Trying different ideas with my business.

[jakewells]

Yes i mow grass on the side to make a living in the warm months but due to the virus along with being laid off from my other job this has moved to my full time job for the most part. Some of my commercial customers have closed there business till further notice and until they are safe to be reopened. I have enrolled some changes trying to keep my business going and keep some income coming in.

1.Cut out all mulching, flower bed work and general landscaping.
2. Set up a PayPal account to keep customer interaction to a minimum. I do some interactions but i do use gloves and a mask to keep the virus from my clients and to protect my self.
3. Doing strictly mowing and trimming nothing else.
4. Waived a few customers from paying me till there business is reopened and settled down. No formality's
5. Constantly disinfecting my truck and equipment along with my self.

Financially i am OK and doing fine most of customers are elderly and disabled clients with around 7 commercial accounts. I am just praying this will be over with in the next 3-6 months i got a friend who was recently laid off that i have been helping when i can till his unemployment kicks in.

 

[jp1961]

Hello,

I hope you can keep things going. Collecting unemployment was one of the most humiliating experience I've ever gone through. They make it as difficult as humanly possible on you, not sure why as you pay into it when you do work. You would think it's coming out of their pockets.

Good luck

Jeff

 

[StarTech]

I was layoff after 16 yrs. I don't which was worst for the fight at unemployment office or the constant turn downs of my job application due to having to much experience. The employment office just kept demanding more than two job references. I finally had to the employment office supervisor's supervisor involved.

Finally ended up having to pickup and sell scrape metals for nearly 7 yrs before I decide to small engine repairs; just couldn't work in my field of work. Huge learning curve even though I had the basic mechanics down from working on vehicles. The hardest was getting a through understanding of two cycles. Now after ten years of doing this, the employers are afraid of me again as I pass some their hardest tests by repairing whatever they put in front me.

It is a good I got only 5 yrs to go before I can apply for that rocking chair monthly checks.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Not really doing much differently because of the virus
Gate is now kept locked & I meet customers there so I can keep a reasonable distance from them.
No more wait while it is fixed jobs for a while .
Hand helds sit in the sun for a day before I touch them & the first thing they get is a degrease & pressure wash.
That is not far off what was normally done except I would remove some covers and give the tools a blow down before washing & they would normally go directly into the workshop.
Ride ons have always sat outside but now they don't get a cover over them unless it is going to rain.

We look like we got the virus covered as we went into early lockdown and had it not been for government bungleing with the Ruby Princess we would have it licked by now .
Most Aussies from OS are back & from 2 weeks ago they all have to be quarrentined in a hotel upon arrival then a further quarrintine when they go back to their respective states & the government is footing the hotel bills.
So another month of lockdown & we should be able to go back to business as normal.
One good thing about not having any land borders , very few can sneak in , sharks & jelly fish take care of that.
When it gets rampant in Indonesia & Malysia there might be some more activity up the top end

As for my business, started doing it part time almost 7 years ago.
Sound knowledge of the engines from 50 years of British motorcycles.
Became full time a year latter when I became too old & my contract was not renewed .
Already over pension age but no intention of drawing it for now as it is worth about the same as what I make fixing mowers & that keeps the brain & hands working.

The virus has finally made the government realize there is no future in becoming a big hole in the ground & perhaps we might need to go back to making things and becoming partially self sufficient.
Problem happens when all of government are white collar workers who believe money is made in board rooms & an advanced economy is a service economy.
Too late for me the metals industry is dead.
When graduated OZ was in the top 10 countries for foundry outputs.
We even exported casting to the USA. IH, Cat, Deere, Detroit all had foundries down here.
We now don't even get rated as our output is too low .

Hope the rest of you survive the virus intact and remain financially viable.

 

[jakewells]

I was layoff after 16 yrs. I don't which was worst for the fight at unemployment office or the constant turn downs of my job application due to having to much experience. The employment office just kept demanding more than two job references. I finally had to the employment office supervisor's supervisor involved.

Finally ended up having to pickup and sell scrape metals for nearly 7 yrs before I decide to small engine repairs; just couldn't work in my field of work. Huge learning curve even though I had the basic mechanics down from working on vehicles. The hardest was getting a through understanding of two cycles. Now after ten years of doing this, the employers are afraid of me again as I pass some their hardest tests by repairing whatever they put in front me.

It is a good I got only 5 yrs to go before I can apply for that rocking chair monthly checks.

I feel like i will have to work till the day of my funeral life shouldn't be this hard.

 

[jakewells]

Hello,

I hope you can keep things going. Collecting unemployment was one of the most humiliating experience I've ever gone through. They make it as difficult as humanly possible on you, not sure why as you pay into it when you do work. You would think it's coming out of their pockets.

Good luck

Jeff

I am drawing right now and my employer apologized and i knew it wasn't his fault since he is a independent small business i get it. He said my job is still going to be here when they are allowed to be reopened and there was talk about reopening to certain customers but that went down the toilet. I work at a oil change shop by the way.

That stimulus check that is coming out is going to help on certain bills but it is a band aide i know it is only a advance on my tax return i am sure they will bend me over next year when i file.