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Horace

Hi gang

Just to let you know I am still alive and beavering away - I was at the Spring Fair on Monday (going back tomorrow) and met some fab suppliers and am now considering making my own italian bombonieres (those fab net bags filled with nuts) as well as selling wedding albums, photobooks and guest books.

Anyway I have some fab news - I have been asked to be the new UK agent for the biggest wedding planner on Gran Canaria which means that I will be sending clients his way and organising their post wedding parties. This was something that I was going to suggest to him when I go over in March, however, he put the idea past me today and I told him that I didnt need to think about it as I was going to approach him about it anyway:D My week in March will probably be wall to wall meetings:cool: At last I will soon have money flowing in as opposed to flowing out:j

Was networking yesterday which was fab and I had a quick chat with one of the managers at the serviced apartments in bham - he was telling me how he has loads of contacts out in Cyprus..so you can bet your bottom dollar that I shall be making an appointment to see him (not just for me but for JP).

Anyway, I had better see if the printer has prepared by EPS file as I need to send it to a promotions company for my stress hearts.

Have fun peeps and catch y'all later.

jpwhittle

awe thankyou horace your such a star, im being really laxed havent focused on anything with trying to sort the milion and one things we have to do when moving out, im starting to panic now about doing this from cyprus and trying to make it all work. But like they say if business was easy everyone would be doing it.
Glad things are going well for you horace really sounds like this year is your year.
Where is everyone else? its very quiet on here.
Saw my shrink yesterday and he said he thinks the best thing that could have haened to me has with the move and i do think hes right, its hard moving away from my family but i really need this, i cant wait to be a better mummy to the kids getting them out more and doing stuff.
Hope everyone else is ok and getting lots of work.

Horace

JP -try not to stress moving is always bad and moving overseas is more stressful I would have thought. If you run an internet business then you can do that from anywhere in the world..so folks will have to order and you will have to send when they have paid you.

I went back to the spring fair as planned today and went to the bomboniere folks - my bank account is now a bit lighter because I took advantage of the show deal to spend £125 and get the bomboniere making frame for £55 as opposed to £77. Next week I should take delivery of 3 large rolls of ribbon, assorted sample packs of nets, a sample pack of glittery flowers (to go into the bombonieres), a sample pack of roses (loads of them in the sample pack), some silk bouquets, some wedding post boxes, some chocolate dragees, a glittery crystal thing that I can wrap around poles but I have another use for it, some plastic disk things to go into the bomboniers to make them stand properly. I get all this and then my friend Amanda turns round and tells me that she has 2 frames she no longer uses and a load of nets etc (she and I are going to have a chat) - if I can get her frames and stuff then I can hire out the frames so that people can make their own bombonieres:D

Also got asked to be a guest speaker at the birmingham breakfast club on 24 Feb, I feel as though I am having my arm twisted and to be honest don't particularly want to do it - they want me to talk about corporate events and how to organise them and why folks should have one but I would rather organise them than chat about them, plus I wouldnt get paid and I want money...anyhow I am seeing my accountant that morning and although I could put her off don't see that I should.,,what to do?

It sure has been quiet - is everyone snowed in or are they busy?

starxtrouble

Im up to my eyes in non work related stuff!! My other half is buying a house (its my house too but I cant get a mortgage so in his name and his parents helping us out) and I have been dealing with the paperwork. So I spend most of my day filling in forms, scanning things and talking to solicitors and mortgage brokers!!!

So excited thou, our rented flat has mould again so the sooner we are out of here the better. There is no chain either as the seller already had somewhere else. Just crossing my fingers that teh surveys come back ok.

Eventually I will do some work lol!

So how was the shop move TCM???

TCM_3

Horace, the move was chaotic with me running around like a headless chicken and beating bear at the same time. My answer to every question asked was "I don't know" but thankfully all is settled in now. My broadband was not put in until recently and as a result the emails will all have bounced back - not sure if the address is still the same - something else i will have to sort out!

The red wine has taken a hammering the past few weeks too!

Glad to catch up on everyones news - JP good luck with your move, will get you away from the outlaws at least! Many miles!

Still catching up with the reading - will catch up soon.

Thanks for not forgettin little old short blonde irish bird - now a stone lighter and with a limp as I fell over (again).

T

GreyhoundAngel

Hi ya Gang,

Been busy with work stuff (sadly with hindsight - some not worth the payments) but mainly with life hassles - I'm getting to the stage where I feel I just wanna give up with everything. I'm struggling again on so many sides I feel like I'm suffocating

To add to everything we've been through, OH has now been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabeties.

I've been popping back here to keep up with everyone, it seems a bit sad that this thread has gone so quiet (though I myself have been very quiet recently I know) - I miss the strength & support we gave each other.

Wishing you are all keeping well and things are moving forward for all of you

Keep safe
G:A x

Horace

Hi all

Glad the move went well TCM and sorry to hear that you have fallen over and hurt yourself...have more tea with it next time vicar:rotfl:

Angel - I also think it sad that the thread has gone quiet, its getting to the stage where I won't post because I feel as though I am talking to myself and I will be growing hairy palms next:eek: Sorry to hear that OH has type 2 diabetes.

Had a call from the favour people on Friday - they have run out of stock of the favour machines and the silk bouquets so these should be arriving at the end of the month:eek: Not fair when I wanted to get started on making things.

The UK agent thing is causing some problems, not for me but for the previous encumbent as she is starting to get rather nasty (she doesnt know that I am the new encumbent) as she is upset that she is no longer the admin on a facebook group and I am. Still, I can stick up for myself and can't be doing with people trying to con me..which she is to be honest.

Am waiting for my bessfriend (well she was bessfriend at school) to visit today although I have a feeling that she will cancel yet again:mad: I am trying to get my white gold and sapphire earrings back from her - I lent them to her last year for her wedding only she never wore them and despite me seeing her since has never returned them:mad: We made arrangements last week to meet up yesterday to go shopping and do a ladies wot lunch only she rang me (I missed the call and she wouldnt answer when I rang back:mad:) late on Friday to cancel using some pathetic excuse that she had gone up north to do an assignment, it meant that all the plans made for yesterday had to be cancelled and now I am waiting for her again although I have a feeling that she may cancel again today - if she does then I am not messing around any more and will consider taking her to court to get the money for the earrings. She has taken advantage far too much and I am thinking that it might be time to end this friendship.:mad: Excuse me for whinging.

Hope you all have a fabby day today.

TCM_3

My apologies for not posting for so long - i have only just got the broadband back in following the move.

Greyhoundangel - its that horrible sinking feeling that is all to familiar. Sorry to hear about the OH, but at least if there has been undiagnosed symptoms of diabetes he's better getting on to some sort of treatment.

My OH is doing funny things - he keeps dropping to the ground like a stone for no reason and is refusing to go to the dr. It is another worry to cope with.

Horace, waiting for someone to get back to you is frustrating. I have lost touch with ones i went to school with - we could never seem to get a time convenient to meet up! The new agent thing sounds good - i hope you enjoy it - its another string to your bow. I am sorry that your band didn't work out, they obviously don't want to move forward.

I am up to my ears in debt with the shop at the minute. I had a cheque returned last week and the OH went nuts - I had not checked the account before i wrote it. Since moving, we have lost business, my regular customers still come to me but because i am a little bit out of town now, some are not coming anymore. I had a dire day yesterday, normally a Saturday would be pretty decent but it was woeful. I have not got the money to buy new stock until i clear what i owe and the place, although all new and lovely, it beginning to look stale. Bummer. However, positive as i try to stay, it is anything but easy.

Moan over, have a good weekend chums, x

Horace

Men are hopeless at going to the dr - my dad had a fall before christmas and despite constant nagging from mum he didnt go until the end of January (there are times I fear that I could give him a darn good shake).

Sorry to hear about the rubber cheque too TCM - things wiil work out, I am sure of it. Is it worth mailing some of your old customers with some offers - eg. buy a martingale and get a free headcollar (or something that is cheap) or something similar buy something expensive and get something cheaper or half price?

I think the drained feeling is getting to all of us - I was so bad after Christmas that a couple of weeks ago I had a blood test which was clear except for high levels of dope (I can't stand the stuff but it is something that I have breathed in from the fat cow downstairs:mad:). I will be glad of a holiday and its not long now til I fly off to Gran Canaria (need to justify meetings for the tax man)..had some news this afternoon - my tickets have arrived:j

As expected the friend didnt turn up - I got a text message at around 2.30 saying that she was still driving (funny that sending me a text..she must think I am stupid) and telling me that she would be coming round tomorrow so I told that I was on a course and she could come round on Tuesday afternoon. When I get the earrings back that will be it..I am not wasting any more time on her.

Tomorrow I am on a mind mapping course (free) and the chap that is running it is coming to collect me (this not being able to see properly to drive is doing my head in:mad:) - he doesnt have to do that and is very kind to offer to pick me up and drop me off.

Have a great weekend peeps - I shall go back to vegging out in front of the telly.

paintsplattered

Just spent the last hour or so reading bits of this thread... I love it! :T

I too am self-employed... not so much office based work but painting stuff!! to order... I have a website which creates some business and some business is Word of Mouth and a fair bit is repeat business... but even though I can get away from the kitchen sink into my shed (not much fun this year so far... all this sub-zero weather ain't great!) I still mostly feel that I am a stay at home mum. My greatest problem is currently (or should that be always) procrastination...:o Debt situation isn't too bad at the mo but the cash flow is not great either and generally feel like we are juggling one too many balls whilst balancing on a tight-rope... but I am sure that is how most people feel, isn't it?:(

Anyway I guess I am posting to say... please keep going and can I join in?!! It is so frustrating having no-one who understands what it is like being at home supposedly free to be in charge of your own day (and even destiny) but wearing so many different hats... another of my failings is the inability to say no to 'good causes'... always getting roped in for some community good cause when I should be concentrating on my kids, OH and business (and the dog!)... oh and me, I suppose!

There are loads of things I would love to discuss, whinge about, sometimes even celebrate... and rant about too... like FAIRS... OMG... they are so hit and miss... I have come to the conclusion that largely they should be seen as Marketing/PR events rather than sales events... some are great if you do that and then follow the leads over time... you know... that fair led to that order which led to that order, oh and that one and then that repeat custom and then the second one led to that one... like a spiders web... that makes me happy!!:D Even the stall price doesn't seem to work as a good indicator as to how successful a fair will be and I have to say that I have heard really awful things about wedding fairs although I have never done one myself... my stuff is more kid/home stuff although I do get the odd commission for wedding things..:)

Right I am going go now that I have bored you all to sleep!

TTFN
Paintsplattered

PS My biggest bugbear is BT - we can't get broadband because we are, as a village, too far from the exchange but not far enough to have our own exchange... and it's too expensive for then to do anything about it... meanwhile they spend millions advertising and implementing high speed broadband for those who already have far more than we have (dial-up at 38.6kbps!!!) GGGRRRRR:mad::mad::mad: and no, there's no mobile broadband either and YES they do send me glossy adverts for TOTAL BROADBAND... and yes it gave me great satisfaction to ring them up and complain... lots of ranting about directed marketing... blah blah blah!! In Finland they would be considered to be in violation of my human rights!! SORRY rant over!