Times are hard out there...Really?

The_Fox_3

Cleaver wrote: »

If you're going to paint an accurate picture of the financial health of the UK could I humbly suggest that picking one of the most expensive streets in the country and a posh second home region might not be the best decision?

This is a bit like me going to a Megadeth concert, conducting a survey and coming to the conclusion that the British public enjoy a bit of thrash metal much more than we first thought.

Which is why he is asking the question on this board, and might i add the replies have been top class:)

Derivative

Thrugelmir wrote: »

National average is around 14%. The retail trade through the internet is expected to continue to grow at the expense of the traditional high street. Too much floor space selling the same products.

The problem you have though is that while in big cities (mostly in the south with the exception of Manchester and a few others) there are plenty of businesses operating in pretty much all sectors, in a city like Hull, with the public sector stripped out, you essentially have nothing.

With almost all of the workforce unskilled and uneducated, there's only so many cleaning and checkout jobs to go around. I would be interested to look at statistics on unskilled labour by sector, I've had trouble finding this data on the Internet.

'Social mobility', in the UK as it stands, is essentially a synonym for 'moving to London'. (replace London with big city of your choice).

diable

EdgEy wrote: »

The problem you have though is that while in big cities (mostly in the south with the exception of Manchester and a few others) there are plenty of businesses operating in pretty much all sectors, in a city like Hull, with the public sector stripped out, you essentially have nothing.

With almost all of the workforce unskilled and uneducated, there's only so many cleaning and checkout jobs to go around. I would be interested to look at statistics on unskilled labour by sector, I've had trouble finding this data on the Internet.

'Social mobility', in the UK as it stands, is essentially a synonym for 'moving to London'. (replace London with big city of your choice).

You are really putting Hull down and it's people, is it really that bad?

matbe

ILW wrote: »

Oddly enough, British gas charge about £2500 to replace a boiler, the cost of the boiler is around £800 retail and the fitting takes less than a day. They do a lot of them. There should be a pretty big opportunity to undercut that by a mile (say £1500 or less all in). Why am I not being flooded with leaflets from out of work gas registered plumbers offering it?

Because British Gas provide credit services also which one man bands can't provide maybe?

Nikkster

The_Fox wrote: »

Which is why i am asking the question on this board, and might i add the replies have been top class:)

I'm confused - I though iandury asked the question??:huh:

chucky

Nikkster wrote: »

I'm confused - I though iandury asked the question??:huh:

it looks someone has forgotten which user name he was logging on with

fc123

I find Conrads observations interesting esp Essex as it wasn't on my radar before but is more so now due to a work link.
Hidden income is everywhere esp for those who own a small biz with cash.

My old dad is deaf so OH had to book him a skip. Quote was £175 + VAT then she said quite bluntly it could be £165 if he paid cash to the driver. I don't know which option he took but the offer seemed a normal part of the bookinmg process.

In Brighton I was always quite mystified about how 'wealthy' people were.....huge houses, plenty to spend and the retired types in the street I lived wanted for very little.

I always wonder how big the cash /black economy really is in percentage terms.....does anyone reckon 40%?

Thrugelmir wrote: »

National average is around 14%. The retail trade through the internet is expected to continue to grow at the expense of the traditional high street. Too much floor space selling the same products.

The internet is changing everything more and more, bit by bit and it gave us a reach over the whole world. OK I make a niche faddy product that no-one particularly needs but still, being spread all over the world protects us a bit from UK problems.

I have really busy stores who we supply in all sorts of places. Some are ordering a lot every single week as we are selling well for them....Dublin, Reykavik, Lubin in Poland, Naploi...A 6 store Chain in Cyprus was over yesterday to order even more after selling out the entire seasons order in a few weeks. Store in Bahrain called to apologise for not being in touch...last call she had sold out, wanted more but no order came through....she explained that they were waiting on the political situation and she is making a new order this week......things must be settling down now.
Caribbean, Spanish resorts and across the USA all very busy too.

I have hardly any stockists north of Watford....but could be a fashion thing...but plenty of copies of my stuff in the cheaper shops up there so maybe not.:o

EdgEy wrote: »

The problem you have though is that while in big cities (mostly in the south with the exception of Manchester and a few others) there are plenty of businesses operating in pretty much all sectors, in a city like Hull, with the public sector stripped out, you essentially have nothing.

With almost all of the workforce unskilled and uneducated, there's only so many cleaning and checkout jobs to go around. I would be interested to look at statistics on unskilled labour by sector, I've had trouble finding this data on the Internet.

'Social mobility', in the UK as it stands, is essentially a synonym for 'moving to London'. (replace London with big city of your choice).

From a middle-aged London perspective I would agree 100%. The people I know who are my age and struggling to bring enough in are unskilled (and they may be hard working, loyal and lovely) and they can't keep up.

Nikkster

chucky wrote: »

it looks someone has forgotten which user name he was logging on with

Never thought of that

fc123

diable wrote: »

You are really putting Hull down and it's people, is it really that bad?

I don't think it recovered from the 80's but I have never been up there.
I go to Stockport sometimes and it's just like my local London suburb but with nice old mills converted into luxe flats.

diable

matbe wrote: »

Because British Gas provide credit services also which one man bands can't provide maybe?

They also send 3 salesmen 5 Gas fitters and pester you with numerous after sales calls which the one man band won't do as well as the bi monthly mail shots pestering you to go for the extended warrantee as if you don't then it will cost you £1000's to sort out.........