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Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 9:45 am
by weeksy
Well the answer is of course "what interests you"
I know what interests me, but i'm not seeing a way of even breaking even running a MTB DH team... or even just spannering MTBs (i probably could though)...
So what's something that jumps out at you that you could spend 8-10 hours a day doing day in day out.
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:03 am
by weeksy
Potter wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 9:53 am
weeksy wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 9:45 am
So what's something that jumps out at you that you could spend 8-10 hours a day doing day in day out.
That's the thing, I like doing loads of things but not sure I'd want to do it 8hrs a day, five days a week.
There's your answer

Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:05 am
by Mr Moofo
Erm - what does the village need?
What are the surrounding activities?
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:19 am
by Rockburner
Deal with the general public???
Are you f*cking kidding me? I'd rather spend my day up to my neck in fertiliser.
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:20 am
by DefTrap
Mr Moofo wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:05 am
Erm - what does the village need?
What are the surrounding activities?
Someone in our village (population about 2000) decided that it needed a nail bar. We already have one, two doors away. You'd think everyone in the village would need their nails bejazzled (hand AND feet) to support two nail bars.
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:46 am
by Taipan
Our local towns seem to fill their empty shops with Turkish barbers and nail bars. A few chairs rented out whilst you cream off the top sounds good. Something more interesting that is popular round here are farm shops/markets. They’re are basically more expensive corner shops with a few artisan products scattered within. Likewise, The farmers markets are more fast food outlets, than produce, where the impoverished spend more on food than they need to, or could do, elsewhere. I can’t believe how many of my colleagues buy over priced grub at this place every week.
https://www.lfm.org.uk/markets/bloomsbury/
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:56 am
by Greenman
Rockburner wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:19 am
Deal with the general public???
Are you f*cking kidding me? I'd rather spend my day up to my neck in fertiliser.
I met a mate of a mate last week and he told me we works as a paramedic in ambulances. I gave him a bit of respect via a fist bump as i have a lot of respect for people who do that job helping people on a daily basis, he came back to me with "nah mate, it's crap, everyone is a wanker now, i hate it" which was probably accurate but a bit disappointing!
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:20 am
by Horse
Greenman wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:56 am
Rockburner wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:19 am
Deal with the general public???
Are you f*cking kidding me? I'd rather spend my day up to my neck in fertiliser.
I met a mate of a mate last week and he told me we works as a paramedic in ambulances. I gave him a bit of respect via a fist bump as i have a lot of respect for people who do that job helping people on a daily basis, he came back to me with "nah mate, it's crap, everyone is a wanker now, i hate it" which was probably accurate but a bit disappointing!
I've not encountered it yet but I've heard that, post-covid, public attitudes have deteriorated. A greater 'I want' attitude. Filly is seeing it from parents in schools too.
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:26 am
by Horse
Potter wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 9:53 am
weeksy wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 9:45 am
So what's something that jumps out at you that you could spend 8-10 hours a day doing day in day out.
That's the thing, I like doing loads of things but not sure I'd want to do it 8hrs a day, five days a week.
Choose one. Do it one day a week, see how it develops. If well, expand it. If not, can it. If 'ok', do another.
Or, if the money is irrelevant, volunteer your expertise.
Or volunteer out of your comfort zone, make it a challenge too.
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:35 am
by Rockburner
Horse wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:20 am
Greenman wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:56 am
Rockburner wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:19 am
Deal with the general public???
Are you f*cking kidding me? I'd rather spend my day up to my neck in fertiliser.
I met a mate of a mate last week and he told me we works as a paramedic in ambulances. I gave him a bit of respect via a fist bump as i have a lot of respect for people who do that job helping people on a daily basis, he came back to me with "nah mate, it's crap, everyone is a wanker now, i hate it" which was probably accurate but a bit disappointing!
I've not encountered it yet but I've heard that, post-covid, public attitudes have deteriorated. A greater 'I want' attitude. Filly is seeing it from parents in schools too.
It's that kind of attitude that "drives" the poor standards of driving that have been reported on regularly since the Covid lockdowns.
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:39 am
by Taipan
Greenman wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:56 am
Rockburner wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:19 am
Deal with the general public???
Are you f*cking kidding me? I'd rather spend my day up to my neck in fertiliser.
I met a mate of a mate last week and he told me we works as a paramedic in ambulances. I gave him a bit of respect via a fist bump as i have a lot of respect for people who do that job helping people on a daily basis, he came back to me with "nah mate, it's crap, everyone is a wanker now, i hate it" which was probably accurate but a bit disappointing!
Mates son is a paramedic. The stories he tells me makes me wonder why anyone does the job. He gets attacked, spat at, abused and even his time wasted by lonely people. Junkies are his biggest source of annoyance !
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 12:04 pm
by weeksy
Potter wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 12:01 pm
Maybe I'll set up a drop in/drop out centre for wasters
I already did.
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 12:05 pm
by Yorick
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 12:09 pm
by Horse
Taipan wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:39 am
Mates son is a paramedic. The stories he tells me makes me wonder why anyone does the job. He gets attacked, spat at, abused and even his time wasted by lonely people. Junkies are his biggest source of annoyance !
I'm sheltered from much of that. I mainly get despatched to category 1 & 2 calls, with some 3.
I don't go to RTCs, suicides or assaults.
The only time I've been assaulted (so far*) was a thump around the ear from an old chap who was lashing out.
* During training (Nov 22), we were told that no CFRs had been assaulted until that year. Back to the original point.
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 12:26 pm
by Taipan
Potter wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 12:01 pm
Taipan wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:39 am
Junkies are his biggest source of annoyance !
I used to have zero sympathy, but now I really sympathise, the world is a tough place and sometimes people can't cope and escape on drugs, unfortunately sometimes they stay messed up and struggle to come back from it.
I did some charity work a while ago and met some really nice people with horrendous stories, they were stuck in a horrible cycle of drug use, it was a shame, they don't want to be messed up, but they are.
Personally I've got little sympathy for people that get high on alcohol and cause trouble every weekend, I feel like they've got a lot less of an excuse to be a pain in the arse.
Maybe I'll set up a drop in/drop out centre for wasters
Drunks and drink related incidents (fights, falling over etc) are his second biggest source of annoyance. I thought h e was harsh about lonely people wasting his time but as he said, people die because of it! Because of demand they are always late and rarely met with politeness, he understands this of course, but it really does sound like a thankless, stressful job at times, but obviously massively rewarding as well. His good stories are incredibly moving though and I guess that’s why he sticks it out.
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 12:58 pm
by Yambo
weeksy wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:03 am
Potter wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 9:53 am
weeksy wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 9:45 am
So what's something that jumps out at you that you could spend 8-10 hours a day doing day in day out.
That's the thing, I like doing loads of things but not sure I'd want to do it 8hrs a day, five days a week.
There's your answer
Just my twopennyworth . . .
I don't think you want to run a business Iccy and certainly not one on the main road.
I think you want a hobby that can maybe return a bit of the time and effort in cash.
I'm in much the same boat and in the next day or so there'll be a post on the local facebook page with an example of my work. People already know that I like to make things (usually in wood) and have many times asked me to make or repair things. I've turned down 3 requests recently to make kayaks - I don't want to do it for work, I don't have a workshop for a start and of course, if you're making boats for other, paying, people I can't get away with a 10' boat*; they're going to have to be fucking perfect! I've also been asked to sell astro photos and I'm looking for people who can print them the best way - on metal. That probably won't be cheap but actually producing the images is all paid for, just my time really and printing costs.
But I'm quite handy and like/need to fill my time so if there's a bit of cash to be made then why not.
* A 10' boat is one that looks pretty good from 10' away. Don't get too close!

Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:31 pm
by Mr Moofo
DefTrap wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:20 am
Mr Moofo wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 10:05 am
Erm - what does the village need?
What are the surrounding activities?
Someone in our village (population about 2000) decided that it needed a nail bar. We already have one, two doors away. You'd think everyone in the village would need their nails bejazzled (hand AND feet) to support two nail bars.
We are a small town - blessed with two nail bars, 4 Turkish barbers, 5 hairdressers, two Co-Op stores. 7 coffee shops , two bakeries
I find it amazing that new business do not scope out what the locality needs.
We have one guy here who has been dealing vinyl for 10 years. Someone else has decided to open a second hand vinyl store on the high street.
It's not like we are all DJs ...
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:35 pm
by Mr. Dazzle
There are two framing stores near me, 3 shops apart

One has been there basically forever, the other just opened and sells all kinds of cheesy pop art type stuff too.
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 1:36 pm
by Mr Moofo
Potter wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 12:01 pm
Taipan wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 11:39 am
Junkies are his biggest source of annoyance !
I used to have zero sympathy, but now I really sympathise, the world is a tough place and sometimes people can't cope and escape on drugs, unfortunately sometimes they stay messed up and struggle to come back from it.
But the issue with that is that smack turns people into nasty, vicious , aggressive people - the craving completely over-rules any human decency. The homeless issue is Brighton is mainly smack related - they cannot go into hostels as they refuse to stop using, or they are violent, or they will not abide by conditions.
Re: Ideas for a small business?
Posted: Fri Feb 23, 2024 2:00 pm
by Horse
Yambo wrote: Fri Feb 23, 2024 12:58 pm I'm looking for people who can print them the best way - on metal. That probably won't be cheap but actually producing the images is all paid for, just my time really and printing costs.
If you can find laces where they can be ordered online, manufactured and delivered, the world opens up. Otherwise, there's the Etsy type sites.