What's your work situation ?

HairbearTE · Post by **HairbearTE** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:22 am

I work for Eurocarparts and business is remarkably good all things considered. I think more people will be keeping their existing cars on the road as opposed to buying new now so that's good for the company.

kiwi303 · Post by **kiwi303** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 11:18 am

on a farm, the animals want to be fed regardless. and no subsidies in NZ

ChrisJC · Post by **ChrisJC** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 12:12 pm

My employer is still hanging on - but has been for years.
This
http://www.nxtsound.com/index.php?id=33 ... 158d7b7bfa
should help a bit though.

Chris.

JP. · Post by **JP.** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 8:25 am

It aint much differend overhere in Holland. I am a truckdriver but they had to sent me home for a week cause there's almost nothing to haul.
They also told me I have to take an other week too comming up month.
By coincidence I could use the extra free time to make some extra progress with my Capri project but on the other hand I am not shure how long it takes before I loose my job.
Dozens of transport companies in Holland had to close their doors by bankruptcy.
Did we need about 6000 truckdrivers early in 2008 overhere we do now have about 2500 truckdrivers without a job.

This realy sucks

mgbv8 · Post by **mgbv8** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 8:50 pm

My company chose the wrong time to expand big style. There is only me and one other tech engineer in the small works dept running our butts off doing all sort of work related to commercial building services. My oppo does mainly pumps, fans and motor drives. I do all things mechanical, electrical, controls, fluid handling, A/C, Boilers, air handling and water systems in general, including water systems hygiene.
We had to rely on subcontractors to help me and my counterpart out since late 2007. We were able to work faster than the sales team could feed us with work. We then moved to bigger premises, and took on a new sales manager. Over the last 11 months this guy has recruited more sales staff who aint really up to the job. We now have 6 internal sales staff dealing with customer enquiries for consumables which has been a success. But he then went on to break London down into post codes and employed another 4 external salesmen to cruise around london and the home counties to sell our services.
The result is:
We have salesmen driven by a monthly bonus scheme who are selling jobs too cheap so they can make their numbers each month.

Last week I called a meeting with the MD to tell him my thoughts about the new setup. I have proved that I am right and the sales expert is wrong. The company has been suffering reduced profits for the last 5 months to the point that its time to start down sizing again.

I just hope that I'm not a victim. I was head hunted by this company 18 months ago and I have made some really good moves to drastically increase profits. But thats all been dashed by these crap salesmen.
The new package was so good I had no choice in making the move from my previous position as maintenance services director of my old company (which I was pissed off with anyway) to this company.

The new package allowed me to move house and get a mortgage big enough to buy the house and to pay for private medical treatment for one of my Daughters who was quite unwell. I also blew all our savings to finish off paying for her operations
The upshot is, if my new company decides to call it a day. I'll not only be selling my cars. I'll be selling my house (if thats possible right now) and moving into a caravan!!

Against all the odd's. I'm seriously thinking of going self employed again and offering tech support services to all the major building maintenance companies, as this seems to be where the work is. The big boys take on multi million pound contracts to look after large commercial buildings. And then employ low skilled labour on site, but make sure that all the ISO paperwork is up to date to ensure they can prove that they are actually doing what they say they do. But in reality, they just let the plant and equipment rot until something breaks. Then they call on specialists like me to sort stuff out.

2009 is not looking good for me at the moment!

Right now I'm just hoping I get some decent private jobs in to pay for the utility bills and some bits for my hobby.

Bearing the above in mind. I would do it all again if it meant I could ensure my Daughter was healthy and had the chance to have children of her own when she wanted to.

If it all goes wrong, I'll get signed up at a local Gym. Then after a year I'll have the fastest bicycle on the 1/4 mile, So watch out!

poop happens eh?

Sorry!
I seem to have rambled on a bit there huh??

Wotland · Post by **Wotland** » Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:05 pm

Here to be honest the work situation is not the most important...

I didn't remember how much time we have changed of Prime Minister last year and we don't know if the most important bank of the country will survive...

In june we have again elections and don't know how this will finish

CastleMGBV8 · Post by **CastleMGBV8** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 12:18 pm

Well, being one of the oldest members of this forum I could write a pretty long article about the effect of recessions, having been through the two previous ones.

I am an ex property developer and fortunately saw the 74 - 76 one coming in time to liquidate our companies property assets, and rode out that period without any serious loss to myself, not so fortunate in the 92 -96 one though, as i was involved in much larger commercial schemes and was involved with development partners and commercial banks.

I had one major contractor partner who had around £700.000 of our companies money paid into their bank and overnight lloyds, their bankers pulled the plug and nicked all the money. We claimed that the money removed was not the contractors but were of course told tough, join the list of creditors.

On top of that I had a small commercial bank who was funding a residential scheme go bust leaving the company without funds to complete the development, managed to refund the scheme but by then it was too late and we were forced to sell the houses at a loss.

The upshot of that is that we were forced to liquidate both the commercial and residential companies and after trying to survive for a period I had no option but to make myself bankrupt, the house went as did the wife and kids!

The period between 92 - 96 was pretty bleak, just survival, in 94 I got a job selling cars at a Mazda main dealers, hard graft about 60 Hours a week but the money was ok and was making about £35k but I hated it.

One of the other salesmen at the Mazda dealership I got on well with left to start a second hand car business in Croydon and asked me to join him which I did and we had quite a bit of fun for a couple of years whilst I rode out the remainder of my bankrupcy period until I got flue and did not seem to recover in the normal way.

My doctor said I was suffering from depression but I was incapable of doing anything, this went on for a year until I moved and changed to a new doctor, he sent me off for tests and I was diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy which is enlargement of the left ventricle of the heart which means the heart does not pump properly, however with apprpriate medication I started to feel a lot better and capable of leading a fairly normal life so I bought the MGB GT as a recuperation project, me and the car!

After that a friend of mine who had a small blinds business asked me if I would like to sell blinds in the domestic market and I took him up on the offer, he was only doing about £60.000 a year in sales but I managed to add another £200.000 a year to that and was making a good living from approx 25 hours a week, and then the final straw.

In late 2003 I was diagnosed with Cancer of the Bladder and prostate and had a major operation, I realised I would not be able to continue with the volume of work I had been doing, so had to re-invent the wheel so during my recuperation period of around seven month I did the groundwork for setting up a business to sell blinds to schools, hospitals. and offices, which would not be in competition with my friends business.

The groundwork and marketing paid off and almost immediately I won a couple of lucrative contracts which kick started the business.

I only work about 10 - 15 hours a week on the blind business and it provides enough income to cover my overheads and I now have quite a bit of repeat business and referrals so can't complain.

I also do the management and lettings for the company that owns the block of flats where I live, and this provides a bit more income and in the last year or so I have been doing some planning and development consultancy work for a client and this has provide a bit of jam to the bread and butter.

As to this current situation, at the moment it appears that business is continuing to come in, in fact I've been busier in the last few months than is normal, hopefully this will continue but who knows, margins will undoubtably be squeezed, and profits reduced as people get more competitive.

I could rant on forever about what Teflon Tony and gormless Gordon have done to this country, but whats the point, didn't Tony time it well, here you are Gordon, it's all yours!

If there's any advice I can give, it would be to consolidate your financial position as much as possible, if any of you have major problems do not be afraid to seek advice, and at all costs try to avoid repossession of your home, the market will in time recover, the fact that the market was 30% over true value can, be laid directly at Gordon Browns door.

I do appear to have written a pretty long article!

Good luck to all of you.

Kevin.

mgbv8 · Post by **mgbv8** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 7:10 pm

Glad to hear you are stable again Kev.
I'm at the foot of the hill looking up again. For about the 3rd time in 25 years.
I'm busy routing all funds into keeping my house as that is eventually going to be my pension fund. Hopefully when I retire, all the kids will have gone, then me and Gill can sell the house and move to a small bungalow with a triple garage and a 4 post lift. That will do me fine to see my days out.

Magnetteman · Post by **Magnetteman** » Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:12 pm

I know how you feel Perry, I'm also at the foot of that very steep hill.

After trading for 20 years in the chauffeur business it's all coming to a sticky end. I too have survived the last couple of recessions simply because when the UK was in the dumps businesses were still able to trade with lots of other countries and people were travelling which was good for me. This time around no-one is travelling because there's nowhere to travel to, all of the world seems to be in recession at the same time.
I've lost quite a few clients that have gone out of business over the last few months, some of which that have taken my money with them, resulting in me now owning a business which is no longer viable and a banking system that just laughs at small businesses like mine.

The hunt for a job before bankruptcy looms is becoming quite a desperate race.

kev_the_mole · Post by **kev_the_mole** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 9:37 am

Hopefully when I retire, all the kids will have gone

Regretfully they tend to stay until about 35 years old now and then they boomerang back due to failed relationships, job loss, negative equity and every other reason.

Then they try to slip you £20 a week as rent

v8 jago · Post by **v8 jago** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 4:15 pm

Im a machine operator and truck driver on the local corus steel works and they broke up for xmas on 12th dec and started back up mid jan and have only rolled steel for 5 days and have not rolled anything since and ive heard that there is only 5 weeks rollings upto now but it changes very often as when places go under they cancel there bookings. Things are looking bad concidering they only had 12 hours a fortnight off for maintance. The only time they make money is when they are rolling. Doesnt take a genious does it

Hence ive done nothing to the jeep because of the state of the world.

mgbv8 · Post by **mgbv8** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 6:29 pm

Let me work that one out Kev!
I'm 50, oldest is 27, youngest is 19 with 2 in between them.
If I can stay alive and working until I'm 65 they should all have gone as the young 'un will have just turned 35.
Hooray!!!
I'm saved. Only 15 years to go until I can afford that 4 post lift. With built in stair lift

CastleMGBV8 · Post by **CastleMGBV8** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:36 am

Perry,

Hang on in there, kids are like Boomerangs, they keep coming back, I've got twin sons of of 28 years of age, I'm 63 this month and I've currently got one back with me, he's been here for about 3 months eating me out of home and giving me the odd tenner for housekeeping

but may have a job soon

Are Stenna making 4 posts as well, sounds like a good marketing opportunity.

Strange how we seem to have similar wish lists mine is also a small interesting property with at least a three car garage and the four post lift of course.

What would your dream garage consist of, I would keep the MG of course and would like an AC Cobra 289 FIA, C Type Jaguar and I suppose I could just sqeeze in a 60's Ferrari of some descrpition, oh well I did say dream, but there's always the lottery.

Kevin.

Post by **Rossco** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:15 am

This is not what I wanted to hear.

The "lad" is in his final year of Uni where he tells me he's been doing a Fine Art degree........more like advanced finger painting.......and now you lot are saying he's likely to want to come home!!!!!!!

Damn, time to move

kev_the_mole · Post by **kev_the_mole** » Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:25 am

with at least a three car garage and the four post lift of course

don't forget a lathe and a mill........