Starting Up

[PeterJames]

Unfortunately I think we all missed the boat

[alterEGO]

Don't totally agree with most of the above.

It's very hard going but those that should make it will do, those that shouldn't won't. Most won't.

Go for it, but unless you are very good or are working in a sales role preparing to poach you will probably fail. Then again that's what most said to me but we are doing well enough.

[PSE]

Council work, forget it. The time and things you will need such as CHAS or Safe contractor and the likes is just a ton of money that you haven't got to get the health and safety manuals written and all the associated fees.

Councils are our best customer, we do the gate & Barrier automation for Staffordshire and Stoke council

Yes there was a lot to do, Chas, SafeContractor and Constructionline but it's worth it

[matthew.brough]

Councils are our best customer, we do the gate & Barrier automation for Staffordshire and Stoke council

Yes there was a lot to do, Chas, SafeContractor and Constructionline but it's worth it

Don't disagree it is nice work, I like the ones we have ourself but we got people to do our manuals etc for us and you pay one way or the other. If you do it yourself it's lost money that you're not earning and if you pay someone else whilst you are you still pay with no guarantee of any work. I know we pay to get updates done but when we originally did it all from scratch it cost a fair few quid.

[PSE]

I remember when I wrote ours,

Spent many nights in the office writing our Health & Safety Policy. It takes bloody ages.

Same with Chas and SafeContractor, I did them all myself. Right pain in the @rse but rewarding at the end

[matthew.brough]

I must confess, prior to the current venture did much the same at the expense of being with the family. Now my girls nearly 12, I regret that. Cards in and time off would have done nicely in hindsight.

Those of you here that are either self employed or directors, could you ever go back to employment? I couldn't even if I was offered the same money I get now with all the greif.

[PSE]

I could never go back to being employed, I've been my own boss since 1993

If someone told me what to do now, I would tell em to feck off

Like many here, we all work our knackers off and it becomes the norm every day

I have spent years pushing the ruthlessly business forward without realising the obvious,

I've got 3 daughters, 5,7 &12, it only seems like yesterday me eldest arrived.

To start putting things right and start spending precious time, I booked a family holiday 3 weeks ago in gran canaria in June. taking my girls for some long overdue undivided attention at a waterpark holiday

I've finally realised, time is precious, it passes by so fast. Make the most of it now. Money isn't everything

[matthew.brough]

Not dissimilar here. One of the reasons when anyone suggests starting up a business I ask if they have any idea what it's like. Of course they don't. Neither did I. How can you explains the roller coaster it is and all the bad things but then carry on. I think the minute it becomes who you are, rather than what you do then there is no going back. Knowing what I know now, I'd have rather not got bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and stayed cards in and had a moderate life.

Not that I'm practicing what I preach. A MAS upgrade went wrong earlier so up sorting that out and the family in bed nearly 3 hours ago and not spoken much to either of them much tonight

[whistle]

I came to that conclusion a couple of years ago remortgaged the house and bought a holiday home and have since spent every weekend when not on call away with my wife and kids. One of the best things I ever did.

[matthew.brough]

I came to that conclusion a couple of years ago remortgaged the house and bought a holiday home and have since spent every weekend when not on call away with my wife and kids. One of the best things I ever did.

Share your secret of being able to let go and wind down

Every minute I'm awake I've got business on the brain and I'd really love to know the secret of doing nothing but relax and enjoy family time. Do you switch mobile off?