[Ian Gourlay]

i got turned down for a business loan, they said i needed a busness plan, so i went away and did a business plan, when i went back they still said no, i asked why and the guy said, TBH, we always send people away who haven't got an income to cover the loan, the business plan is a smokescreen. so i went to the top honcho and complained that they had made me do all this work for nothing and they were a disgrace etc.. so they borrowed me half and gave me the other half as an overdraft fascility.
so there ya go, business plans are sheeeeyite and thats from the horses mouth, actually, from the black horses mouth, ha ha, dya get it, black horse? that bank with the horse? the black one? awwwwww forget it.

Yeah I know all about the black horse , When i had my retail empire it raised its leg and pooed all over me

[feldon]

Yeah I know all about the black horse , When i had my retail empire it raised its leg and pooed all over me
[/quote]

I know what you mean Ian, I too had a retail empire (5 shops) before the banks and Blair and he half-wits ruined it all, what sort of shops did you have.

[Kinver_Clean]

My wife & I , in 1980 started a business and we went to the bank for a loan. This was in the days when it was much easier.
Whenever we wanted a laugh in the following years when things were hard we just got out the business plan.

As for Blair & his crooked cronies- why do you think I am still working when I had two pension plans in place for a happy retirement at 65?? ---  Half of it disappeared due to our last dear beloved leader's grubby fingers in the till. 
.

[david@zap-clean]

If you want to know how to run a simple 'man and a van' service type business (like carpet cleaning) here's a tip:

Go on some oven-cleaning franchising open days - you'll learn nothing about carpet cleaning, but a huge amount about running a small business

 

[MAX Carpets]

Ian - Richard

I too come from aRetail Empire destryed by Mr Blair and his crew allowing supermarkets to destroy small traders. I had 5 pound shops, also imported direct from The Far East and supplied other shops nationwide. Be interesting to know your stories.

Justin
07592898298

[feldon]

Hi Justin

Along with my brother we owned 5 gift shops mainly aimed at American tourists in Stratford-upon-Avon, Windsor and Carmbridge but we lost 40% turnover overnight following 11/09/01, we tried to change our business to appeal to more local customers and also downsized over the following years but in 2004 the business was not big enough to support both myself and my brother so he brought me out.  I then purchased a Post Office which I ran successfully for two years but even though it was my business and was self-employed it felt very much like i was an employee of the Post Office and they were closing branches left, right and center at the time. So selling mine at the begining of 2007 i retrained as a mortgage adviser only for the recession to completley destroyed the mortgage industry, at the age of 43 (at the time) and having been self-employed for around 20 years I found it impossible to find employed work, did some commission only sales roles until I started my carpet cleaning business in 2010, its been hard work but at least I'm self-employed and keeping a roof over my head, just