Join in if you are self-employed and work from home

TCM_3

Star.... you really are a star!

The tears are laughter now not upset! Thats why I love you guys, you're great therapy!

Thanks hun, xxxx

Horace

TCM - as Star has said men are useless when it comes to organising themselves and taxing their own cars, so it will always be our fault if they forget:rolleyes: Have you got him well insured, if so you could always send him to heaven with a pillow - kills two birds with one stone, you get peace and quiet as well as a whole wodge of cash:rotfl:

My new office chair arrived today so now I am whizzing about on it - I think I need to get an odd bit of carpet as the laminate floor is quite slippy and I am so not used to wheels:eek: Still it is nice to be comfortable for a change and not be hunched over like an old crone.

I am still waiting for the course work to be sent to me after I booked onto this new home learning course but they do have an online version which I have started looking at and I have already written the first two assignments in my head, in fact my first assignment will be the first one I sent for my wedding planning course only rejigged slightly:rotfl: I also have the same tutor that I had for my wedding planning course - she was hoping that she would be my tutor again, either she is a glutton for punishment or enjoys reading my wacky ideas because I never think inside the box:rolleyes:

I had a telephone call this afternoon from a new wedding magazine which will be called Britain's No.1 (odd name but there you go), apparently they had seen my ad in Your West Midlands Wedding (that publisher is being really good to me as my ads seem to be in prime spots:cool:) and wanted to offer me a deal whereby I advertised with them and they would be promoting my business at the National Wedding Fair at the NEC - they would do this for £200 plus VAT, one sharp intake of breath from me and me telling them that I got my ad into Your West Midlands Wedding for 12 months for less than that (a little white lie) and immediately they dropped their price to £150 plus VAT:rotfl: Still its not a Horace price so I won't be advertising with them anytime soon - I want a copy of the magazine first before I commit to anything.

Last week I contacted a bridal shop that sells pre-loved wedding dresses and they got back to me today to say that they will buy my dresses for £60 each well there is no way that I am going to sell a dress that has a price tag of £1925 for £60 for them to sell for £350 (all the dresses on her website seem to go fo that). I contacted my friend Linda in Leeds (funny I call her my friend yet we have never met) and asked her for some advice and she suggested that I go and get a mannikin (cheap) and use that as my model to allow me to photograph the dresses and for me to send her the photos and she will put them on her website for me - she also suggested that I put them on my blog. I had a better idea rather than spend money (I am such a tight wad at times:rotfl:) I would ask the local couture shop (well she is always saying she will help me out and now I think its time that actions spoke louder than words:D) to see if she could dress up some of her mannikins in my frocks for me to take photos of them - then she would know better than me how to arrange them and how to fit the clothes onto the mannikin in the first place (I was always useless at dressing dolls:rolleyes:).

September is going to be a busy month for me as I have The Autumn Fair, Events UK, BBEH in Harrogate and the wedding fair where I have a stand to attend. BBEH in Harrogate should be fun - I need to find a cheap place to stay and a way of getting there as its not the easiest place, I think I need to change trains about 3 times:eek:

Hope you are all having a good day and TCM - a glass of wine, hot bath and a pillow will be the answer to your prayers:D

moneymabel

Blimey Horace-I feel exhausted just reading your posts!! i still haven't got off my butt and done flyer delivering. perhaps Wednesday as working at 'proper' job tomorrow

Purpleroses

hello all :wave:

Hope you're feeling better TCM!

Horace i've seen that mag only it was called Scotland No. 1. Bridal mag, wonder if they're expanding. Came free a few times with a sunday paper. Looked really nice.

Horace

Hi Purple

Thanks for the tip about the magazine, I shall wait and see what they send me because I am picky.

Mabel - stop procrastinating and get out there and deliver those leafets, they won't deliver themselves you know If I lived closer and I wasnt so unsteady on my feet (still not allowed to bend head) then I would deliver them for you:D

cavework

Hi , I'm pretty new on here and only just found this thread.
Wondered if it would be OK to join?
I do work from home (well the office is based here) but I am in a partnership. We've been going 6 years now..
Horace, I noticed you went to a seminar for the Best Of? Wasn't in Gloucestershire was it by any chance?
All I can say from reading through this thread is that this country might be in a recession but it is very lucky to have people like the posters on here who refuse to give up and work hard to create their own income.
My OH was made redundant twice in 18 months and at the age of 60 started his own business 8 months ago, so as we are now both self employed we have no choice but to make it work.
I was interested in the posts about advertising brochures etc.. printing is expensive but there is a system out there called Digital printing which is cheaper and aimed at short runs, from one to full colour. Hope this might be of use.
PS Mabel .. re the leaflets. If you are just doing a blanket household coverage in your area , you could try finding out who the local paper lad is and if the papers are delivered to his home once a week before he delivers... bung him a few quid to stick them through the doors at the same time.

moneymabel

Hi Cavework,
Have looked into that and was thinking about it but someone suggested delivering in the evening or weekends as if something comes through the door by itself you are more likely to pick it up and look at it than if it turns up with the papers or the post.
Sorry- meant to say first- welcome to the thread!

Thanks Horace I will def do it soon :-)

cavework

I see what you mean Mabel , although I am one of those people who waits till Saturday morning and takes the weekly paper up to bed with a cup of coffee.
Usually check out the adds first to see what the competition is up to, but do end up flipping through the leaflets... it,s either that or try to hold a conversation with the OH.....
Thanks for the welcome .. this really is a great thread!

moneymabel

Lol! Yep I see your point- I'd rather read leaflets than talk to my OH too!!

Horace

Hi Cavework and welcome to our crazy but happy band:D

I went to a Bestof Seminar at Bescot Stadium in Walsall (the place is horrendous and creepy). I made two contacts there, one I am meeting tomorrow - he and I were both disappointed as we were expecting there to be hundreds of people there when in reality there weren't:rolleyes: I did try joining my local Bestof but the woman obviously didnt want my business and told me to join the Federation of Small Businesses so I took her advice and then I rang Bestof HQ to let them know that I wasn't joining them as I had been referred elsewhere (its only fair that they know what is going on). The HQ is weird none of them answer the phone so you have to leave a message in the hope that someone rings back:rolleyes:

I spent part of last night over on the wedding forum as someone was asking about being a certified wedding planner and thought that as she was so young people would be put off. I was disgusted with the negative responses of some over there saying that she should organise a few events before she does any training and others saying that they didnt like wedding planners (some people are scared of us to be honest with you) and yet another saying that her wedding planner friend was packing up because there isnt any business in her area - my answer to that is to look outside your immediate area then:rolleyes: I hope this young person hasnt been put off - a certified planner is certainly far better than someone who has decided on a whim to set up and yet has no qualification in my opinion plus they tend to give professional wedding planners a bad name because we too are judged on their inability to do the job.

I am off to the hospital today - I hope I can get some new glasses soon as not being able to see properly is impacting on my business as I cannot drive anywhere:mad: I have also booked a mystery shop which I shall do tomorrow - its a case of killing 3 birds with one stone - business meeting, mystery shop (that's lunch sorted), see solicitor:D

What is is that you do Cavework?