Horace's Bootstraps Diary

Horace

blackclouds - I am asking an ex colleague who has set up his own business recently for some advice, he may do the website or guess I will have to learn and do it myself. Not a caterer (god, I could never inflict my cooking on anyone else:rotfl: ) more of an event and wedding planner.

All offers of advice gratefully received.

Decided to knock the Harrogate show on the head, I cannot afford to drive there, take the train nor stay overnight but I am booked to go to Event UK at the NEC next month - it will only cost me £5 return on the train (and I am taking a packed lunch because I refuse to pay NEC prices for food or drink). Next weekend I am off to the Fownes Hotel in Worcester for a wedding fair so I may well hand out a few of my business cards there.

I really must do more work - write the sales pitch for the website, dish out my business cards, continue networking, offering services for free initially or at least very cheaply, continue with my assignments. I really must finish assignment 7. Then I might work on assignment 17 because that's an easy one - "I have won a prize of £2K...how will I spend it on my business?" Not all will be spent - some will be put aside in an advertising budget.

I have just been lazy this week although I have auditioned one band and found a supplier of balloon arches, marquees and hot tubs.

I need to re-write my business plan despite the chamber telling me that its brilliant - it will never be perfect and will be constantly tweaked.:D

hypno06

I hope you are feeling better this afternoon.

Horace

Still feeling a bit peaky Hypno - just packed a load of stuff as I want to go away for the weekend but may have to get up extra early tomorrow and drive down to London meet my OH and he can drive us to Dorset.

Starting to think that I have lactose intolerance because I feel worse if I have anything with milk in it or its just a bug I have picked up from my mum:rolleyes:

Horace

I felt mightily sick this morning when I checked my bank account - talk about being redder than the Morning Star newspaper, for the first time since being on JSA I have slipped beyond my free overdraft:mad: :eek: So it was off to the bank to deposit £70 from my £2 jar (now I am left with one), my HB cheques and tomorrow my JSA will be paid. I have moved money from my savings account leaving 95p in there and I might even have to visit the building society to tap into my other ISA (not that there's much in it).

Well I have now become tighter than a duck's derriere and other than Thursday when I have to go to town on the bus (I get the expenses back) I shall be having no spend days. I shall live on what I have got and if I run out of milk then I will just have to learn to like black tea or coffee.

My plastic has taken a bit of a battering too with buying stuff for this business so I need to find some money to pay it or even a nominal amount of it.

I am normally so frugal so guess I must have spent a bit more than I had intended to do:mad: God, I hate this and can't wait to get the business off the ground and be earning something..anything...and I will have an extra £15 a week JSA to look forward to as well.

Well with regard to my business - I have started to write up my stuff for my website, I have an appointment next Monday with an ex colleague to discuss websites although how I am going to afford it I have absolutely no idea at all.:rolleyes:

I made a contact with a florist in the local village today although I was naughty and spent £1 in her shop on a bunch of lilies that had been reduced because one or two petals had gone brown. I know it was naughty and I shouldn't have done it but now my flat is sweetly scented plus she has agreed to put some of my business cards in her shop:j

My letterheads and business cards arrived from Vistaprint yesterday - they're great only I daren't put them in any shops just yet as I have no website although the domain name and email address are listed. I will look like a right knob if I put them out and have nothing to show for it.

Yesterday was a bad day, someone I know whom I used to consider a friend sent me a particularly vicious email accusing me of alsorts of stuff (I haven't seen him since he barged into a private meeting in March), plus the silly man threatened me with physical harm and as he is mentally unstable, felt justified in contacting the police and they advised me to keep all emails and if he hassles me as I go about my daily business then they will arrest him for breach of the peace. I am now wondering why I attract all the nutters - they even sit next to me on the bus:eek: Do I have the kind of face that attracts them?

Well, last night I went out with my mate Sal as she is leaving the area to go and live with her chap, she came to my home and picked me up and delivered me back to the door. She even insisted on paying for my meal - which as I discovered today was a good job.

Methinks, I will have to do something about raising funds pronto - maybe I will stand at the back of Rackhams and see what money comes my way:rotfl:

rog2

Horace wrote: »

Methinks, I will have to do something about raising funds pronto - maybe I will stand at the back of Rackhams and see what money comes my way:rotfl:

My pal, Jim keeps threatening to 'bare his @rse' in Rackham's window :eek: - consequently, I have always steered clear of Rackhams - didn't realise there was a 'back' side to them (no pun intended) :rotfl: :rotfl:

It'll come right Horace - all business start-ups drain the resources to begin with.

Horace

rog2 wrote: »

My pal, Jim keeps threatening to 'bare his @rse' in Rackham's window :eek: - consequently, I have always steered clear of Rackhams - didn't realise there was a 'back' side to them (no pun intended) :rotfl: :rotfl:

It'll come right Horace - all business start-ups drain the resources to begin with.

rog - there is a backside to Rackhams in Brum it overlooks the cathedral. Although admittedly I have found the corner door on Cherry Street to be more profitable:rotfl: I can remember when I was a student back in 1980:eek: I had arranged to meet a mate outside Rackhams by the corner door and as I waited for quite a while this woman approached me and told me the clear off her patch so I said I had no money which is why I was standing there and would only leave when I earnt some. In her desperation she gave me £20 to move off her patch:rotfl: :rotfl:

I would stand and gawp at your mate's bare behind if he displayed it in Rackhams window - I could do with a laff? Does he do tricks as well?:rotfl: :rotfl:

Thanks rog - I was starting to think that I wouldn't have anything to show for the money that has been spent and in some cases possibly frittered away:eek: I am just angry with myself for getting into a pickle.

rog2

Horace wrote: »

I would stand and gawp at your mate's bare behind if he displayed it in Rackhams window - I could do with a laff? Does he do tricks as well?:rotfl: :rotfl:

That I couldn't say, Horace, but, knowing him, probably yes - unfortunately it's a long way to Rackhams in Skipton. :rotfl: :rotfl:

Horace

Well I have just returned from the Chamber (it sounds dreadful I know - like that book). I was expected to get my bus fare returned but was told that I wasn't allowed to have it any more because I am no longer on Stage II of New Deal:eek: I pointed out to them that I have a few more appointments to go as I am not yet in a position to go live - so they tried to reassure me that it was OK and that I could start when I was ready. It would seem that they have signed off on my business plan and did so yesterday:mad:

My business cards from Vistaprint were criticised so I reminded them that I am not only skint but the font looked bigger on the screen. Anyway, they will do for now as I needed something to get me started and they will need to be changed anyway when I get my diploma.

Have decided to barter with a web designer when I meet him on Monday (the only time he is free), and will offer to sit in his office answering the phone and taking messages in exchange for a website, plus I will do any typing for him. Hope it works.

The Chamber were supposed to give me my paying in book for my bank account but they haven't even though it was sitting there on the desk:mad: Don't know why I am getting mad as it isnt as though I have any money to put in it anyway:rolleyes:

Got a ton of work to do so will crack on this afternoon.

The_Dragon

Best of luck with the new job venture Horace (cheering you on all the way from East Anglia here!), I could have done with you when Dr Dragon and I were getting married - you could have talked to my now MIL and saved Dr Dragon and me the singed ears :rotfl:

I wish I could help you with the website but I am only just learning how to do it! (I would be like the Hairy Bikers wanting to be in the Paris-Dakar rally, bag of pies and 4 beers a day and they would be happy! LOL)

Re the possible milk intolerance - can you drop it from your diet for a month and gradually re-introduce? as someone with an allergy I know where you are coming from on that one!

Horace

Thanks for your good wishes Dragon - guess I am feeling a tad despondent, I have tons to do and I just don't feel like doing any of it right now:rolleyes:

I wish I could have the Hairy Bikers living with me - they could drink my beer (well only if they like Belgian Raspberry) and they could make me pies and cakes.

My body goes through phases of lactose intolerance but I just can't do without milk and I hate that soya nonsense, I just stop drinking coffee for a while and avoid cheese. I think I had a bug of sorts because I am ok now:j

I S'pose I shouldnt hang around on MSE but its so useful especially the weddings board as I offer advice and get loads of ideas which helps me with my various assignments. I am trying to put some words together to make me sound posh and to market my business - what I do is look at other websites pinch bits that I like the sound of and tinker with the wording so I get something suitable for me.

BTW your signature always makes me smile:D