Thread: Did anyone hear on the radio today about importing goods?

Originally Posted by Ivan

I used to work in retail in the Uk. We didn't get penalty rates for working weekends etc. It was just classed as part of the job. So you missed going out with your mates on a Saturday, tough if you don't like it get a job somewhere else. All part of working in the retail/service industry.
Ivan

So long as the base salary makes allowance of that. If you take hospitals and emergency services, that we require to be available 24/7/365, why should someone who works 9-5 M-F earn the same salary as someone who is required to work their shiifts on a 24/7 basis?

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

Sounds like you should have got out of that business years before you did and then might not have done your house etc. If you were regularly unable to pay yourself then the business was in trouble.

Any business needs to be able to repay its borrowings in a timely manner; meet its accounts payable in a timely manner; collect its accounts receivable in full on time; pay a fair wage to all who labour there; pay statutory obligations (tax, super, compensation) on time; pay a reasonable return on the capital invested. If it cannot do this then it is not a business, perhaps a hobby, perhaps a disaster in waiting.

You just don't get it do you! A 'hobby' as you call it does not hire and retain 8 employees for more than 5 years each!
Speak to most small business operators and they struggle on an ongoing basis to make ends meet. Almost all of them have their personal assets on the line for their business, they don't do THAT for a 'hobby' either! Times changed for me and I made some errors in not adjusting things quickly enough or I may have saved my family from several years of real hardship. Fact is, if I'd got rid of 3 workers a year earlier, 5 may have kept their jobs..... don't dare to underestimate the difficulties in running a small business. It is hard and it is risky. Thank who or whatever you believe in that many people still choose to give it a go.

OK, Let's tell every small business that's doing it hard to just shut up shop! Now let's see what happens to the unemployment rate in this country......8%, 10%, 12%......... With almost 80% of the workforce not employed by government enjoying work in the small to medium sized business sector it will be the end of the good life for many I can assure you.

Last time I checked asking if someone was Ghandi or mother Theresa was not a simple minded insult along the lines of dumbass but then again the truth hurts far more than a lie
Lies damn lies and statistics show 50% of small business fail in the first 5 years.

But let's follow your advice and scrap penalty rates along Howard's awa b.s line so every worker loses some pay.
Who is going to buy small business retail? Not me my pays just being halved, yes I do shift work and have for 20+ years with overtime. I'll be buying the necessities for my kids from the big discount chains,not the nice stuff from the small business. Downgrade the car so no toys or extras and go back to doing home oil changes. Parents where in a similar position to you where we had to sell the house because of an investment and high interest rates and have helped a mate who had a small business collect overdue payments on jobs done so he could resupply ,but unlike you he still charged AND paid himself and his casual extra for weekends or call outs!
Retail rents are a major problem but when both parties are in bed with mall owners they limit the amount developed to maximize rent.
As another poster said if you cannot afford to pay yourself as well as wages/ rent it's a bad hobby at best. And if you need to work 6-7 days for no extra it's time to look elsewhere and find a balance.

Originally Posted by frantic

Last time I checked asking if someone was Ghandi or mother Theresa was not a simple minded insult along the lines of dumbass but then again the truth hurts far more than a lie
Lies damn lies and statistics show 50% of small business fail in the first 5 years.

But let's follow your advice and scrap penalty rates along Howard's awa b.s line so every worker loses some pay.
Who is going to buy small business retail? Not me my pays just being halved, yes I do shift work and have for 20+ years with overtime. I'll be buying the necessities for my kids from the big discount chains,not the nice stuff from the small business. Downgrade the car so no toys or extras and go back to doing home oil changes.

Ahhh.... and that would be the big discount chains owned by.........

The reference to your personal insults had nothing to do with the names.... but then, you can write but not read it seems.

OK why dont you two just shake hands and leave it at that hey

Originally Posted by wardy1

You just don't get it do you! A 'hobby' as you call it does not hire and retain 8 employees for more than 5 years each!
Speak to most small business operators and they struggle on an ongoing basis to make ends meet. Almost all of them have their personal assets on the line for their business, they don't do THAT for a 'hobby' either! Times changed for me and I made some errors in not adjusting things quickly enough or I may have saved my family from several years of real hardship. Fact is, if I'd got rid of 3 workers a year earlier, 5 may have kept their jobs..... don't dare to underestimate the difficulties in running a small business. It is hard and it is risky. Thank who or whatever you believe in that many people still choose to give it a go.

OK, Let's tell every small business that's doing it hard to just shut up shop! Now let's see what happens to the unemployment rate in this country......8%, 10%, 12%......... With almost 80% of the workforce not employed by government enjoying work in the small to medium sized business sector it will be the end of the good life for many I can assure you.

In my working life I worked for wages, salary, salary plus commission, commission only. I worked for one man bands and the world's largest corporations. I also ran successful small businesses that never went broke, never dudded anybody, wholesale and retail used vehicles, line haul trucks, a machine shop started from scratch, and did well enough to retire early. I now run an importing business that imports and resells machine shop supplies and engineers cutting tools. It is doing nicely.

If you are constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul;, e.g. miss a lease payment because you have to make up a holiday pay, delay the PAYGO tax instalments and super contributions, go on 90 & 120 days with your suppliers, then you have a business in trouble. You can give your outgoings a severe haircut, sell more, increase margins, don't buy anything unless you can pay for it, or close down. The latter is often the kindest.

The ATO defines many businesses as "hobbies" if it can be seen that their turnover is insufficient to be a stand alone business. They have guidelines for this.

Nice one DB,

Roll in a hand grenade then run away.


Yes a passionate subject indeed. Wouldn't it be good if we made an all Australian 4wd..for that matter....an all Australian 2wd!. But alas it's unlikely.
I imagine the $30 limit purported would be Gerry Harvey or one of his politically servants stirring up nonsense.
As Ron pointed out, it would be far too difficult to administer at a cost effective rate. Perhaps $500 might be possible but the current $1000 seems to work ok.

I think what we are seeing is a shift in retailing. The virtual shopfront is becoming far more acceptable. I recently bought my daughters "prom" dress on ebay - copy of local, 10th of the price, delivered in 3 weeks, and she looked gorgeous. Something I wouldn't have been game enough to do a few years ago.
As for Land Rover bits, I have happily bought thousands of dollars worth of bits from OS. (Somewhat of a necessity with a 101 but also for Defender and Disco)
I bought my Nikon here because of their warranty baloney - would have been 50% cheaper from Honkers! - ripped off.
My favourite story is the S3 Speedo - 5 times more expensive from local supplier.

You can say what you like about penalty rates and standards of living but I am not in a position to fund it. That is why I don't have shoes made in Australia, or shirts, or phones, or.....lots of stuff.
Does it mean we all fall down Dobbo's communistic Global New World Economy? (Google reptilians if you want a good conspiracy laugh )

Or does it mean we will just live differently in the future....


Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace

You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one





Ok, enough of that....better get a haircut tomorrow...

Originally Posted by Sleepy

Nice one DB,

Roll in a hand grenade then run away.


Yes a passionate subject indeed. Wouldn't it be good if we made an all Australian 4wd..for that matter....an all Australian 2wd!. But alas it's unlikely.
I imagine the $30 limit purported would be Gerry Harvey or one of his politically servants stirring up nonsense.
As Ron pointed out, it would be far too difficult to administer at a cost effective rate. Perhaps $500 might be possible but the current $1000 seems to work ok.

I think what we are seeing is a shift in retailing. The virtual shopfront is becoming far more acceptable. I recently bought my daughters "prom" dress on ebay - copy of local, 10th of the price, delivered in 3 weeks, and she looked gorgeous. Something I wouldn't have been game enough to do a few years ago.
As for Land Rover bits, I have happily bought thousands of dollars worth of bits from OS. (Somewhat of a necessity with a 101 but also for Defender and Disco)
I bought my Nikon here because of their warranty baloney - would have been 50% cheaper from Honkers! - ripped off.
My favourite story is the S3 Speedo - 5 times more expensive from local supplier.

You can say what you like about penalty rates and standards of living but I am not in a position to fund it. That is why I don't have shoes made in Australia, or shirts, or phones, or.....lots of stuff.
Does it mean we all fall down Dobbo's communistic Global New World Economy? (Google reptilians if you want a good conspiracy laugh )

Or does it mean we will just live differently in the future....


Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people living life in peace

You, you may say
I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Ok, enough of that....better get a haircut tomorrow.

..

where you getting that China? I bet its still cheaper even with the flight