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Horace

JP for £125 I would have expected lunch as well, write and complain I would. As for not getting orders then I am not really that surprised as wedding fairs seem to be populated by people who are just looking and not buying - a craft fair would perhaps be better.

It is good that a cake maker wants to work with you especially if you can make cake jewellery (its something different and maybe quite profitable). A wedding fair is a good place to network with other suppliers and not actual brides - I wont do one again as its a waste of money, I never did award the prize of my services for the day but I awarded other prizes (I remembered people who had admired 3 of the prizes and so I awarded those prizes to them). Mabels cards disappeared too.

Need to contact my accountant to make sure that she submitted my self assessment - considering I gave her my accounts in September, she hadnt done anything with them by December or even earlier this month:eek:
I want my books back anyway so that I can add to them for the tax year ending April 09.

jpwhittle

thanks both of you, i did do alot of networking while the catwalks were on, i think i just didnt know what to expect yesterday so at least ill know in future. Im very excited about the cake jewellery thing. Also been told my stuffs good and ive started out how alot of them set out, they said expect 3 years for business to really take of and seeing as i only really got going in october im doing really well. Hopefully soon people will be making orders and people will know about me, Feeling alittle more positive today and looking forward to the next 2 fayres, at least they are half the price.

travellady

Hello everyone long time no see- I have no idea what is happening but I never get any emails anymore with all the latest posts- I dont on FB either actually.. v.strange. Hope everyone is doing well this year!

Well, Jan was HOLIDAY bonanza time very busy! Hurah!Hope it continues through the year..

Went to a wedding fair yesterday at Tatton Hall in Cheshire to see if it was worth doing for next yr- and I can say that I certainly will be going it was a really well organised even that is done everyyear spoke to a lot of the exhibitors there and most of them see to do it every year so it must work!

I would say JP if you are looking at doing wedding fairs then it is find out who is exhibiting and then have good to speak to as many as you can of them and ask what they usually get from that show and if they are regulars- if they are regular then they obviously get business from it or they just wouldn't do it again!

Always make sure that you have a special offer for the day- get someone to hand out as many flyers wuth your webaddress on as possible as a lot of these brides wont actually be getting married for another 1-2yrs! So they collect data and store it. (I have done a fair few fairs over the last few years) Also you could do with a competition something where you can gather email address's and details etc so you can send E-shots out to them with new designs or special offers.

hope that helps a little.
x

starxtrouble

Hey gang

Not been around recently as I changed pc, got really busy and didnt have the quick link to the thread so I never got around to looking it up again! Bad eh?

Tip for anyone looking for the thread... search for Horace in the forums, and you should find it in the first page or two!!

Ive been busy, but mostly not with work, as OH and I are looking to buy a house (not that its in my name cos of my debts!) with his parents help. Which is great but stressful.

My IBS has also been bad since Christmas, apart from the last week but we were running out of food so I ate nothing but pasta, garlic bread, veggie burgers and chips!!

I hope everyone else got their tax returns in, I managed to finish mine on the 29th so only one day before you Monkey!

Off for an early nite, cu all soon

Star

Horace

Hi gang (hangs head in shame that she is so easily found on MSE:o)

Things are a bit manic at the mo - I am trying to get my stuff sorted out for GC next month, my suitcase is bust and I used it once but have had the bright idea of getting some fibreglass gloop from the car repair shop down the road in the hope of spreading it across the crack by the wheel. I need to tidy my flat today too as I have my mate Sal coming to collect her christmas present.

Have decided against doing the audio typing for that person - it was too complicated and getting rather messy and to be honest life is too short to waste it faffing around with her. I have cancelled businesslink courses because I have had to put off the IFA once and the only day he can now come is on the day I have the courses..I can listen to the podcasts and the courses are bound to be put on again.

Need to put some wording together for an auction prize - offering half a day's worth of event planning - I can put together an easy guide for people - this is driving me nuts at the moment because its to raise money for cash4pash a 4N member with terminal cancer. Do I put in the event planning or do I put one of the dresses up for auction? This is giving me a real headache at the moment..it needs to be sorted out before Monday too (insert a huge sigh here). I had thought of offering half a day (£150 if I base it on £25ph) or maybe I should offer 250 hrs work (@£25ph this would be worth £6250) or does a full 8hr day worth £200 be better? This is based on my lowest hourly rate) Any advice would be appreciated..please - the reason is that other folks arent offering time that is worth as much so I am in a real quandary.
Its the Spring Fair next week and I am there on Monday, Tuesday is the breakfast meeting and a whole load of networking...also a chance to deliver my new 40 second spiel now that someone has given his time for free to help me:cool: I am getting some props too - some heart shaped stress balls (got a fab deal on them at 55p each:cool: which will be printed with my logo and phone number), although they are not likely to be ready for next week they will be used on other days...I have this corny idea of saying that the 'ball' is the stress and the heart is the love that I put into organising every event.

I have booked to have my hair done on 6 March (fly out to GC on 8 March), have facial (free) booked in at Clarins on 1 March (I used the minutes on my time to spa card and have enough minutes for a facial lasting 1.5hrs:cool:) - hairy mary is going to get waxed too:eek:

Hope all is well with everyone?

jpwhittle

evening all, wow its quiet on here recently. We have big news, we are moving to cyprus in 12 weeks!!!! I cant wait im so excited, now to work out taking the business with me and still getting contacts while im abroad.

Horace, if your offering alot more time wise, maybe the best option is the dress, or something like the dress and an hours consultation? im not really sure. Hope you get it all figured out.

hope everyone else is ok and nice and busy.

travellady

jpwhittle wrote: »

evening all, wow its quiet on here recently. We have big news, we are moving to cyprus in 12 weeks!!!! I cant wait im so excited, now to work out taking the business with me and still getting contacts while im abroad.

Horace, if your offering alot more time wise, maybe the best option is the dress, or something like the dress and an hours consultation? im not really sure. Hope you get it all figured out.

hope everyone else is ok and nice and busy.

Oh am so jealous JP I love Cyprus!! Went over NY and had fabby weather, just had a chance of going back with work in March but had to turn it down I will be going back sometime next year though i shall make sure of it!!

Horace

I dont want to sell dresses JP - a 2hr free consultation is fine (and pretty much industry standard). I have tons of ideas and now need a further domain for music management and for management consultancy work.

I spent part of yesterday in the car spares shop over the road and eventually found some strong glue that can take knocks etc so I have managed to fix my suitcase (I shall take the glue with me just in case). Have arranged to meet a mate who borrowed my white gold and sapphire earrings last year - she didnt return them:mad: now I am getting them back:j Received a late christmas present yesterday in the form of a necklace and earring set which has been made from beaten copper wire, some old beads (I gave her some old glass beads around 2 years' ago and she has incorporated some of them into the jewellery) and some new beads. She used to be a silversmith and its fab that she has made this delicate jewellery for me which I will wear at the wedding.

Well done on the posting to Cyrpus - you will be fab...remember that you can do the cake jewels over the internet and other stuff too, just adjust your postage rates. There are bound to be people on the base who are interested in your wares too so get promoting when you are out there.

Tomorrow I am off to the Spring Fair, will be having a meeting there too and Tuesday will be a big breakfast meeting day and maybe a 4hr 1:1 with 4Ns owner.

S'pose I had better get my stuff ready for tomorrow.

TCM_3

Holy smoke.... is it that long since i posted on here???? So much reading....

Still reading and catching up with everyones news...

T x

Horace

Hello TCM..do we know you??:rotfl:

How did the move go? Was getting worried about you...tried emailing but it bounced (that could be because of my dodgy eyesight tho).