RichP

Hey man. Sweet. I have no qualifications as such too - just grew up with PCs since I was a kid and took an interest. Tbh I'd be prepared to bullshit on my CV if needs be.

IT Work

Started designing websites at 14. At 17 i joined a small business which was failing selling sports equipment. I build him an ecommerce site/ebay store.... (zoom to today - his business which I started turnsover £ 360'000+ a year. *sigh*) I took a decent payout but that's all I saw - meanwhile this dude who is 100% computer illterate is raking it in. It paid for a big chunk of my 2 years in OZ tho (pretty much a massive sesh LOL)

He eventually lays me off and pays an average IT guy less (we'd agreed I take a %) obv. I was too young to think of contracts and lost out. Lesson learned.

So since then I've been doing ecommerce sites for the occasional client and occasionally myself and a friend (1 i'm deving now: http://partybra.co.uk which is 50% mine) might buy/sell stuff like above ^.

Other than that - usual IT jobs - setting up computers, networks, virus removals, EXCEL sheets etc. All pretty basic stuff. I'd just undercut anyones price basically - usually get jobs via word of mouth.

Was thinking about getting some qualifications but don't know if I can bare it here - like you - since 2009 been on the breadline and doing shit jobs here and there (inc bar work/admin).

On another hand - that's awesome advice. I might try that. I'm thinking of doing myself a fake portfolio. Anyway it's neat that you've got a well paying job Must feel nice knowing you can afford that crisp, cold pint. Haha. Are the pubs any good over there? Alot of the Aussie pubs kinda lacked the banter but who cares after a skinful right lol. Are you going to NZ for an adventure or do you think it come become permanent?

Cheers man.

wellingtonboot

you have answered your own question really in terms of what you need to do.

You need to invest 25-50% of that 5k in a few different products you know you can sell - you can already make the website and infrastructure behind it and you should know about marketing via blogs pointing into the main site backed up by twitter and youtube (facebook is total nonsense marketing wise - i cannot believe companies have facebook/whatevercorp - it will come crashing down - what leads do they really get out of it - i dont want intrusive ads on my portal to my friends) that will take 2 years to really drive and accumulate real business - once that is in place you can sell the business.

Even better you know where hes making his money and where he is buying it wholesale - its what every other person does - find the cheapest supplier - market it and sell it. simples.

That way you dont need to live on lies - you will have a real portfolio, customers and real clients.

you will be on the breadline / feel like you are on the breadline until you control your own income. Thats why i started forex - it gives me freedom. i can relax - in a sense... i work from 8am till midnight doing my real job and forex.

IT really pisses me off some days! If you are not working for yourself you will get frustrated (unless you "work" in the public sector and are happy to freewheel along discussing which biscuits to have at 9am 10am 11am 2pm and 4pm for your tea break) and will think why do you give 110% for some other arsehole.

If i was you I would spend the next 2 years working in a bar / admin (no reason not to keep applying for more IT based roles, if you got a job with an IT company you can run your business in work) and spending every other ounce of energy developing your internet businesses.

do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.


do that and you will be able to buy your own bar.

whatever it is you need to lay the foundations pretty sharpish - the ad hoc IT stuff you have been doing will not be there much longer.

RichP

Mate, that is the ****ing best and most inspiring advice I've been given in a long time. I really mean that. I wish I had a partner who thought like that and I'd have made shit loads more money by now.

In hindsight I should've latched on and stolen his suppliers straight away - I was so young at the time I wasn't wise enough (or have the drive like you) to do that. Now his ebay store has some mega feedback. Anyway thats in the past (grr!).

Speaking of Youtube - i've got a channel that gets 220'000 views a week where the captive audience is 85% male 18 > 45. Once I figure out what I can sell to guys I'll plaster that channel with adds like a mofo! haha!

As for the public sector comment - that made me LOL. Hahah so true. (Once tempted at the local council....incompetence central!)

As for Facebook - totally true - its a fad I think - I can't see why websites want to lead vistors AWAY to from their page so they can get distracted after clicking on some shitty 'Like' Facebook page.

Anyway - thanks again. Truely epic words. Given me a right boost! thanks

wellingtonboot

do i really need to tell you what to market to "captive audience is 85% male 18 > 45"

beer
sex
beer
cars
sex
gadgets - buy it from china wholesale - (diyinchina.com)
sex
sex
did i mention sex?


redirect it all to a landing site which is backed up by twitter and multiple blogs - employ phillipinos at $0.02 per forum post or get a good forum bot to do it..

you know the score.

RichP

Haha brilliant. Always wondered what's the best way to spam a forum.... Definitley need to do more research into that.

As for importing....damn right Looking for the right product...alotta of ebay guys are already onto it, but imma keep trying

Thanks again

wellingtonboot

digitalpoint will give you a few pointers on what to do with that traffic.
it helps if you can craft a hobby into a business.......

RichP

sweet i'll check it out. forums are ****ing invaluabe! always wondered if theres any money to be made out of having one (assuming it gets popular) after hosting charges.

you never fancied having a delve into an online business? you seem pretty clued up lol!

liz_r

Wellingtonboot, to be fair, the £10 you quote for paracetamol in NZ will buy you a 100 tablet pack of, say, Panadol from, say Life Pharmacy chain, whereas 50p will buy you a pack of 16 tablets from Boots. Still more expensive than the UK, but let's get some perspective here...

wellingtonboot

disagree.

at lunch ill go downstairs to the pharmacy and new world and post what prices a pack of 16 paracetamol are and then post the price sainsburys are charging for the same.

I can do the same with razor blades, deodrant - anything like that you are paying 20% + or more on.

remember my point before - i dont want to have to shop here and there and scout out prices - its about convenience. thats the point.

thats the perspective.

Robbo25

Just found these online: http://shop.countdown.co.nz/Shop/Spe...arch%3Dpanadol

wellingtonboot

ok still 4 X as expensive as sainsburys can we beat countdown ?

can you find me some chaeap mach3 razor blades?

DC10

i'll have some too thanks

they are one thing i always stocked up on when travelling outside the UK too as they're not exactly cheap there either

wellingtonboot

a guy here is buying them off amazon fairly cheap....

sheene

It is a bit like a soap opera, BE. You get the regular stalwart Ena Sharples types, the wide boys, the prim and propers, the rich and the aspiring, then the regular new people to the street, perhaps that is the appeal.

Anyway, different perspective, not advice:

At 25 you are just on the trailing edge of youth, still at the age where it can be used as an excuse. For a prospective employer, or country, looking for a new recruit - take a look at your contemporaries - some will have experience and few qualifications, others will have degrees etc but no experience - it will be a judgement call. FF 5 years and it is a different story - then you will be competing with graduates who also have experience.

In 10 years time, at 35, your choices without any formal qualifications will start to narrow dramatically. Of course for people who are going to start their own business, this is somewhat irrelevant, but it is always best to have a back up plan. Qualifications have never been easier to get. Sue has just done a Cert 3 in childcare online - it was hard work for 12 months whilst doing another job, but from the comfort of your own home - and relatively cheap ($1000). Doors are already starting to open which were previously shut.

If you want to move to NZ without qualifications, it may be best to do it now - the door may be shut, or at least ajar, in another 5 years time. As I said, just a different perspective.

Robbo25

Cheap Gillette razor blades!!! Don't be daft they are the same place as the lost city of Atlantis. Great how the razors are soooo cheap, leading you into a lifetime of facial hair related debt.