If you started your business again.

[DHTiling]

If you started your business again, would you do anything different this time around.?

And how would you do it or are you fine with how you have done.?

 

[user123]

I would have started it earlier, much much earlier. Not having to play catch-up with a million ideas in my head...

 

[faithhealer]

would have liked to have started earlier maybe

Snap G

 

[user123]

would have liked to have started earlier maybe

Snap G

Ay...

 

[Andy Allen]

if i started my buisness again i would try to get in with more builders, kitchen comps or conservatory comps, anywhere i could get more regular work, doing just domestic work i have found to be very hit and miss this year.

 

[Mouldy]

All bar a couple of years here and there Ive been self employed since I left school in '81. Biggest mistake I made was taking the employed jobs and thats why Im back on my own.

Got to the crossroads where I'm thinking about taking someone on, but it really isnt an easy dicision to make.

 

[albyshellshear]

I am about to start again and you can bet I will be doing it different no bread, cakes, pies ect just tiling and plumbing no shops with there catches electric, gas, water, rates, wages, just me and a van and a lot of advertising and learn from my mistakes and take from my better ideas, Oh and never fall into the credit trap pay up front if poss credit comes back to bite you HARD

 

[cornish_crofter]

I was quite lucky when I started up the first time. I made good use of the free business advice/startup help available to me.

I would have started about a year earlier than I did, immediately after leaving my paid job, rather than spend time being interviewed for jobs that I didn't want.

I would have scoped my skills/activities much more than I did. I fell into the trap of saying I could do anything building work wise. Whilst I could do most things I did end up earning very little on one or two jobs that took forever.

I would have also got myself onto more courses at an earlier stage. When I started my business I was put with Working Links (having been unemployed for a while. They paid for my electrical courses. Upon reflection a tiling course would have been a good one to blag as tiling is becoming a not incosiderable part of what I do, and there are skills you pick up as a tiler that are transferrable to other trades.

 

[user123]

Business advice - yes, good idea.
Anyone reading this thread and thinks they either know it all or could do with improving their lot should go on NETT Darren's course, really. Nooo, before you ask, I'm in no way connected to him or his business, but I did do the tiling course there and business advice was a large part of it, and it's obvious he knows his stuff, I can smell rats a mile off, he isn't one, he really does know the business. It's the sort of training the equivalent of which you see on TV in relation to any skill and think to yourself, amazing what can be done with the right teacher. Now's your chance. If you missed his thread, just pm him...

 

[doug boardley]

I suppose it would all boil down to "if I knew then what I know now" scenario, there's a lot of things I've wasted time and money on and given hindsight I'd give them a wide berth now, but in the main I've got no real complaints.

 

[SandyFloor]

Good question, Dave. When I think about it I'm not sure I'd have done it much differently. I changed direction about ten years ago and then gained a lot of experience in joinery, bathroom/kitchen fitting & some plumbing before specialising in tiling and flooring. All that experience has been really usefull to me in understanding the business in general and realising what I enjoy most and am best at.

 

[cornish_crofter]

Business advice - yes, good idea.
Anyone reading this thread and thinks they either know it all or could do with improving their lot should go on NETT Darren's course, really. Nooo, before you ask, I'm in no way connected to him or his business, but I did do the tiling course there and business advice was a large part of it, and it's obvious he knows his stuff, I can smell rats a mile off, he isn't one, he really does know the business. It's the sort of training the equivalent of which you see on TV in relation to any skill and think to yourself, amazing what can be done with the right teacher. Now's your chance. If you missed his thread, just pm him...

As much as I would like to go on a course such as his, I don't have the money to pay for it at the moment, not do I have the time.

Also, I don't think I would do enough tiling to justify the outlay if I did. My work is too varied to bring in loads of tiling.

 

[Aston]

i'm happy with how things have turned out in many ways. the only thing i wish i could have seen coming was the property boom from 1999 to 2006.
never mind, if we keep are eyes open we should be able to benefit from the next one in another 20 yrs hey???

 

[user123]

As much as I would like to go on a course such as his, I don't have the money to pay for it at the moment, not do I have the time.

Also, I don't think I would do enough tiling to justify the outlay if I did. My work is too varied to bring in loads of tiling.

Are you replying because perhaps you are tempted? Just wondering, but also thinking that if you don't have the £100 you need you probably need this ... I am also accepting help from people who know more about my business than I do ... no information is ever useless... anyhow, don't want to pinch the thread ... :smilewinkgrin:

 

[cornish_crofter]

Are you replying because perhaps you are tempted? Just wondering, but also thinking that if you don't have the £100 you need you probably need this ... I am also accepting help from people who know more about my business than I do ... no information is ever useless... anyhow, don't want to pinch the thread ... :smilewinkgrin:

To be fair G I do have enough work. It's not the Business course that I am talking about it's the tiling courses. Having said that I could probably run to the cost for a 1 week course. The only problem is that he is in the North East and I am in the South West.

So I'm looking for something a bit closer to home.