Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: richyp on January 21, 2009, 06:22:56 pm
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lost 7 commercial jobs today, things r starting to bite now so you guys should tighten your belts. i think we have 18 to 24 months of bad times ahead as things r going to get alot worse before they get better. i am starting to worry now as i have lost alot of jobs lately. i am seriously thinking of buying a domestic round to fall back on. any of you guys losing work?
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The commercial jobs I have are fine,lost a few on residential .
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i have even lost a subway which has went under which really surprises me, i thought subway would have been bullet proof!!!
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Lost two residential customers and one commercial -only a small one so not too bothered and have picked up more than i have lost not really starting to bite here yet but no doubt at some point it will
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lost 7 commercial jobs today, things r starting to bite now so you guys should tighten your belts. i think we have 18 to 24 months of bad times ahead as things r going to get alot worse before they get better. i am starting to worry now as i have lost alot of jobs lately. i am seriously thinking of buying a domestic round to fall back on. any of you guys losing work?
Short answer is yes.
and if anyone is stupid enough to think they will not be losing work shortly are putting there heads in the clouds and are the ones that will pay the high price in the long run. I learnt long ago not to put all my eggs in one basket I learnt this the very hard way. A close person to me is doing the same what you have just said and they own quite a large outfit and are doing just that hence why they will get past these hard times, thinking your not going to be affected = A very silly business minded person IMO.
Good on you for being honest ;)
Ian
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very very good point window washers!!
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Not surprising some subways are disappearing, they are a franchise operation some of the towns they have set up in were never really viable outlets for over priced sarnies in the 1st place imo
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I Lost a decent anchor contract a the start of the month a real kick in the you know what
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We lost money from a car showroom cutting back from weekly to bi-weekly, cost us £110 per month!
The others will follow suit soon, so we are busy leafletting the areas we already have residential custies in.
Domestic is going to be the safer option at the moment IMO.
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I Lost a decent anchor contract a the start of the month a real kick in the you know what
I,ll be losing 3 anchor jobs in a couple of months as didn,t put in for them again due to their t/o requirements. :(
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I know some will call me a doom merchant, but I really am afraid of what's happening to this country.
A leading US financial guru has advised anyone that is holding Stirling to sell it now.
I have just checked and the pound is down to $1.37, I was getting £2 for a quid last August.
We know that the US is in deep trouble, so where the hell does that put us, when our currency is in free-fall against the US dollar? We have just bailed the banks out another 50 billion, where the hell is all this money coming from? who's doing the lending? And how the hell are we going to pay it back?
What happens if this latest bailout doesn't work? Questions, questions, but I don't hear any answers.
If unemployment continues to rise, and it will, we are going to affected good style, a double whammy in fact, the first one because fewer people are going to be able to afford us, and the second one from more and more guys that have lost their jobs becoming window cleaners.
There have been loads of newbies on this site asking for advice.
I don't see anyone saying they are packing it in.
All the signs are there to be seen, and they are all very ominous. I am afraid, and I have no mortgage, no debts, and receive my pension. I also have two fishing boats and a mile of net so I won't starve. I'm sorry guys but it's all looking very scary to me.
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I lost a lot last Jan-June in Torbay (Torquay was/still is the worst place for job cuts in Devon), but been picking up new ones (commercial and domestic) elsewhere ever since.
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We're doomed....Mr Mannering..........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...... :-\
;)
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Since last august we have lost 2 domestics and 1 commercial, last january we started sending letters out to nursing homes and schools which are pretty recession proof,we sent 50 letters out and converted 10 into regular contracts,last december we tendered for quite a large residential village complex, and last week we found out that we had been awarded the contract for it,yes there is a recession/credit crunch but there is still a lot of work out there. We do not leaflet drop at all,it is all from referrals,neighbours seeing us,or friends and family,i think because our customers have had to come and find us,rather than us trying to get them,ie leaflet,doorknocking that this has helped in keeping them in my opinion.
Malcolm
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Fair play to you Malcolm, there is a lesson there to all of us.
I know its bad, but we must stay in a positive state of mind, so that we can create chances, and grab them when they arrive.
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i have even lost a subway which has went under which really surprises me, i thought subway would have been bullet proof!!!
that is surprising, they are opening new Subways round here
subways are all franchises.. if a local one is going under thats due to its management and lack of custom from locals, nothing to do with the "chain".
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My accountant is full of doom and gloom - reckons this year everyone will suffer and strongly advises getting rid of overheads PDQ. Stay agile and alert, take all that's offered because even in our well heeled area of wealthy retired it will still hit.
I of course, being a window cleaner remain positive. We have lost one or two, but gaining all the time.
Chris
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went out today handed 2 business introduction letters into a shared building i was passing that looked like it needed a window cleaner, phone call 15mins later can i come and see them, straight in. fellow i met said we already have someone but could you give us a quote. I said you obviously want a cheaper price what do you pay already he told me, i undercut it. he's ringing me back ?
Now he's going to ring the other fella and say i've had a cheaper quote, the other fella can say a/ i'll match it b/ i'll go cheaper or c/ stuff you. [ the quote i gave will give me £30 an hour + it's round the corner from me ] . Not chuffed but business is business.
Went out later that day, restaraunt i'd had to skip twice due to icy weather [ new client ] told me sorry they had got someone else , bit quick but got to accept it , but they didn't like his attitude and if i matched his price and work then they might reconsider. 180 panes [ 3 by 1 ] inside and out between 11am and 12pm [ in an hour ] must be done trad [ i'm WFP and not great at trad ] £20 a fortnight. :o [ going to see them tommorow turning that one down ]
My [ lenghty ] point is i can see this happening more and more and it will drive our prices down not just the undercutters but now it's the customers as well
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you silly boy ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D says manering
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if you want to make money ditch the bucket and get a subway open near me
meatball sarnie cant get enogh while im on the subject can we get a big tasty back at mc
petion enyone
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Guys just do what my six yr old sung to me
" even when the dark clouds are up in the sky you mustn't sigh and you mustn't cry spread a little happiness as you go buy , please try" it cheered me up no end ;D
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Don`t let it build up or snowball,everytime you lose just 1 make a real effort to replace it straight away that way you will always be where you were the day-week before.If you are losing work at a rapid rate get out and drop some leaflets or canvass.
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Think you mean "you stupid boy"
::)
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yes thats the one ;D ;D ;D ;D
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lost 7 commercial jobs today, things r starting to bite now so you guys should tighten your belts. i think we have 18 to 24 months of bad times ahead as things r going to get alot worse before they get better. i am starting to worry now as i have lost alot of jobs lately. i am seriously thinking of buying a domestic round to fall back on. any of you guys losing work?
Short answer is yes.
and if anyone is stupid enough to think they will not be losing work shortly are putting there heads in the clouds and are the ones that will pay the high price in the long run. I learnt long ago not to put all my eggs in one basket I learnt this the very hard way. A close person to me is doing the same what you have just said and they own quite a large outfit and are doing just that hence why they will get past these hard times, thinking your not going to be affected = A very silly business minded person IMO.
Good on you for being honest ;)
Ian
Too right. It's always a good idea to spread the risks. A window cleaner's hedge fund no less :)
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In reply to Dai - lookyouboyo - stop worrying mate! ;D
Anywhere in the UK - will you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back food in your belly and heating in your home? Yes.
A vehicle on the road? Probably.
Now knowing that those basics will be there then just carry on working and knock on doors looking for those in government jobs or retired.
Yeah we might not have a holiday or buy a new telly or upgrade our car but those of us with existing rounds aren't going to starve.
And if competition from newbies bothers you - if it's tough for you then think how tough it is going to be for them starting from scratch.
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So true Malc, I would not like to be starting out this year.... :-\
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i second that 10% unemployed still leaves 90% employed, if everyone ie media had not scare mongered about "THE CREDIT CRUNCH" it would'nt have been nearly as bad! people are still opening shops, starting business but not much interest is put into the positive things. Remember not so long ago we were constantly being told we would be blown up by terrorists if we went on aplane or something or before we were going to be eaten alive by flesh eating bugs it serves the media to scare us but they are ruining our country as sure as our benifit system is!
lets just hear the positives for a while people lose jobs all the time and get new ones. we lose customers all year around for varying reasons and we get others, Thats life, now come on lets all be positive as said i have more than i need to live millions never have anything like so in essance we are all very spoilt!
Happy thoughts!!!!!! ;)
paul
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In reply to Dai - lookyouboyo - stop worrying mate! ;D
Anywhere in the UK - will you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back food in your belly and heating in your home? Yes.
A vehicle on the road? Probably.
Now knowing that those basics will be there then just carry on working and knock on doors looking for those in government jobs or retired.
Yeah we might not have a holiday or buy a new telly or upgrade our car but those of us with existing rounds aren't going to starve.
Your right mate, I may have to do without my month in Bali this year, some airlines are quoting 4 grand just for our tickets.
I like to weigh up the facts, imagine the worse case scenario, and make contingensies to deal with that
And if competition from newbies bothers you - if it's tough for you then think how tough it is going to be for them starting from scratch.
Your right mate, I may have to do without my month in Bali this year, some airlines are quoting 4 grand just for our tickets.
I like to weigh up the facts, imagine the worse case scenario, and make contingencies to deal with that. If things don't turn out so bad, then I won't have to draw on some of those contingencies.
The problem I have at the moment is that I don't know all the facts, far too many variables in the equation. I heard that American Guru yesterday, and he scared the hell out of me, he is the right hand man to the guy that made billions out of us having to get out of the E.R.M.
This guy was saying that all these bale outs just won't work, we should let the banks go belly up and start afresh. Now that really scares me, if that was to happen I may well lose the few poultry grand that I have managed to save over the years, and I'm too old to start again from scratch.
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Hello all,
Here in the States we are really having troubles with commercial accounts. They are either turning off service or going belly-up.
I am very curious to see how spring is with residential.
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I started as a market trader in 1990. No decent market would have me and i had to start on a sunday gaffe. I had a maestro with a cracked windscreen that i used to cart round banana boxes of stock and a plywood board to put it on.
The worst was when a neighbour or someone you knew came by, and it seemed that everyone had had the same idea i did. A lot of miners had picked up 40k plus in redundancy back then, and they all came in pairs in newish vans selling sportswear. I was sure i was a goner.
But often there wasn't enough money for two to share, or they would fall out over who did the most work.To cut a long story short, they mostly failed and i ended up okayish ;D
I see similarities with todays WC startups. Many will have partnerships that won't work, some will expect income from day one, while the business plan of still others will include continueing to claim benefits.
We have to hunker down and dig in and when the storm passes hope we're still here.
Just thought i'd cheer you all up ;D
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I have heard a whisper a certain UK bank is about to go under with horrifc undisclosed losses.
Dont know the details. Cant comment further.
Probably a good idea to watch the news in the next few days.....
Looks like its going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
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I have heard a whisper a certain UK bank is about to go under with horrifc undisclosed losses.
Dont know the details. Cant comment further.
Probably a good idea to watch the news in the next few days.....
Looks like its going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
i do not think we will not see any high street banks go now, the gov will step in
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went out today handed 2 business introduction letters into a shared building i was passing that looked like it needed a window cleaner, phone call 15mins later can i come and see them, straight in. fellow i met said we already have someone but could you give us a quote. I said you obviously want a cheaper price what do you pay already he told me, i undercut it. he's ringing me back ?
Now he's going to ring the other fella and say i've had a cheaper quote, the other fella can say a/ i'll match it b/ i'll go cheaper or c/ stuff you. [ the quote i gave will give me £30 an hour + it's round the corner from me ] . Not chuffed but business is business.
Went out later that day, restaraunt i'd had to skip twice due to icy weather [ new client ] told me sorry they had got someone else , bit quick but got to accept it , but they didn't like his attitude and if i matched his price and work then they might reconsider. 180 panes [ 3 by 1 ] inside and out between 11am and 12pm [ in an hour ] must be done trad [ i'm WFP and not great at trad ] £20 a fortnight. :o [ going to see them tommorow turning that one down ]
My [ lenghty ] point is i can see this happening more and more and it will drive our prices down not just the undercutters but now it's the customers as well
i was asked to give a quote just before christmas , they then said if you beat this price ( the existing WC'ers ) its yours, i am afraid i said " you have my priced, you have my number, call me if you want my service "
i guess i wasnt happy with undercutting, i s.pose it might come down to i have to, but intill i have to, its not for me
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I have heard a whisper a certain UK bank is about to go under with horrifc undisclosed losses.
Dont know the details. Cant comment further.
Probably a good idea to watch the news in the next few days.....
Looks like its going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
i do not think we will not see any high street banks go now, the gov will step in
This bank will dissapear.
Its losses are f%&&ing ERNORMOUS!! :o
You know the 'other site' I'm on dont you matt?....PM me there, I'll give you the low down (all hearsay at present...but pretty bloomin strong hearsay!!).
David.
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david email me i wouldnt want it to be a bank im with ;)
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Would it be th Kilt wearing Bank or another one?
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david email me i wouldnt want it to be a bank im with ;)
Can you remind me of your email please Ronnie?
Its all very 'cloak and dagger' at the moment, but this source is pretty reliable normally.
I doubt your savings or investmets will be affected. They will be covered by the governments blanket guaruntee which came about after Northern Rock...they can hardly bail on THAT promise now
....can they?? :o
Put it this way.....I tried placing a short trade tonight and it was 'not offered' !!!!!
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Would it be th Kilt wearing Bank or another one?
Honestly, I wouldnt like to say.
This sort of thing can fall fouls of the regulators :o ...its called market manipulation.
I could be done for setting off rumours to shore up my bet in the opposite direction.
Suffice to say, your savings will be guarunteed. You have nothing to fear.
Another bank will go down the pan within the week. That was my only point.
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Id be intrested in knowing which bank it is if possible dave0123@merseymail.com
thanks
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ronberclear@yahoo.co.uk
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oh for goodness sake david
stop talking yourself in to a corner
let the banks do the banking and the window cleaners do the window cleaning
all that matters is WHAT YOU DO
good god some folk are never happier than when spreading negative vibes
remember the good authority we all got about the computer bug in 2000...still waiting
bet you dont work on the 13th..step over cracks in the pavement...... and never walk under ladders lol
c'mon cheer up YOU DONT WORK FOR THE BANK.....you have a good job, your job you are in control
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oh for goodness sake david
stop talking yourself in to a corner
let the banks do the banking and the window cleaners do the window cleaning
all that matters is WHAT YOU DO
good god some folk are never happier than when spreading negative vibes
remember the good authority we all got about the computer bug in 2000...still waiting
bet you dont work on the 13th..step over cracks in the pavement...... and never walk under ladders lol
c'mon cheer up YOU DONT WORK FOR THE BANK.....you have a good job, your job you are in control
here, here,
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oh for goodness sake david
stop talking yourself in to a corner
let the banks do the banking and the window cleaners do the window cleaning
all that matters is WHAT YOU DO
good god some folk are never happier than when spreading negative vibes
remember the good authority we all got about the computer bug in 2000...still waiting
bet you dont work on the 13th..step over cracks in the pavement...... and never walk under ladders lol
c'mon cheer up YOU DONT WORK FOR THE BANK.....you have a good job, your job you are in control
here, here,
If you cant see the correlation between banks going under and your work......then the very best of luck to you :)
I have been arguing this point for over a year on this site (and over THREE years on other sites!) that we are entering very uncertain times and you need to plan accordingly.
You dont think a bank going under (with those associated job losses) and ramifications for business's that borrow from that bank?
I wish I could be so casual.
If your customer loses their job - this will directly impact on YOUR business. True or false?
I dont expect or want or need you to listen to what I say. What possible motive could I have for 'wishing' my business model to fail?
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A friend of mine often uses a saying that I think is very appropriate. He says "If you move one grain of sand on a beach every other piece of sand is affected"
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Casual? yeah right
you still miss the point ,whether the banks or anyone else goes down you are still in control of your business.
Stop looking for sympathy or a government bale out and get out there and find some new business
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I don't think anyone on here was looking for a government bailout! Just generally discussing the current economic situation!
Banks closing may be out of our control but it affects everyone's business - surely it is best to look at all outcomes for the future rather than being short-sighted and ending up in trouble?
Claire
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Not when you have all the banks money lol
Seriously i understand what all you mean and it is important to be aware of the economic climate
but c'mon how do you think the climate is going to improve if you all sit brooding and worrying
As others have said we are talking ourselves into recession, whether the country or the global climate is failing it doesn't have to impact on you
We lost a major client before xmas and forsaw all the down sides but guess who just won the largest contract of their short business lives
Stand up straight look in the mirror and say "today I am going to be enthusiastic, driven and succesful"
so what if the banks are going down if you work hard enough maybe you can benefit from the bigger unemployment queues, now we get to pick and choose our workers, they have to fit in with our needs not like the past years when the job market was so bouyant that they could pick and choose who to work for.
Maybe you can employ the bank staff, maybe global warming will kill us all off maybe maybe maybe
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maybe maybe maybe you been listening to showadywady
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maybe I was it must have been the other night when I was out for a walk with my wife under the moon of love
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nice one
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hi david any chance of emailing me the name of the bank if i have anything in there i would prefer to move it rather than rely on government promises my email is trevor90@talktalk.net
thanks
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I have just checked and the pound is down to $1.37, I was getting £2 for a quid last August.
Ooh, that's good news!
I'm waiting for a $200 payment from New York for some photography work, and that means I'll get £135-odd instead of £100. ;D
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On the topic...
I've had one customer cut back to 8-weekly, and that's it.
Depends where you live I suppose.
If you're in an industrial area (like up north) then there will be job losses.
Where I live every other car is a Range Rover, so I ain't worried.
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hi david any chance of emailing me the name of the bank if i have anything in there i would prefer to move it rather than rely on government promises my email is trevor90@talktalk.net
thanks
email on its way.
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hi david any chance of emailing me the name of the bank if i have anything in there i would prefer to move it rather than rely on government promises my email is trevor90@talktalk.net
thanks
email on its way.
Hope it's Abbey. I owe THEM money. Be nice to have it written off.
Yeah. I know. It doesn't really happen that way.
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E mail us the bank mate
Thankyou,
John.
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Or if 'big and bouncy NY' decide to bump you squeaks you are down £137 instead of £100.
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lost another contract today and they owe me over 600 notes, happy day eh!! going to buy a domestic round incase of more losses. up in the north east companys r going bust on a daily basis
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E mail us the bank mate
Thankyou,
John.
email sent.
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Or if 'big and bouncy NY' decide to bump you squeaks you are down £137 instead of £100.
One one the biggest magazines in America?
It's already in the post smartarse.
Not only that, but there was a written contract.
Nice try. ;)
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BARCLAYS BANK PLC.
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Or if 'big and bouncy NY' decide to bump you squeaks you are down £137 instead of £100.
One one the biggest magazines in America?
So Time Magazine is only paying you £100 for a photo?
The tightwads!
Can we see the photo on the off topic area?
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What do you mean "only"?
The going rate for mags is usually £15-30!
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Or if 'big and bouncy NY' decide to bump you squeaks you are down £137 instead of £100.
One one the biggest magazines in America?
So Time Magazine is only paying you £100 for a photo?
The tightwads!
Can we see the photo on the off topic area?
this is the 2nd post tonight you have appeared to be looking of for rog
whats going on ?? ??
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Todays Times (January 24th)
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article5576421.ece
Today Financial Times online
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0d1b6be4-e98c-11dd-9535-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1
“UK banks may be in a death spiral.”
"Concern remains that bank is on the brink"
"Mr Chen said that, to regain trust, the bank needed to “mark to market” the value of some assets on its balance sheet – in other words, show them in the books at their current market price. Barclays has been reluctant to do this, arguing it plans to hold many of its toxic investments to maturity."
Seems Barclays wont go down without a fight. It wont write down it assets and declare its ENORMOUS losses!
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Would you believ my mobile rings, custy wants quote, and while im on mobile landline goes and wife takes message from custy wanting qoute too.
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Same here phone has been ringing as normal, since last week,( now Christmas & New Year are finally over), the day is getting a little longer and soon be getting warmer.
All the window cleaners I know have lost some residential, but as usual pick up more. Commercial lost one picked up two soon after.
;D
I know it's small beer but I've now picked up three jobs in the past week without looking. Annual value c. 760.
Won't be much good though if the whole banking system is about to drop down the toilet.
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Same here phone has been ringing as normal, since last week,( now Christmas & New Year are finally over), the day is getting a little longer and soon be getting warmer.
All the window cleaners I know have lost some residential, but as usual pick up more. Commercial lost one picked up two soon after.
;D
I know it's small beer but I've now picked up three jobs in the past week without looking. Annual value c. 760.
Won't be much good though if the whole banking system is about to drop down the toilet.
That wont happen :)
Some banks are going to be swallowed up by other banks. Some banks will dissapear. Any deposits you have will be safe (held in UK regulated accounts).
Its a portent of what is to come. Its not going to be pretty but its not the end of world either.
Things are going to get worse. Then they'll get better.
How we (personally) ride out the storm is the key.
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Did you tell them 4 weekly but going to turn up in 12 ;D
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iv have a full worklaod but iv never been more than a week behind and even thats rare ;)
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starting to catch up now smartarse,work im on now only 7 weeks since it was cleaned,another couple of weeks will probley just be running a week behind on monthly and spot on with fortnightly,when you get a full workload you will encounter these problems,lost day and half because of snow this week ;D ;D
not if your wfp you wont ;) :P
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starting to catch up now smartarse,work im on now only 7 weeks since it was cleaned,another couple of weeks will probley just be running a week behind on monthly and spot on with fortnightly,when you get a full workload you will encounter these problems,lost day and half because of snow this week ;D ;D
not if your wfp you wont ;) :P
oh yes i would,its not just the cleaning its getting the car onto the main rd,they dont grit side streets round here ;D
would not know I own the street I iive in, wfp has its perk lol
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With all this talk of losing customers I've been busy knocking doors and approaching businesses and picking up plenty of work. That way, the few residential jobs that I have lost will not be important.
Trade up in bad times and you'll survive and often prosper; if you wait to see what will happen you're buggered!!!
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How are you approaching bussinesses, person, phone, email, letter.
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Trade up in bad times and you'll survive and often prosper; if you wait to see what will happen you're buggered!!!
Good post.
Many might view this as a problem, but for anyone who remains flexible this is an opportunity.
These are quite exciting times i reckon. More excitement on the way i'm sure.
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Trade up in bad times and you'll survive and often prosper; if you wait to see what will happen you're buggered!!!
Good post.
Many might view this as a problem, but for anyone who remains flexible this is an opportunity.
These are quite exciting times i reckon. More excitement on the way i'm sure.
I tend to agree with you, I will change with the times if needbe I am insured for both
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Trade up in bad times and you'll survive and often prosper; if you wait to see what will happen you're buggered!!!
Good post.
Many might view this as a problem, but for anyone who remains flexible this is an opportunity.
These are quite exciting times i reckon. More excitement on the way i'm sure.
I agree with this 100% if you sit on the fence and wait to see whats going to happen its too late.
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we r doomed ;D