Where do you hope to be in 1 year/ 5 years?

[Paul]

My comments aint diracted straight to you johny. I am just bit sick of reading all comments how bad it is that all ppl that printing and not runing this as a busines are bad.

[jennywren]

Sorry but I lost as to how the thread gone from where will you be in 5 years to cowboys I'm sure no one meant to offend or judge, I shall a new thread about what we hate about cowboys generally. The one thing complaint I have about cowboys,is that they make cowgirls walk bow-legged, because Cowboys eat with their hats on LOL

[bigj2552]

lol....funny how threads can go from one thing - to the total opposite.....as for cowgirls walking bow legged.....is that the excuse the girls got up here in my town then lol

[Andrew]

There is a whiter than white attitude in general on this forum in fairness. I have done dodgy things along the way in business whether it be dodgy ps copies etc or the odd cash deal in the earlier days. It is standard stuff for many but the thing is people have different levels as to what they seem to think is reasonable. Judgements are often to quickly passed and many tarred with the same brush. Just my 2p as the subject has come up.

[Paul]

Thanks andrew. Well said!

[logobear]

Where in 1 year, where in 5 years? - Living with a clear conscience!
- we can all grumble about cheaters and fly by nighters, - but shits never prosper, and cheating doesn't even pay in the short term, - let alone the long term!
I would like to have as much, - or more disposable income, and time in the future, - as I did in the past before I had kids !....... fat chance !
I am more risk adverse now than I was half my life ago, - so maybe I don't deserve the same rewards.
I would love the High Street to stage a comeback, - and local supply to be valued again, . - but I keep taking baths in the hope of another 'Eureka Moment'
September '12 will mark my 25 years of personalised stuff, - and I have less staff now than I did in 1987, - but am still here and enjoying it, - so that's my wish, - to still be here and enjoying it!

[mrs maggot]

well said logo.

Paul, my only comment was on people that run it as a "second income" and do not declare it - it has nothing to do with the quality of work they produce - just the costs involved when they have "nothing to declare" to the tax man.

Yes earl that would be great if it were introduced over here, it used to happen with the suppliers in a way, but now they all seem so desperate for business, thats why you can order 1pc for the same as a carton in clothing, and they will supply to anyone

[Andrew]

Where in 1 year, where in 5 years? - Living with a clear conscience!
- we can all grumble about cheaters and fly by nighters, - but shits never prosper, and cheating doesn't even pay in the short term, - let alone the long term!
I would like to have as much, - or more disposable income, and time in the future, - as I did in the past before I had kids !....... fat chance !
I am more risk adverse now than I was half my life ago, - so maybe I don't deserve the same rewards.
I would love the High Street to stage a comeback, - and local supply to be valued again, . - but I keep taking baths in the hope of another 'Eureka Moment'
September '12 will mark my 25 years of personalised stuff, - and I have less staff now than I did in 1987, - but am still here and enjoying it, - so that's my wish, - to still be here and enjoying it!

Again though, Living with a clear conscience is relative to the individual. Shits can prosper and dodgy doings can pay off. Take Richard Branson for instance, probably our greatest Entrepreneur....... the basis of his business in the early days was built around some exceptionally dodgy deals. I know this goes for many of our top business people when starting out. If you think it's going to change then people are blind to reality.

HMRC now only give the slightest shit as there is to be money made off these people who punt about dodgy gear on ebay etc. They are not for one second telling them to stop, just make sure they cut hmrc in on the dodgy deals. With all the party planners, tupperware/avon door sales people and many others who do a bit extra to aid their earnings, they never bothered announcing they were going after them in a big way as it was worth the money. Online is now such a big thing that they feel the outlay to chase these people will be worth it. It's not a moral crusade by them just financial.

I am not for one second saying all this is dodgy stuff is a just cause, just it happens on a day to day base on a very large scale and people need to accept there is little that can be done in the large scale. I doubt there aren't many people on here that have not something dodgy along the way. As I said, what's dodgy is often in the eye of the beholder rather than to the letter of the law when it comes to discussing stuff like this on forums.

When people find these smaller guys starting out or at the very bottom a hinderance as it effects their business, you need to remember there will always be bigger guys looking down on you wishing your level of seller wasn't there either.

The way I deal with it is to accept that the people who buy of the sellers on ebay, the market trader, the one man/woman band from their house, the small peronalised shop just off the High Street, end user website and many other types of seller, the people who buy from here wouldn't buy stuff we produce so doesn't affect us. I spend my time worrying about the things that do affect me and it makes my business life far easier.

[JMugs]

OK back on the OP
My aim in 12 months is to have the business up and running. I want it web based only, no shop. I want time with my family, not flash cars, I want health through sport, not a breakdown. I want to sit in the stands and clap as the rat race goes by.

I, have and always, will run my business squeaky clean.

Mrs Janner has sorted her work environment out for that, now I am doing mine.

We don't chase material goods, we have a home, it is warm, it is dry. We can eat, we can drink, we can welcome our friends. We have the Sea and the Moors on our doorstep (well 10 minutes drive, 20 minutes on the bikes) and we make the most of them.

In five years? More of the same.

As they say "shoot for the stars, hit the moon".

Janners

[pisquee]

I went to a focus group thing for Barclays, and this was one of the questions (although it was where do you want to be in a year, as well as 5 years). The range of answers was very revealing, not so much in terms of people's ambitions, but more how realistic they were!
There was one lady who said she was a designer, and mostly did leaflets and banners for her 'network' - her churches & friends etc, she was just starting out and admitted to keeping things small to begin with, but in 12 months time she saw herself as having a £50K turnover, it seemed at present her "business" was supported by her husband who was working full time.
At the other end of the spectrum was a guy who ran a recruitment agency for hotels/catering and had worked in this area for a long time, they seemed well set up as a partnership and fairly established with some good clients (big recognisable brands)... his ambition for the 12 months was to still be in business.