Recession finally hits!!!!

[Paulwillie1000]

i run a small food company importing and processing sun dried tomatoes, it has been very slow for the past 6 months , but, i have to say April has been reasonably good, but then the good weather helps as our products end up in burgers , speciality breads, as well as pasta sauces etc.
i am hoping that its nice and sunny for the world cup and you will all be having loads of BBQ,s.

 

[easy]

i run a small food company importing and processing sun dried tomatoes, it has been very slow for the past 6 months , but, i have to say April has been reasonably good, but then the good weather helps as our products end up in burgers , speciality breads, as well as pasta sauces etc.
i am hoping that its nice and sunny for the world cup and you will all be having loads of BBQ,s.

depends on wether we get some tomatoes to try....... :mrgreen:

 

[Paulwillie1000]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SUN-DRIED-TOMATOES-CHOPPED-1-KG-/180490539029" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;?

:lol:

 

[easy]

look yummy dood, i am partial to the old sun dried toms :mrgreen:

 

[Graham L]

Same in the events industry, as many of you know my main job is as a technical production manager mainly on conferences but do outdoor events etc as well, its the quietest I've known it for the 20 odd years I've been working in the industry.

2009 was OK with some really busy periods but 2010 is dire to say the least, poor Jan & Feb, manic March but deadly quiet in April & May so not looking good on that side at all, unfortunately we do a lot of goverment department conferences so clearly the election hasn't helped as once its announced they are not allowed to spend anything in chase its seen as trying to get votes, hey ho life goes on but like a few others on here its all a bit too quiet for me.

On the plus side buses seem to be selling but people want ready to drive away ones rather then being prepared to put a bit of work in and with lead times and the weak pound at the moment its hard trying to make sure the right buses are there when you need them :roll: :roll:

 

[mjknight71]

The benefit system has a lot to answer for, but thats another rant for another day :evil:

No no lets.....a form of social control.....oppression of the masses :msn4:

i run a small food company importing and processing sun dried tomatoes

...your my hero...without people like you Fridays just wouldn't be the same 8) ...is your bus patina'd red by any chance :lol:

 

[Baldrick]

On the plus side buses seem to be selling but people want ready to drive away ones rather then being prepared to put a bit of work in...

Hi Graham...I'm picking up on this comment...but not offended by it.

I needed to buy a drive away bus cos I ain't got a clue with mechanical things, I'm not daft, (others my disagree!), but it is just something I've never had the oppotunity to pick up . I am prepared to put in a bit of work...but my skills are not really up to it.

Picking up on the general theme of this thread, is there an opportunity for someone to run classes on working on a bus? I'd pay good money for the chance to do it myself and I'd probably bring along my 14 year old son as he is a camper junkie.

 

[Sydney1]

I'm another one working in Construction. We work for the top 10 construction companies and luckily more into hospitals and schools rather than the residential market so although things have been reasonable for the last couple of years the fear is that whoever gets in in a couple of weeks time they are going to have to make serious spending cuts in these areas whatever they are saying at the moment. I'm also into stocks/shares and investing (on a small scale) and most of the experts are pretty concerned about the future. A lot of our problems show similarities to what happened/is happening in Japan and they have been in a depression or low growth environment for 2 decades! We are also in for either a dose of deflation or inflation with the majority leaning towards the latter which is likely to lead to high interest rates before the fragile recovery can take them. I also thing we are in for further house price falls as they remain unaffordable for many and there is little or no first time buyers market.

Hate to be pessimistic but I recon we are in for a good 3 or 4 years of pain yet!

 

[sparkywig]

I had an agency ring me up today asking if I needed any electricians.
I said I didn't, but did they have any work for me, and what rate were they paying?

:shock:

£9.50 for an approved spark with ECS card.

 

[Tezzah]

If there are any tilers here who could retile a bathroom, and install bath, sink, bog etc in the local area we'd pay them cash for the work, subject to a price being agreed???

 

[who?]

I had an agency ring me up today asking if I needed any electricians.
I said I didn't, but did they have any work for me, and what rate were they paying?

:shock:

£9.50 for an approved spark with ECS card.

Jesus!! Thats poor...as a matter of fact it takes the piss. What kind of work was it?? I've been paying my guy who's not qualified £8.50/hr since before Christmas....£13.50 is the lowest I have been offered down ere :x

Just goes to show that due to our high standards in the electrical industry. Some people in this country don't take electrical work seriously enough to pay good money for a good job... It will be minimum wage soon for a job which takes 4-5 years to learn then years to become fully competent.....I will be better off stacking shelves in a supermarket or on the dole (which I wouldn't have any problem doing, I have always seen it as a potential way of claiming my tax back ). Or at least doing a job that has no comebacks or financial responsibilities..or chance of me getting killed or killing someone else.....or setting a building on fire!! :shock:

My blood pressure is up now, gonna get a cup of tea :evil:

 

[sparkywig]

This is just up the M5 from you in Bristol.
The agency didn't say what work it was, just that it was a 2 month contract.
Don't forget the 20% tax deduction as well.....

 

[who?]

Apparently there is work going at the new Minehead Hospital for £14.00/hr :msn4: ....minted :roll:

 

[Oslo_mark69]

I got my own Wrought Iron business been really crap for the last year . Anybody want some automated gates give us a shout

http://www.arfonironworks.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As everyone is saying you've really got to go in keen to get a job these days

 

[oneday!]

Welcome to the shit fellas......................................

 

[Pete B]

I had an agency ring me up today asking if I needed any electricians.
I said I didn't, but did they have any work for me, and what rate were they paying?

:shock:

£9.50 for an approved spark with ECS card.

Good job it was over the phone, face to face would have to mean a punch in the face for their cheek.

I'm not a qualified spark, primarily mechanical, but have a company, P&A Electro-mechanical Ltd, primarily doing install work for the food industry. Chips mainly, McCain (it's all good!) being the biggest customer. Has been very quiet for the last few months, as in 6 short days for one man in the last month. Have been doing a bit of lighting in the roof voids above the associated cold stores, has to be done but dire work compared to normal. Then I get 21 days solid for just me starting 10th May without a breather in there despite 14 days here and then 7 days there, no gap between. All 150 miles from home so in digs, need to do laundry at some time....
and then have to wait 60 days from invoice to argue why they haven't payed.
Whoever gets in following 6th May, it will take at least one full term before things show positive signs even if they get it right, longer if not.
God forbid it's Brown, would have to really seriously look at emigrating, currently trying to reinfoce contacts in Canada in preparation.
This country is currently completely f*cked.
Sorry, but that's how I see it.

 

[bubba dubba]

Pete, as far as i can tell i dont think it really matters who gets in, we are all going to get shafted :shock: