[oakleaves]

Would you use one? Have you used one? Would you recommend one?

[gay design]

I would say I will use and abuse all of the above. It's better to ask from the experts who have been there so it's best to use them and would definitely recommend one if possible.

[pandadoodle]

I've used one and been one!!

Advice is good if you can find someone specific to your needs, however general business advice is great and the support is worth its weight in gold.

This post has been edited by pandadoodle: 12 October 2011 - 03:41 PM

[oakleaves]

I have a problem in that the advice I normally find is too general. It's hard to get specific advice like you say.

Business link and all that just doesn't cut it for me.

My friend who operates in a different sector pays £2000 a month approx for his advisor - he says it's worth it!

[pandadoodle]

oakleaves, on 12 October 2011 - 03:47 PM, said:

I have a problem in that the advice I normally find is too general. It's hard to get specific advice like you say.

Business link and all that just doesn't cut it for me.

My friend who operates in a different sector pays £2000 a month approx for his advisor - he says it's worth it!

If you already know the questions you want to ask and what you need help with then it can be worth it. There are loads of old school manufacturing and management mentors around, finding the right one is well worth the 2k+ price tag, the problem when looking for one is that people often stumble across life coaches or life coaches think they are business mentors which is never a good combination.

If you want some help or advice on a subject that is just between me and you (assuming your after a mentor) then Id be more than happy to offer some help or act as a sounding board if nothing else.

Business Link mentors are often failed business practitioners I always question if your business is doing so well why are you here mentoring when you complain you need 100 more hours in a week. Or they are fresh out of college with no business sense apart form a business studies degree or similar. Having said that there are 1 or 2 decent ones to be found in business link its down to you to find them and spot them.

[oakleaves]

pandadoodle, on 12 October 2011 - 03:53 PM, said:

the problem when looking for one is that people often stumble across life coaches or life coaches think they are business mentors which is never a good combination.

Yeah I've come across a couple.

pandadoodle, on 12 October 2011 - 03:53 PM, said:

If you want some help or advice on a subject that is just between me and you (assuming your after a mentor) then Id be more than happy to offer some help or act as a sounding board if nothing else.

May well be firing some things over.. Currently the business is doing well but I know I could be doing better and there can be 'dry' spells which are not good. I'm all for idealism but at the end of the day your business has to be profitable otherwise you aint going to last very long. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those just in it for the money - I love my work, but anyone who neglects the business side does so at their own peril!

pandadoodle, on 12 October 2011 - 03:53 PM, said:

There are loads of old school manufacturing and management mentors around, finding the right one is well worth the 2k+ price tag

That sort of price tag just would not be viable for me, he seems ok with it though.

[pandadoodle]

oakleaves, on 12 October 2011 - 04:10 PM, said:

May well be firing some things over.. Currently the business is doing well but I know I could be doing better and there can be 'dry' spells which are not good. I'm all for idealism but at the end of the day your business has to be profitable otherwise you aint going to last very long. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those just in it for the money - I love my work, but anyone who neglects the business side does so at their own peril!



That sort of price tag just would not be viable for me, he seems ok with it though.

If your bringing in the cash and then bring in another 80k due to a 2k business mentor fee its not so bad then

100% agree about the business side of things. IF you want some ideas by all means PM or email me myfirstname@pandasurl.com just need a bit of info about what you do, where and how you currently do it and your goals or how you see the business expanding.

[oakleaves]

pandadoodle, on 12 October 2011 - 04:23 PM, said:

If your bringing in the cash and then bring in another 80k due to a 2k business mentor fee its not so bad then

100% agree about the business side of things. IF you want some ideas by all means PM or email me myfirstname@pandasurl.com just need a bit of info about what you do, where and how you currently do it and your goals or how you see the business expanding.

Appreciated. I'm just finishing up on a couple of websites in the next week or so and I am going to do some thinking along the way.

When I am thinking clearly about the big picture I will be in touch, my mind is a bit muddled at the moment - could do with a holiday!!

[pandadoodle]

oakleaves, on 12 October 2011 - 04:33 PM, said:

could do with a holiday!!

I was going to ask if you have had a break at all 9/10 that is one of the most common problems for either burning out or becoming frustrated with the business to the point your not willing to do anything about it or expand on it. Take at least a day out to do something you enjoy! I try and play golf twice a week and shoot at least once a week as well as the gym.

This post has been edited by pandadoodle: 12 October 2011 - 04:37 PM

[oakleaves]

D'ya know what - I think you have hit the nail on the head there.

My missus says I'm at my computer far too long and I know she's right. It takes her all her effort to drag me away sometimes, like the other weekend we went on a minibreak and I felt a lot happier for it.

When you operate in the design field and you are not happy I suppose your work is inevitably going to suffer

[oakleaves]

Just to put a few things out there - you know I make vehicle graphics as well as web design, the vehicle graphics website is WELL old. It kinda does ok but needs redesigning. I have some good long-standing customers and repeat business but it's generally the cheaper end of the market. I also get a steady amount of enquires on a monthly basis. I do not spend a penny advertising that website as it ranks well organically.

I've registered another domain for the vehicle graphics operation (another job that's on the to do list) and the new site will be aiming to be of a quality on the par with 'signs express' although not with the large corporate feel. I don't have the infrastructure of that business and neither do I want it.

SO that's just one avenue I am looking at. I have fingers in a few pies!

I entered the vinyl graphics world when I was 17 but was more just the tea boy back then

This post has been edited by oakleaves: 12 October 2011 - 04:55 PM

[pandadoodle]

Dont work weekends ever man thats your problem there! Weekends are my time unless I'm behind because I took a day or two off during the week weekends Id rather walk the dogs or go and have an ice creme or chips down the pear with my family even though we might sit in the car with the weather as it now its still a break and family time.

With the graphics what about doing a send and print? You get customers to mail you images they want (thinking boy racers here) you specify the image quality or you charge X to fix it, you cut the vinyl put it in a tube and post with a small A4 sheet of instructions on how to put it on the car. You could even do application packs at 19.99 or 49.99 with a graphic included etc?

I'll drop you a PM a bit later

[oakleaves]

pandadoodle, on 12 October 2011 - 05:10 PM, said:

I'll drop you a PM a bit later

Feel free.

About the vinyls, I only work with cut vinyl not digital prints at the moment.

Here's the sort of thing..

http://www.astsigns....hicle-graphics/

A few years back I used to sell loads of Subaru Imprezza rally graphics kits on eBay but that all got clamped down on because of trademark infringement.

I also used to sell a lot of Fiat 500 stuff and have a domain for that too!

Moved away from ebay a while ago thankfully..

This post has been edited by oakleaves: 12 October 2011 - 05:25 PM