The Economy - Is it just me or are we all feeling it?

[Nathan S]

Didn't realise so many taxi drivers were into VMX!

[Cooch 04]

Shit O Dear Bill all of what u say is correct. My kids are both living the dream over here.After 47 years in my homeland I have to say that this IS the lucky country, miss NZ but dont miss bashing my head against a brick wall trying to make a dollar.Whakatane track looked real good

[HVA61]

I guess thats why people refer to Australia as the lucky country.

The harder you work the luckier you get

I guess that go's for both sides of the Tasman or for that matter anywhere.

[TM BILL]

Shit O Dear Bill all of what u say is correct. My kids are both living the dream over here.After 47 years in my homeland I have to say that this IS the lucky country, miss NZ but dont miss bashing my head against a brick wall trying to make a dollar.Whakatane track looked real good

Good to hear from you Cooch   mate im real pleased its working out for you and the family you over   this still is a great country  that is unfortunatley run by a sucsession on forkwits  

anyway back to business   Whakatane was bloody awesome   i thought Abdul and Pete might struggle without you steering the ship but i should have known better  
They really pulled one out of the bag and set the bar very high for the reat of the season  

Abdul was modeling his new JT gear   i think he went to the importer and asked for some gear and they pulled down the JT marquee
and put a zip in it for him  

The usual top quality Whakatane social followed and we ended up at the WSFC minus Abdul   but it was a graet event . Hope you can get back for the final  

[EML]

More whining on here than a BOAC DC8.....
I tried to be more optimistic and carry us all out of the shit-but to no avail.
Had a great race yesterday at Coles Creek [Nice track Tatey) and reasonably busy at work today.
I will never be a millionaire but we can all get to have a wobble around now and again eh.....
NZ is the prettiest country in the world but the Aussies girls and better looking....
Haven't got that long to go in any case, so let's live it up....

[Iain Cameron]

TM Bill your comments about the Gov / thieves are spot on for Tasmania , I only moved down from the main land 6 years ago but have seen such a change in the economy that it scares me . they have no bloody idea how to promote this wonderful state . I got layed off when I returned from holidays last Sept 11 (went to SA for the Nats) Being over 50 the chances of work in north west Tassie are fxxxall so I started my own transport business (under cut my last employer and took about 45% of his clients). At the end of the financial Year I had made a profit (bloody small profit ) This year is better still Im not saying that all is rosey times are bad and will get worse until our governments are replaced with people that think about Aust and New Zealand  first  . Thats my rant off my chest . Iain 

[Nathan S]

Across the globe, every developed economy has slowed massively - all but one shrank at some stage (guess who one didn't...).

If we think that our current government is the main - or even a significant - source of this, then you'll be VERY disappointed if/when they are replaced... Look at how the UK and Queensland have fared by moving to conservative governments...

The last twenty years have seen more and more people make money through speculation - investment properties, the share market, whatever. Plenty of people made good money from this (and good on them), but I wonder if we really thought this could be sustained - that the massive increase in total wealth without a matching increase in production was anything more than a temporary illusion?

[asasin]

TM Bill your comments about the Gov / thieves are spot on for Tasmania , I only moved down from the main land 6 years ago but have seen such a change in the economy that it scares me . they have no bloody idea how to promote this wonderful state . I got layed off when I returned from holidays last Sept 11 (went to SA for the Nats) Being over 50 the chances of work in north west Tassie are fxxxall so I started my own transport business (under cut my last employer and took about 45% of his clients). At the end of the financial Year I had made a profit (bloody small profit ) This year is better still Im not saying that all is rosey times are bad and will get worse until our governments are replaced with people that think about Aust and New Zealand  first  . Thats my rant off my chest . Iain 

This is a common story that has helped F%^7 a lot of people and businesses , think you are smart undercutting you old boss to steal from him. if you perhaps just sat down with him and said heres what I could do or we could get together and keep 1 good very profitable business everyone would make more money. You now work hard and make f all and he is probably the same.Hard times need people to cooperate and create business not divide . the only people who won are the clients. you just undervalued you trade, just like every plumber and sparky who "go it alone" all you do is bring down the value of what you do which is then almost impossible to gain back it is a self fulfilling slide to bankruptcy.. I saw it in my trade  domestic electronics , large companys paying well and keeping people in work were undervalued to extinction by guys saying I can do it cheaper, then the large clients would say but such and such only charges x why cant you , the reason is because the guy only has him to cover and is somehow quite happy to work a 70 hour week for the same money he ernt on wages in 40 hrs go figure? it is better to keep the price higher and keep money flowing. work smarter not harder!!!

[TM BILL]

While i agree with you in principal i think human nature and greed kills the idea 90% of the time 
Ian said he returned from holiday only to be laid off, I dont know how long Ians boss had been in buisness but in my experience most employers are used to having it their own way and struggle to see that a proposal from an employee could benefit both parties .

It cuts both ways too , Ians former employer could have spoken to him and said this is where were at , worst case scenario im going to have to lay you off but do you have any suggestions or capital to buy into the buisness .

The 2 biggest things in my experience that stop small buisnesses growing are pride ( i dont need anyone elses ideas or help , NIH syndrome fuct the british motorcycle industry  ) and greed ( I dont care how good an employee he is hes still only an employee and im not paying him anymore than i have to )

For an employee its a catch 22 , do you approach the employer with your proposal and risk him using your ideas and cutting you out altogether or give him the heads up that you are looking at setting up as a competitor to him and giving him the head start to slow your fledling buisness any way he can .

I applaud Ian for having the get up and go to make a go of it himself and wish him every succsess with his buisness .

Vale read this thread last night and she said to me " theres a lot of whining on here , but that bloke Ian has got off his arse and is trying to make a difference instead of just whinging about the govmt like most of you do "

Made me think 

[asasin]

My main thing is good on you for going into business but compete on quality or delivery ,not price, thats China's deal.

[worms]

we are trully free and all equal, and there will allways be the have's, and have nots, and good luck to Ian, after founding two major tpt companies in Aus, one being Parcel Direct, from the ground up, the only thing you need to do is give quality service first and then everything else follows. if you would like some insight, just give me a call Ian.

cheers Worms 

[Matador107]

 I started my business 31 years ago because I found out the general manager was getting $17 a week more than me a lowly site supervisor. So all these years later 5 employees,6 utes, 1 factory and busy with work it's all good.,except for UNFAIR WORK AUSTRALIA.
You try and run a business and a bloke pulls the paternity leave paid by the government twice in 14 months,and also expect to keep the phone and ute and run the internet at home via my mobile account,well he's gone!!

As an employer it's hard our way as well,it ain't all roses.I seemed to have struck a bloke who was 1 of 116 males who took up the offer of mister mum leave in a workforce of 10 million.
LET'S SEE.
Find the job to quote,quote the work,win the job,work out how to do it cos the consultant clown just out of univ hasn't been to tech,design the control panels,finance the gear,pay the wages,super,public liability,workers comp,fuel,vehicle insurance,tyres,oil and pay to service the fleet,buy more tools,ladders,,body corp fees,BAS payment,payg payment,keep your client happy,keep the builder happy,keep the blokes happy,keep your wife happy,clean the workshop,get rid of the rubbish,do the typing,read the vmx forum,check ebay,and still fit in time to work on my Bully's.

Believe it or not the Bully's are easy compared to the above,anyways they keep me sane,so just to stir the pot even more I have to go now as my mates and I (7 off) are flying to Malaysia for Moto GP.
PS.Working on the bucket list. Cheers

[Rossvickicampbell]

sorry Bill - I have called him many things however Liz wasn't one of them 

[Mike52]

I personally like the " compared with the rest of the world we are doing well " statement.
The rest of the world [ not counting China ] are dumb as dogsh*t so that's a real feather in our caps.

The only thing keeping us going is mining exports.
Anyone see a problem with that?

[EML]

I'm right there with you Matador but thought I'd try to keep it nice
Most of Aust is held together by we small business owners and not the multi-nats that have all the say in Govt. Woolies and Coles are just a bunch of pricks pushing us out and the govt is falling at their feet because they think that they(woolies etc...) will rule the mobs when it all goes to shit .
As they found out in the US, if you stop the small guys from making dough, they will put off their staff and the whole cart falls over.
As for paternal leave-just don't get me started.