Picking myself up and dusting myself down!

Puddleglum · 9 April 2019 at 7:43AM

Feeling a bit flat this morning. Hard to identify the reason.

The supply agency contacted me yesterday to say they didn't have my National Insurance number. How did that happen? I've filled in so many forms for them.

I got told off for advertising in a local FB group. True I hadn't read the terms and conditions very thoroughly! So I apologised and the admin was ok about it.

Have had one more person contact me about my group challenge so if I can get a few people together I'll run it again starting on Saturday.

The belt is well and truly tightened here. No coffee as that's a luxury. Two meals a day and no snacks. I say no snacks as I have nibbled everything in the cupboard that is nibbleable. All that is left is a tin of sardines and they are earmarked for tomorrow's breakfast.

On a brighter note, I have one proper client today, a tutoring session and an initial consultation to do. Time to stop being flat and get on with it!

jwil · 9 April 2019 at 7:43PM

Hope you are feeling a bit chirpier now.

Puddleglum · 10 April 2019 at 12:01PM

Hi Jwil, great to see you!

Things did get better as the day went on. I hit despair when the people I have been training with said that they were taking the money out of my account even though I had applied for a payment holiday and been awarded a month off. Plenty of emailing later and it turned out to be a case of right hand and left hand not knowing what each other was doing. All, all right in the end!.

I brought in £80 yesterday. Total in bank now (drum roll please) £349. Client yesterday hasn't paid - better remind her. That will be a new challenge, tactful reminders.

Should net £70 today. Need £900 minimum by the end of the month. This is going to be tight!

So money saving today. Not buying anything except some eggs for breakfast for the next few days. I might use my National Trust card and go for a walk this afternoon after tutoring as the property is on my way back. very light touch on the accelerator. Look for free parking even if I have to walk miles. This will be quite a challenge on Friday as I have to go to Reading for an NCS assessment. £10 to park for 5 hours!

There is a park and ride scheme though which will only cost £5. Better look into that.

PositiveBalance · 11 April 2019 at 11:56PM

You're doing very well to drum up so much business on your own in little time. Well done!

Long may it continue! :T

Puddleglum · 14 April 2019 at 10:05PM

Hi ya PB!

I think that everyone who manages to get themselves established in a business has to go through periods of dark despair, near bankruptcy, cancelled plans and general woes. Not many of them let on though. "Oh, it was a breeze. I just fell off that log and was a millionaire before I brushed my teeth." Yeah, right!

Because it is hard people aren't keen on cooperating with others in the same field which is a shame because competitors are rarely in the same niche and we can learn so much from each other. I'm really fortunate to have found a few people to work with and share skills with.

Will be back tomorrow with a cunning plan for the week. A bit of FB posting beckons now :beer:

doingitanyway · 15 April 2019 at 11:17AM

Hi Puddleglum.
You are doing great. It will be hard initially but you will get there as you seem so determined.
Wishing you all the best

Puddleglum · 15 April 2019 at 6:08PM

Hi doingitanyway. Thanks for the vote of confidence! Today has been good. I've picked up another 4 hours of tutoring for this week and there is potentially another two hours still to come so that will be 11 hours in total.

Next week is still a bit of a mystery. I may well be doing supply but it will be good if I can dodge at least some of that as I am booked onto two courses, Tuesday and Thursday. The Tuesday course is about sales techniques and can be dropped more easily than Thursday's which is all about using LinkyInny.

I met someone for coffee this afternoon who is working in a similar area to me. We may be able to collaborate in the future and I have picked up some ideas for getting funding. Didn't ask what the lead time between applying and approval was though :-(

Puddleglum · 22 April 2019 at 7:44AM

Time for an update.

I have got £20 left in my food budget for the month which will probably be spent today and I will have to stretch it as far as poss to get to the end of the month.

There are 10 tutoring sessions booked for next week which is a relief as that means that I can pay for May (just!). I will have to underpay my landlady again - she's probably keeping a record and I may have to ask for a second month holiday on my course fees but I'm still going!!!!

I got the public speaker trainer role with the NCS which I'm hoping will work out to one day per week over the summer. It may not be as much as that though so will brace myself for disappointment. Need to get the paperwork done for that today.

Apart from buying some food and a bottle of wine I have not spent anything or driven the car anywhere this weekend which is a bit of a plus. One of the things I love is a drive around the Somerset Levels in the sunshine; parking up and going for a walk. Instead I have been mucking out the house. More to do today before heading off back east for the week but my rule is that any money I find while cleaning is mine, all mine. I'm about a quid up on the weekend.

Next week I'm going to put together my signature program so that I'm very clear in my mind what I'm doing when I talk to people and spell out my sales funnel on paper. Clarity and conviction converts clients (sounds good whether it works or not)!

Puddleglum · 22 April 2019 at 10:40AM

Popping back to make note of serious point.

Minimum credit card repayment for this month is £107. I have no choice at the moment other than to plough on but the mind is being sharply focussed!

Goal for future: repay all debt by the end of 2019. No plan as yet but have liberated an extra 10p from the tumble dryer. #cleaningpays

PositiveBalance · 22 April 2019 at 10:10PM

It might not feel like it, but I think the amount of business you have managed to drum in next to no time is phenomenal!

Long may it continue!

Happy belated Easter, Puddleglum and here's to even more business in the near future. :beer:

Picking myself up and dusting myself down!

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