get it you will get it, if you want to have me wound up, go for it but you will get nothing at all. What do you say to that?
If you can survive this current downturn, I think you will come out a lot stronger and you must be doing something right by your customers.
Have a good weekend all, I'm off to the LandRover show at Castle Hill Showground.
Cheers Ian
I wish I had those options. A two week plus wait to get my PC back from the local guy if I am lucky and if I can get him to answer his phone in the first place OR I drive a hundred kays to the nearest regional centre be told to come back in a few days to a week and pick it up - again if I am lucky.
Decentralisation will fix all of those problems. Get out into the country and set your business up. There is a massive shortage of skills in all the regional centres.
Offer to your customers what the others can't.
Offer them a warm welcome try to call them by their names. Be friendly with them even at your small expense a bowl of candies or a cup of tea can do the trick.
But best of all, create with your friends and customers the circle of good and loyal clients. The group's members will make the extra effort to drive a little longer to buy their needs from one of the group's. They will pay a slightly higher price just to buy from the group's business.
I believe that this is the way to go this is the way for small businesses to stay alive.
I had a great business going providing transport for people with disabilities. All was good until the Government started handing out funds for "Community Buses".
Now we have no business, but the 5 Government funded Buses driven by Volunteers are doing OK......
Your Taxes at work folks.