career advice??!!

[dem maser]

i am looking into a few options and they vary hugely between each other.....

i come from a sales/management background where after i got a 1st degree in business and marketing i went into sales at VW at 22 and for the 2 months of being there i was top dog...outselling other salesman who were a lot older..unfortunately thats all i did, 2 months as my dad needed help running the restaurant and at 22 the kudos and money on offer of running my restaurant was too much to turn down.....

i now started looking at jobs that allow me to work for myself or if not then are challenging and the earning potential is huge...

a carrer is what im after, as im starting off married life and soon have kids id like to be starting a job with a future, i have made some enquiries and looked into some options and wanted to ask you guys an opinion and advice on whats out there...

i have so far come up with................

house property market (estate agent/developer/surveyor)

car sales


dent removals/alloy wheel refurb....

i like them all and wanted your opinions on them or anything else you wise heads can think off...
also want to say a thank you to a certain forum member for allowing me to post my cv to him..thanx you know who you are...

 

[Easyplan66]

If I had my time again Dem I would try to do something that I have a passion for, that way you enjoy going to work everyday, problem is that not many of us get that lucky. How about starting an events management business based around cars......

 

[Parisien]

So managing a restaurant again doesn't appeal?....what you know, people managing, providing a service

High end car sourcing for select clientele?...what you'd like, nice margins........



P

 

[lozcb]

Anything in the present climate will be hard going without the contacts to help you along , its a case of forging some contacts in the field you want to apply yourself in , wheel refurb aint gonna get you rich Dem , there's too many mobile ones fighting for business already a fixed set up will cost 30-40 K to set up with no guarantees of return unless you can get some Main Dealer contracts ,

Property/estate agent could be the way to go , most astute independant ones i know use it for their own ends and deliberately set out to buy the deliberately undervalued bargains themselves as a way of making fast money , totally un-ethical but thats what they do if you can live with that then its not a bad way to make a living


regards loz

 

[Andyk]

Dem, if my mate is anything to go by car sales is not the think to be in at the moment ..... Its a very hard business at the best of times...

 

[dem maser]

The property market does appeal to me and starting out as an agent could pave the way to buying and developing or even having an agency of my own, but the house extension surveying also appeals....decisions....research has to be plenty so ill look into it more

 

[2b1ask1]

Dem, Go for a big bang, quick fix, short term solution to get your name out there... I'd suggest looking at sales in a short term lets' agency for the Olympics there are going to be hundreds of thousands of people needing accomodation not usually available for just a few weeks next summer; megga bucks to be made and move on after?

Or any other service for the games and Paralympics that follow. Your location is ideal for this as well.

 

[Easyplan66]

Dem order 1 million plastic union jacks and sell them at the olympics

 

[dem maser]

Dem order 1 million plastic union jacks and sell them at the olympics

Im sure there will be an eastern european/african here in london under cutting me hahahaha

 

[dem maser]

Dem, Go for a big bang, quick fix, short term solution to get your name out there... I'd suggest looking at sales in a short term lets' agency for the Olympics there are going to be hundreds of thousands of people needing accomodation not usually available for just a few weeks next summer; megga bucks to be made and move on after?

Or any other service for the games and Paralympics that follow. Your location is ideal for this as well.

thats a good idea, how do i get into that??

Come on guys if i make it i promise a forum car on me....

 

[Easyplan66]

I recon that you could sign to prearranged deal on some nice rental property near the stadium now and sell them on at a profit nearer the time to a corporate hospitality company.

 

[dem maser]

Will look into it...thanx...dont know where to start...let me google a few things

 

[marcos]

The problem with property is overexposure - everyone has seen it in the telly and auctions are full of people who've raised the cash from their families and are looking to turn a profit. The bargains are gone, and the Olympic area will have been covered before our bid was even in.

Examples: I have a mate who 8yrs ago bought a house in Cornwall, tideid it up and made £40k in 6 months. Woohoo. He then bought another one, did the same, couldn't sell or rent it for a year, lost almost all of the profit - times had changed, everyone was on the property bandwagon. Example 2, mate saw a new build townhouse up for £250k. Agents offered it for £225k as 'the last one on the plot, need to meet our targets' etc, mortgage company (in cahoots) agreed to take the £25k discount as a deposit. Property crash follows, he has been in negative equity for 2-3yrs now. Can't sell it, can't remortgage it, can't raise money for a real deposit for a better deal, the compnay who gave him the mortgage no longer trade so only a matter of time before the loan is called in. It's rented, but if interest rates rise, it a repossession job. He's saving like crazy just to buy himself out of it!!

You need to specialise if you're doing property, if you don't already have a multi-million £££ empire then this may not be the time to start. Prices are high, morgages are unobtainable, rents are too low for B2L to work. you need to offer something that few others can. Are you multi-lingual or have contacts abroad for example?

Someone mentioned car-based events. The Petrolhead Nirvana model seems great, but do they make money and does the country need another one? But what ajob if you could make it work. I'll come on one of your tours!

The money-for-old-rope job I see at the moment is recruitment consulting. Again, got to be specialised, but we've recently had some people placed at our office on silly day rates with silly money to the recruiters. They're just a body shop, cold calls all day to every oil compnay in the ohone book but they get a bite if the timing is right. Not a nice way to make a living, but if you have a highly motivated team, you can stay out of the donkey work and do the nicer stuff. Like taking people to lunch, or in my case, Take That in the summer!

Best of luck whatever Dem. Think long and hard, no need to commit everything without trying some stuff first. Any skills your wife-to-be has that you two could team up doing - she's in legal I believe? Even with young 'uns she can man the 'office' if so.

Just had a vision of you two doing debt collecting, you cracking thumbs while she does the paperwork

 

[dem maser]

The problem with property is overexposure - everyone has seen it in the telly and auctions are full of people who've raised the cash from their families and are looking to turn a profit. The bargains are gone, and the Olympic area will have been covered before our bid was even in.

Examples: I have a mate who 8yrs ago bought a house in Cornwall, tideid it up and made £40k in 6 months. Woohoo. He then bought another one, did the same, couldn't sell or rent it for a year, lost almost all of the profit - times had changed, everyone was on the property bandwagon. Example 2, mate saw a new build townhouse up for £250k. Agents offered it for £225k as 'the last one on the plot, need to meet our targets' etc, mortgage company (in cahoots) agreed to take the £25k discount as a deposit. Property crash follows, he has been in negative equity for 2-3yrs now. Can't sell it, can't remortgage it, can't raise money for a real deposit for a better deal, the compnay who gave him the mortgage no longer trade so only a matter of time before the loan is called in. It's rented, but if interest rates rise, it a repossession job. He's saving like crazy just to buy himself out of it!!

You need to specialise if you're doing property, if you don't already have a multi-million £££ empire then this may not be the time to start. Prices are high, morgages are unobtainable, rents are too low for B2L to work. you need to offer something that few others can. Are you multi-lingual or have contacts abroad for example?

Someone mentioned car-based events. The Petrolhead Nirvana model seems great, but do they make money and does the country need another one? But what ajob if you could make it work. I'll come on one of your tours!

The money-for-old-rope job I see at the moment is recruitment consulting. Again, got to be specialised, but we've recently had some people placed at our office on silly day rates with silly money to the recruiters. They're just a body shop, cold calls all day to every oil compnay in the ohone book but they get a bite if the timing is right. Not a nice way to make a living, but if you have a highly motivated team, you can stay out of the donkey work and do the nicer stuff. Like taking people to lunch, or in my case, Take That in the summer!

Best of luck whatever Dem. Think long and hard, no need to commit everything without trying some stuff first. Any skills your wife-to-be has that you two could team up doing - she's in legal I believe? Even with young 'uns she can man the 'office' if so.

Just had a vision of you two doing debt collecting, you cracking thumbs while she does the paperwork

Hahahaha thanx lewis...a lot of wise words there....
She is a lawyer but the only way they earn a lot of money nowadays is by becoming partner and shes way off that....
Will look into a few avenues as i have a lot pressure to do something soon and well i hate not doing anything anyway....

 

[Phil H]

How about franchising Dem? You need to choose carefullly as many sectors are already over sold and there are rip-off companies in that game, but with a marketing degree, restaurant experience, and a legal eagle in your back pocket something might suit. The recession's not going to last forever and a fledgling business now could do well when things get going again.

http://www.franchisedirect.co.uk/

PH

 

[dem maser]

i looked into and nearly did go for a subway franchise.....
did all my research and almost booked a flight to go to usa for approval....

not for me...they dont make enough and the company take sooo much out of the profits....also i thought that whatever happens the shop and equipment are yours since you paid for it but no, they own it and if it dont work they keep your assets.....

 

[Phil H]

****'s teeth Dem, I never realised they targeted franchisees assets. The very thought brings tears to the eyes, and I don't think I could ever face a six inch one again.

PH

 

[Phil H]

A Subway gentlemen, a Subway.

PH

 

[dem maser]

Never had a sandwich from them after tgat, a lot of time went into my research and i was disgusted at what i found

 

[Parisien]

Mind you Dem...a McDonalds franchise is a goldmine......know a guy over her who has three.......hes now sleeping on a 6 mattress high bed!!!


P