Electric Trainer

Keeping the faith as a new business

Yet another story from one of my former business trainees about the length of time it can take to get up and running.

This particular person said it was 8 months before she got any income from her new coaching business. And she wasn't sitting around doing nothing in those 8 months.

This underlines the importance of having enough savings (or a big enough loan) to see you through the first year.

I always tell new freelances and small business people that it took me 9 months of hard 'networking' (ie coffees and chats) before someone decided they needed what I was offering.

A marketing person once told me to expect 7 points of contact (and about 6 months) before anyone trusts you enough, and has the right sort of project to give you some work.

Wise words.

Taxing times for the nation

It's not often I get to feel smug - at least not with justification.

I've been mesmerised by the sudden realisation throughout the land that Gordon Brown effectively doubled the starting rate of tax in the 2007 budget.

Doubled?? Surely you mean "abolished"? Well don't get me started (again). I went through all that a year ago.

It amazes me that almost no one saw this tax change as a problem a year ago. Even my most fiscally challenged trainees can spot this during our business skills training.

I have no time for Labour MPs who are suddenly feeling rebellious. Last year they either didn't realise their Chancellor was pulling a fast one, or if they did realise, they thought they could keep it under the carpet.

Either way they look less than in touch with the reality of their constituents, and at worst highly cynical.

But that was before the election that never was, and plummeting approval ratings. Now some Labour MPs are worried about their seats. Surprise surprise.

As Polly Toynbee writes today, the problem is that people don't seem to perceive a need for taxes at all. Although I don't agree that New Labour never made the case for tax increases. Tony Blair did that in 1997, saying you had to pay for the services you want.

Perhaps a bit of honesty on taxes - and some fairness - is long overdue. And perhaps more journalists need to cover taxation stories in ways that make sense to their audience.