[neil 47]

 I found out  on Monday that I have to leave my house on  Tuesday and everything I own .
I have a 9 year old , no car or license until April the 4th
I have temporary accommodation  (living with parents) but cant get there with all the kids stuff.

I will have about £15000 my question is how would you start again if you found your self in my postion

i have posted this on here as i have been on this forum for 8 years and trust the judgement of most of you 

Neil

[Mike Halliday]

do you mean how do you start personally or business wise?

[Colin Day]

You know what I think cos I told you face to face yesterday....

Which was invest in a 2nd hand TM (yes, 2nd hand) and van set up. You know how to run a business already, I reckon with a TM, you'll clean up pal... Especially in Hull as I've heard they're all expensive over that way. So you could under-cut them all....

I would definitely keep enough back to take the the kids (if you can call your big lad a kid) on holiday, you all deserve a decent break...

Good luck pal, I'm going to miss my occasional drinking buddy....

[Neil Williams]

I will have about £15000 my question is how would you start again if you found your self in my postion

Not quite sure I understand what your situation is? Bankrupt, split from wife, banned from driving etc
One things for sure you're going to be a bit stuffed in this occupation without the ability to drive or be driven around to jobs.

[neil 47]

I lost my license because my wife rang me new years eve at midnight to say she was going to kill herself.
I rang the police to tell them as i had been drinking ,4am i rang them they couldn't find her. 7am she rang me  distraught said she was going to jump in the sea so i jumped in the car and drove to falmouth police station to find out what was happening and being the scum that they are the decided to breathalise me and i was 1 point over so i lost my license my job and the house .

The question is two parts one is getting housing setting off again on your own

and the other is which buissness would you go into. I have been cc for 8 p/t

[Mike Halliday]

it hard to give advice without specific details.... but some of this might be applicable

sign on the dole, apply for council housing. claim any insurance you have of credit card loans etc

where is your equipment ,don't you still have it?

if you get your licence back in April can you get a van and hire a driver/ helper who can drive you about at first then maybe stay on as you might find it hard to get insurance with a D/D conviction.

living with your parents is a good idea as it will keep your outgoings down until you get sorted

good luck


Ps; be careful taking advice from Colin.... remember he's an oven cleaner who only dabbles in carpet cleaning

[neil 47]

cheers mike , got a driver when i get to Barnsley , get working tax credits through doing cc.

Mike how would you start if you ,had move somewhere else with nothing would you use all your capital and buy a truckmount or start small

[neil 47]

Anyway wheres Tosh when you need him

probably meditating somewhere

[JandS]

How do you lose your house for drink driving?
Not much of a ban either.

[Mike Halliday]

if I was moving to a town and starting from zero..... a few ideas

if you are looking to rent a new home think very carefully about the location....if you can afford it  live in the area that contains the customers you want to work for live where the money is

straight away employ a part time helper ( or 2 ) buy 50k leaflets then start putting them out 3 hours every day.

you have £15K.... £3k of it will pay 2 helper part time for 3 months. I promise you 3hrs a day for 3 months leafleting will kick start your business but you need the bottle to commit to 3months of doing this don't give up after 2 weeks with no calls they will come just keep going



the equipment is secondary..... if a good portable or T/m comes up then buy it.

[from edge2edge]

Neil thats a shxx deal but as they say Necessity is the mother of invention so dont look upon the guy you have lined as a driver but get him smar and in the same uniform and encourage him to be working with you as part of the team.Get loads of own spotter labels which cost about £2 a piece and get him to give them out in the street/office you are working in(better than advertising).Also encourage them to ask the client if they want another room for £10 say and give him the money in his hand if they agree.In short use him as a resource for everything not just driving and you will have found a good team member not just a driver.Best of luck mate............Alan(swindon)

[from edge2edge]

That should read get him smart

[wynne jones]

Start by putting  behind you how you ended up in a mess, it's done, it's history.

Focus on where you want to go. Think of it as an opportunity and something that you will look back on as a positive in your life however daft that may seem now.

Draw up a list of all your assets and how you can use them. Your biggest assets are usually intangibles like your experience/skills, contacts, discipline, health etc as well as equipment, saving etc.

Then get going, and all the best! 

[Ian Gourlay]

Neil

20 years ago i went bust from my retail business so had nothing. You just have to pick yourself up and start all over again. You have age on your side. life might appear to be tough at present.

You have enough funds to be able to rent a nice place for you and your child, If you do not earn enough you can get Housing Benefit and tax credits, this will give you enough for food heat light rent etc.

Make sure you keep your profits low and continue to plough surplus back into business until your customer base is large enough to justify a mortgage or paying the full cost of rent.

Personally I would make sure you have reliable equipment and a van that is not going to continually cost so i would advise second hand.

You can live with parents but you have choices and you are starting over with a healthy amount

While waiting for your driving lience  get your marketing ready . two weeks before you are ready go door knocking or mass leaflet your area 4 hours a day ie 40 hrs in total.

Stop feeling sorry for yourself and see this as opportunity.

Hire removal van and store goods in a container in Barnsley . Get to Barnsley by Train or Bus

I remember years ago when stranded in Newcastle traveling South on National Express only took me 18 hrs to get to Norfolk.

I am sorry to hear about your wifes problems as I have had similar with mine and have had to pick her up after two suicides over 20 years of her brother and sister.

[neil 47]

thanks Ian really good advice , i,m past the feeling sorry bit and i do see it as a opportunity.

Thats why i asked for advice so that i make the most of it , and the ideas are helping . it was just a shock when they told me on monday i had to be out Tuesday.

Dont worr i,m not as bad as Mark was lol
   

[Colin Day]

it hard to give advice without specific details.... but some of this might be applicable

sign on the dole, apply for council housing. claim any insurance you have of credit card loans etc

where is your equipment ,don't you still have it?

if you get your licence back in April can you get a van and hire a driver/ helper who can drive you about at first then maybe stay on as you might find it hard to get insurance with a D/D conviction.

living with your parents is a good idea as it will keep your outgoings down until you get sorted

good luck


Ps; be careful taking advice from Colin.... remember he's an oven cleaner who only dabbles in carpet cleaning

Actually, I only dabble in both, I only have a business so my wife can't claim I'm a kept man....

[Ian Gourlay]

Neil

You also asked should I stay Carpet Cleaning.

I was going to say consider getting a waterfed pole system also and build a small Window Cleaning Round but if I remember correctly you had some sort of admin job so might not like being outdoors, But there are loads of other low cost diversifications. However I think Mike H came up with a good plan for you.

Could you not get Colin to make a few trips North or a least Hire a Big Van and drive it for you?

[neil 47]

Hi Ian i worked in contract mining for 10 years and tossed it off with the council for ten years , so the f/d pole would be a good idea , im going to do what you said i get someone to run me up with a van ,

cheers neil  , hope you are ok now

[Steve Rothwell]

Neil 8 days notice is not a enough for you to have to vacate your house.

How come it is only that time, have you been informed and ignored it?

[neil 47]

  Hi Hector
they had to be out of there house or they would have to wait another month and i couldnt afford to be stuck with the house and debts .