Give us $5
Jan 9th 2004, 8:37 am
#1
Good to be back in UK
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2003
Location: Back in UK
Posts: 750
Give us $5
The drought ended Steven Ruhle's small business dreams. But now he wants Australians to send him $5 each to dig him out of debt and insists it's not a con. Does he deserve our help?
Steven Ruhle, 32, is a country boy whose big dreams of being a small business owner are about to make him bankrupt. And he's asking all of us for help.
"I'm hoping there are some kind hearted people out there," he said. "It's just a last resort."
A little over three years ago the Toowoomba labourer took out more than $100,000 in finance and a loan from a friend to start up a mobile wool testing business.
For the first six months he was making money. Then the drought kicked in and no farmer could afford to test their wool anymore.
Mr Rhule now works as a concreter to make ends meet.
But his wool testing machine sits idle and the whole failed business venture owes about $170,000 which he says he has no hope of paying back.
He's attended trade fairs to drum up business but now his big plan is to beg for help from the rest of us.
Mr Ruhle is placing advertisements around Australia asking 35,000 people to contribute $5 each.
He agrees that many people will be sceptical of his plan but insists it's not a con.
"The trust fund will distribute the money to the people I owe, to the finance company and to my friend who lent me the start-up costs," he said.
"Anything over that will go to the Red Cross and it all gets done through the trust fund."
Johnathan Fowler from the Small Business Association of Australia gives Mr Ruhle's plan full marks for ingenuity in an environment where many small businesses are struggling to stay afloat.
According to Mr Ruhle all the money received will be used to prop up his business in the hope that one day he'll be in a position to pay everyone back.
"I'm honest, I've always worked hard all my life," he said. "I've had a go at something and I don't want to give it up, I want to keep trying."
"I haven't got a backup plan. This is it - make or break, last resort."
Does he deserve our help? It's your decision. To contact Steven Ruhle write to PO Box 740, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350.
Steven Ruhle, 32, is a country boy whose big dreams of being a small business owner are about to make him bankrupt. And he's asking all of us for help.
"I'm hoping there are some kind hearted people out there," he said. "It's just a last resort."
A little over three years ago the Toowoomba labourer took out more than $100,000 in finance and a loan from a friend to start up a mobile wool testing business.
For the first six months he was making money. Then the drought kicked in and no farmer could afford to test their wool anymore.
Mr Rhule now works as a concreter to make ends meet.
But his wool testing machine sits idle and the whole failed business venture owes about $170,000 which he says he has no hope of paying back.
He's attended trade fairs to drum up business but now his big plan is to beg for help from the rest of us.
Mr Ruhle is placing advertisements around Australia asking 35,000 people to contribute $5 each.
He agrees that many people will be sceptical of his plan but insists it's not a con.
"The trust fund will distribute the money to the people I owe, to the finance company and to my friend who lent me the start-up costs," he said.
"Anything over that will go to the Red Cross and it all gets done through the trust fund."
Johnathan Fowler from the Small Business Association of Australia gives Mr Ruhle's plan full marks for ingenuity in an environment where many small businesses are struggling to stay afloat.
According to Mr Ruhle all the money received will be used to prop up his business in the hope that one day he'll be in a position to pay everyone back.
"I'm honest, I've always worked hard all my life," he said. "I've had a go at something and I don't want to give it up, I want to keep trying."
"I haven't got a backup plan. This is it - make or break, last resort."
Does he deserve our help? It's your decision. To contact Steven Ruhle write to PO Box 740, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350.
Jan 9th 2004, 9:07 am
#2
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 987
if this is genuine, which probably is?, I admire him. Rather than watch his whole family going down the pan, he is doing something about it.
Jan 9th 2004, 9:10 am
#3
What's he asking?
Joined: Nov 2003
Location: somewhere
Posts: 618
i guess what i like about this is that he is being incredibly genuine. i guess that he is expecting his honesty to appeal to some people and imo i think it would. not to the extent that he will get 35,000 people sending him $5 but i reckon he will get some.
Jan 9th 2004, 9:11 am
#4
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Joined: Feb 2002
Location: Dream life UK....
Posts: 2,912
I admire anyone who has a go at a business. But is that not the risk you take? Had he made an absolute bundle would he have distributed it to 35,000 people 
Jan 9th 2004, 9:21 am
#5
What's he asking?
Joined: Nov 2003
Location: somewhere
Posts: 618
i doubt it. hence why i dont think he will get many $5 back.
Jan 9th 2004, 9:40 am
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Originally posted by dotty
I admire anyone who has a go at a business. But is that not the risk you take? Had he made an absolute bundle would he have distributed it to 35,000 people
I admire anyone who has a go at a business. But is that not the risk you take? Had he made an absolute bundle would he have distributed it to 35,000 people
exactly why i would not give him a dime.
Jan 9th 2004, 9:15 pm
#7
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 9,397
The only people who would be sympathetic to this appeal are those who would send $5 to EVERY person who asked - otherwise it's not logical.
Could be 20,000,000 appeals then - say $100m in round figures each? <g>
Could be 20,000,000 appeals then - say $100m in round figures each? <g>
Jan 9th 2004, 11:27 pm
#8
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 11,149
If the drought is a sign of things to come then he should go bankrupt and move on. There is a lot of debate on how sustainable farming is in a dry country.
Jan 9th 2004, 11:46 pm
#9
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Posts: 4,513
his appeal was to save his business yet he has no business !!
he has no clients and $5 from 35000 people arent going to change that fact.
Then there are the self employed people whos businesses are affected by the government so they demand compensation from the government when they have to cease their business.
In particular fishermen on the east coast of canada. They fished and fished and raped the cod stocks out of their own greed, then when the government stepped in to save the depleted cod stocks, they whinged until they were given everything by the government, from cash to retraining.
The problem I have with this is that a single fisherman could earn several hundred thousand dollars in one season through his greed. They could come home from a short fishing trip and buy brand new cars for cash, even build a house in less than one season. Then when they are told "sorry no more fishing coz you were too greedy" they think they are hard done by.
In all of this, the collapse of the fisheries in eastern canada left many 1000's of people out of work/business in addition to the fishermen, yet they werent offered the government aid afforded the fishermen, more commonly known (because of its worth) as "the package"
Yes its great to be self employed and do well, but you take risks and shouldnt go looking for sympathy from anyone if your business fails.
My own business was affected by the collapse of the fisheries. I just moved on and did something else, the same as when someones employer cuts the work hrs because of losing customers so he leaves and gets another job.
I agree with the poster that said something like "when business was good, did he gives $5 to 35000 people" We know the answer to that.
I wouldnt give the guy a penny, hes not a charity.
he has no clients and $5 from 35000 people arent going to change that fact.
Then there are the self employed people whos businesses are affected by the government so they demand compensation from the government when they have to cease their business.
In particular fishermen on the east coast of canada. They fished and fished and raped the cod stocks out of their own greed, then when the government stepped in to save the depleted cod stocks, they whinged until they were given everything by the government, from cash to retraining.
The problem I have with this is that a single fisherman could earn several hundred thousand dollars in one season through his greed. They could come home from a short fishing trip and buy brand new cars for cash, even build a house in less than one season. Then when they are told "sorry no more fishing coz you were too greedy" they think they are hard done by.
In all of this, the collapse of the fisheries in eastern canada left many 1000's of people out of work/business in addition to the fishermen, yet they werent offered the government aid afforded the fishermen, more commonly known (because of its worth) as "the package"
Yes its great to be self employed and do well, but you take risks and shouldnt go looking for sympathy from anyone if your business fails.
My own business was affected by the collapse of the fisheries. I just moved on and did something else, the same as when someones employer cuts the work hrs because of losing customers so he leaves and gets another job.
I agree with the poster that said something like "when business was good, did he gives $5 to 35000 people" We know the answer to that.
I wouldnt give the guy a penny, hes not a charity.
