Comments on: When Do You Call It Quits http://achingdebts.com/when-do-you-call-it-quits/ Survive the Tough Times, Get Out of Debt and Save Money Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:35:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: CindyS http://achingdebts.com/when-do-you-call-it-quits/comment-page-1/#comment-252 CindyS Sun, 06 Apr 2008 00:34:11 +0000 http://achingdebts.com/?p=144#comment-252 Kim, Welcome! Thanks for your suggestions and for commenting. You have some great ideas and I will have to think about it for awhile. Maybe I can come up with something. I have flyers out and am going to go to the local festivals to pass them out. It's what passes for shopping out here. :) Kim, Welcome! Thanks for your suggestions and for commenting. You have some great ideas and I will have to think about it for awhile. Maybe I can come up with something. I have flyers out and am going to go to the local festivals to pass them out. It’s what passes for shopping out here. :)

]]> By: Kim http://achingdebts.com/when-do-you-call-it-quits/comment-page-1/#comment-251 Kim Sun, 06 Apr 2008 00:23:20 +0000 http://achingdebts.com/?p=144#comment-251 Hi...I'm new here! I have been reading your blog and a few other frugal blogs lately, and I find them very interesting and informative. I felt like I needed to comment on this one because I understand completely what you are going through. I own my own business too. I started a small newspaper in my area 13 years ago, and I run it out of my house. When I started it, my kids were younger and I wanted to do something that would allow me to spend time with them before they were grown. I also needed something that required very little investment to start. So I started it from scratch. The only thing that has kept me going all these years, while other small papers have cropped up and went under within months or years, is keeping my overhead low, low low. I have none except for my printing cost every two weeks and gas to distribute it. And it has slowly grown throughout the years. The paper itself is free and consists mostly of classified ads and some articles and I make my money from the business advertisers. I have two independent sales reps. that I pay on a commission basis only - I only pay them when they sell ads, and since they are considered independent they get a 1099 form at the end of the year and file their own taxes. So here is my suggestion - is there anyway at all possible that you can cut your overhead to the bare, bare minimum until you grow? Is it necessary to have the office right now...could you possibly do this at your house until you build your client base up? I know it is hard to afford to advertise when you are struggling (I deal with tons of small businesses struggling with that)...have you ever considered making up flyers and taking them around to put on doors, or handing to people as they come out of a busy shopping area? Have you ever thought of branching off and doing something else to supplement your income? Possibly something else along the same lines? We always say here that it is easier to try to get more money out of our existing clients than to get brand new ones. People that are already happy with your service might be interested in more of your services. Hi…I’m new here! I have been reading your blog and a few other frugal blogs lately, and I find them very interesting and informative. I felt like I needed to comment on this one because I understand completely what you are going through.
I own my own business too. I started a small newspaper in my area 13 years ago, and I run it out of my house. When I started it, my kids were younger and I wanted to do something that would allow me to spend time with them before they were grown. I also needed something that required very little investment to start. So I started it from scratch. The only thing that has kept me going all these years, while other small papers have cropped up and went under within months or years, is keeping my overhead low, low low. I have none except for my printing cost every two weeks and gas to distribute it. And it has slowly grown throughout the years.
The paper itself is free and consists mostly of classified ads and some articles and I make my money from the business advertisers. I have two independent sales reps. that I pay on a commission basis only – I only pay them when they sell ads, and since they are considered independent they get a 1099 form at the end of the year and file their own taxes.
So here is my suggestion – is there anyway at all possible that you can cut your overhead to the bare, bare minimum until you grow? Is it necessary to have the office right now…could you possibly do this at your house until you build your client base up? I know it is hard to afford to advertise when you are struggling (I deal with tons of small businesses struggling with that)…have you ever considered making up flyers and taking them around to put on doors, or handing to people as they come out of a busy shopping area? Have you ever thought of branching off and doing something else to supplement your income? Possibly something else along the same lines? We always say here that it is easier to try to get more money out of our existing clients than to get brand new ones. People that are already happy with your service might be interested in more of your services.

]]> By: Debt Free Revolution http://achingdebts.com/when-do-you-call-it-quits/comment-page-1/#comment-250 Debt Free Revolution Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:57:28 +0000 http://achingdebts.com/?p=144#comment-250 In the Army we had a saying: "No battle plan ever survives first contact with the enemy." If you can't "Change, adapt, and overcome" (another Army saying) then you get steamrolled. You are "adjusting fire" and sometimes plans get put on hold for survival. It took me 13 years to get back into college. Life happens, so adjust fire and keep on going with revised plans. In the Army we had a saying: “No battle plan ever survives first contact with the enemy.” If you can’t “Change, adapt, and overcome” (another Army saying) then you get steamrolled. You are “adjusting fire” and sometimes plans get put on hold for survival. It took me 13 years to get back into college. Life happens, so adjust fire and keep on going with revised plans.

]]> By: CindyS http://achingdebts.com/when-do-you-call-it-quits/comment-page-1/#comment-249 CindyS Sat, 05 Apr 2008 10:19:58 +0000 http://achingdebts.com/?p=144#comment-249 Betty, I am glad to see you being Pollyanna. :) Things will eventually get better... I know they will too. I am just wondering if I am doing the right thing by sticking with it or if I should find a full time job with benefits (sounds like heaven) or not. Lindsay, That is one way to look at it but if I go back to work full time, it will be hard to grow the business. Betty, I am glad to see you being Pollyanna. :) Things will eventually get better… I know they will too. I am just wondering if I am doing the right thing by sticking with it or if I should find a full time job with benefits (sounds like heaven) or not.

Lindsay, That is one way to look at it but if I go back to work full time, it will be hard to grow the business.

]]> By: Lindsay http://achingdebts.com/when-do-you-call-it-quits/comment-page-1/#comment-248 Lindsay Sat, 05 Apr 2008 02:38:59 +0000 http://achingdebts.com/?p=144#comment-248 Just think of the job as a temporary way to earn some extra income. Your business will succeed, and then you can quit your job. Knowing you will be able to quit your job will motivate you to find ways to adjust your business for the better. Good luck! Just think of the job as a temporary way to earn some extra income. Your business will succeed, and then you can quit your job. Knowing you will be able to quit your job will motivate you to find ways to adjust your business for the better. Good luck!

]]> By: bouncing betty http://achingdebts.com/when-do-you-call-it-quits/comment-page-1/#comment-247 bouncing betty Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:33:53 +0000 http://achingdebts.com/?p=144#comment-247 Nope, you are not being a quitter. You are just changing your game plan for the time being to adapt to the new field. All good generals constantly evaluate the battle and change tactics as needed. I know this time probably just sucks for you and you are wondering what the hell did I get myself into? Things will perk up, I just have this feeling they will. And yes I AM being Betty the Pollyanna today! Nope, you are not being a quitter. You are just changing your game plan for the time being to adapt to the new field. All good generals constantly evaluate the battle and change tactics as needed.

I know this time probably just sucks for you and you are wondering what the hell did I get myself into? Things will perk up, I just have this feeling they will.

And yes I AM being Betty the Pollyanna today!

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