Budget Wars - A New Hope (with apologies to George Lucas)

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  • crazy_cat_lady
    crazy_cat_lady Posts: 7,063
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    Right Bob - stop with the guilt. Nobody does guilt better than me so I'm an expert in it. I completely understand the stress related insomnia and how much more bleak life looks when you're tired. You need to look at the positives where you can and focus on all the good stuff that you're doing. I can't imagine how difficult running your own business is, but you are an amazing woman doing a great job. And how cute is your dd - all chatty and growing up so fast :D
    Is the cat ok? If so, forget the check up for a while.
    Also, I say forget the garden. It will only need weeding again in a week or two (this is why I hate it so much).
  • chanie
    chanie Posts: 3,317
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    Aaarrgghhh, I just typed a long post which my my tablet 'lost' before I posted.

    A few observation:
    closing the deal you seem to be getting the bookings, but are struggling with closing. I'd recommend trying to turn the viewings into bookings by offering an inventive e.g. a discount if you pay a deposit on viewing. Whilst viewing, you have a captive audience and you need to get them whilst there. Otherwise, they'll go away and someone else will close the deal.
    business strategy maybe you should focus on the longer term bookings as it will be guaranteed income, plus less work for you. Or maybe you should book out the venue in slots e.g. a day slot and an evening slot. If someone wants to block book your venue but aren't using it in the evening or at weekends, you should be able to use it for other events. You could state in your T & Cs something like ' whilst we endeavour to be flexible, in order to accommodate all of our clients and keep our prices competitive, the venue operates timed slots. We are a small local business and we hope you understand'.
  • Bobarella
    Bobarella Posts: 10,824
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    Right Bob - stop with the guilt. Nobody does guilt better than me so I'm an expert in it. I completely understand the stress related insomnia and how much more bleak life looks when you're tired. You need to look at the positives where you can and focus on all the good stuff that you're doing. I can't imagine how difficult running your own business is, but you are an amazing woman doing a great job. And how cute is your dd - all chatty and growing up so fast :D
    Is the cat ok? If so, forget the check up for a while.
    Also, I say forget the garden. It will only need weeding again in a week or two (this is why I hate it so much).

    Ha ha Cat, thanks for the pep talk. Im not mega guilty more just that feeling of having things dragging at the back of your mind. The cats fine. He is 11 and very content to bimble along. He does need his jabs though for insurance if nothing else.

    I know you suffer a lot with sleep. I haven't for ages but just seem to have hit a bad patch. At least my inner critic voice is that of a scowling 18month old 'No! Bad!' :rotfl:
    " Your vibe attracts your tribe":D

    Debt neutral :) 27/03/17 from £40k:eek: in the hole 2012.
    Roadkill 17 £56.58 2016-£62.28 2015- £84.20)
    RYSAW17 £1900 2016 £2,535.16 2015 £1027.20
  • Bobarella
    Bobarella Posts: 10,824
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    chanie wrote: »
    Aaarrgghhh, I just typed a long post which my my tablet 'lost' before I posted.

    A few observation:
    closing the deal you seem to be getting the bookings, but are struggling with closing. I'd recommend trying to turn the viewings into bookings by offering an inventive e.g. a discount if you pay a deposit on viewing. Whilst viewing, you have a captive audience and you need to get them whilst there. Otherwise, they'll go away and someone else will close the deal.
    business strategy maybe you should focus on the longer term bookings as it will be guaranteed income, plus less work for you. Or maybe you should book out the venue in slots e.g. a day slot and an evening slot. If someone wants to block book your venue but aren't using it in the evening or at weekends, you should be able to use it for other events. You could state in your T & Cs something like ' whilst we endeavour to be flexible, in order to accommodate all of our clients and keep our prices competitive, the venue operates timed slots. We are a small local business and we hope you understand'.

    Chanie how annoying to loose your post! What you have written is very interesting. Thank you for taking time to really consider my business issues. I do feel a bit guilty actually for how much time I am taking up from others here. This isn't supposed to be a business forum and I feel like I should be writing about more domestic stuff if that makes sense?

    On your first point. I do struggle to close a deal it's true. But there can be a range of reasons why someone might decide not to progress. So far I have encountered:

    - location not right
    - size not right
    - event ends up being postponed, sometime they come back...
    - licensing of the venue not right
    - The person has come in on a speculative look and the fit isn't right. I had this recently​ where I'd approached a great street food brand who do pop ups in pubs and markets, but couldn't see their food working in my venues environment.

    When I get the right people through the door I am quite good at getting the booking. I can see why I should pounce on them a bit more at that stage to get the money, but I like to give people chance to think about actually wanting to book. I don't know if I'd feel uncomfortable going for a pressure buy now approach?

    On longer term bookings. I have to be careful that my activities don't take me into a sub letting territory. Anything too long and my landlord could say, you aren't running a business but subletting your space.

    I currently do rent out by half day/day.

    It's the eternal question of, if you need to hire space to do your job on a regular basis, you are probably going to rent your own space long-term. So who is the customer? The occasional user. And what do they want to do? I spend hours looking for different users.

    Some that aren't viable

    - kids classes. I'd need to be running several back to back and generally it's one provider wanting space for one hour and wanting to pay around £15. It's just not worth my while

    This being London there are so many people who hold classes of a higher value nature. Tutors. Cookery schools. But often they want more central space as we are not near to transport in a central London way....(2 bus routes in a 5 mins stagger radius is not enough for some people)

    I've been focusing on the path I know myself, and have been getting a lot of leads but it's just not enough yet.

    What I need is critical mass and it seems thin on the ground. You meet one amazing person and they have such vision but mainly customers are doing several roles I find, on the business side anyway, so their own time is finite and that can change things last minute too.

    Waffling on so i will stop:)
    " Your vibe attracts your tribe":D

    Debt neutral :) 27/03/17 from £40k:eek: in the hole 2012.
    Roadkill 17 £56.58 2016-£62.28 2015- £84.20)
    RYSAW17 £1900 2016 £2,535.16 2015 £1027.20
  • mummytogirls
    mummytogirls Posts: 6,578
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    Lots of do's for you to get your teeth into Bob! Is DS back at school now, if not id start afresh next week!

    Haha to you being the most bad, aren't we always!!! xx
    Mummytogirls x

  • Bobarella
    Bobarella Posts: 10,824
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    Lots of do's for you to get your teeth into Bob! Is DS back at school now, if not id start afresh next week!

    Haha to you being the most bad, aren't we always!!! xx

    Not a bad thought ;)
    " Your vibe attracts your tribe":D

    Debt neutral :) 27/03/17 from £40k:eek: in the hole 2012.
    Roadkill 17 £56.58 2016-£62.28 2015- £84.20)
    RYSAW17 £1900 2016 £2,535.16 2015 £1027.20
  • Bobarella
    Bobarella Posts: 10,824
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    Had quite a funny one from DS today actually. He was swearing blind that the shop we go into on the way home (if we do a top up shop) is a T*sco. I explained about three times it's a S0insburys. And he can read really well etc so I was completely baffled at his insistence. Anyway, we worked through it and here's the 8 year old logic. He never gets to go into a big T*sco as there are none near us, but we do use the Metro version. And our main shop is done in a giant Sainz. So apparently he thought that small supermarkets are called T*scos and big ones are S*insburys. This from a kid who has been born and raised in urban south London. Ha ha :)
    " Your vibe attracts your tribe":D

    Debt neutral :) 27/03/17 from £40k:eek: in the hole 2012.
    Roadkill 17 £56.58 2016-£62.28 2015- £84.20)
    RYSAW17 £1900 2016 £2,535.16 2015 £1027.20
  • 117pauline
    117pauline Posts: 743
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    Another reader who had to smile at "No, Bad!" daughter comments.

    Do you take testimonials? I just wondered as they are often a way of looking at your business differently. Find out what they value and it probably will have something to do with your hardworking and accommodating nature. You sound a delight to meet.
    Don't get it perfect - Get it going
    Better Than Before
  • Bobarella
    Bobarella Posts: 10,824
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    edited 20 April 2017 at 5:22PM
    117pauline wrote: »
    Another reader who had to smile at "No, Bad!" daughter comments.

    Do you take testimonials? I just wondered as they are often a way of looking at your business differently. Find out what they value and it probably will have something to do with your hardworking and accommodating nature. You sound a delight to meet.

    Thanks Pauline, she is a funny one :rotfl:

    I do yes, I have about 20 on the Facebook page. Overall rating 4.9. I do try and get people to give honest feedback as it encourages others to book as you say.

    Thank you

    Bob
    " Your vibe attracts your tribe":D

    Debt neutral :) 27/03/17 from £40k:eek: in the hole 2012.
    Roadkill 17 £56.58 2016-£62.28 2015- £84.20)
    RYSAW17 £1900 2016 £2,535.16 2015 £1027.20
  • Bobarella
    Bobarella Posts: 10,824
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    Morning All

    Have a banana bread cooking to use up three elderly specimens, which smells gorgeous! None of my lot like or will eat banana bread, although they like fresh bananas. So I tend to make and freeze the bread and have it there for when the inevitable bake sale invitations land in the book bag.

    Wealth

    * I did receive one deposit yesterday. I used it to settle my window cleaners bill.

    * Have sent chaser messages to a couple of people that have owed me for around a week.

    * Firmed up a new viewing for tommorow. Now have a very interesting calendar....3 scattered about by very unhelpful breaks plus a late night. But I have Sunday off.

    * Have done a quick check for leftovers. Barely anything for using up. I've made a few soups recently and always lob the leftover spaghetti into them. Might squeeze out pasta and bolognaise tonight for one portion.

    * Had a quick scan of the local forum for any work. Nothing today.

    * A cold lead I'd tried came back to me confirming no interest

    * Checked social for any leads.

    Health

    * A better night was had! So feel much more refreshed today.

    Organisation

    * Business insurance renewal came through yesterday. Looks like it's gone up a few £ but not much. Need to get that sorted. Still covered till 10th May.

    * Hassle for my correct rates bill again...

    Have a good Friday!

    Bob
    " Your vibe attracts your tribe":D

    Debt neutral :) 27/03/17 from £40k:eek: in the hole 2012.
    Roadkill 17 £56.58 2016-£62.28 2015- £84.20)
    RYSAW17 £1900 2016 £2,535.16 2015 £1027.20
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