Good bye...

See ya, Kev!

It's about bloody time.

Don't let that door hit you on the bum on the way out.

Good riddance.


Till next time...

"F" for FAIL...

Indonesia submitted you to a pop quiz, and you failed.

The boat was in Indonesian waters.  The boat wasn't in Australian waters, and the boat wasn't even in International waters, so why did the Australian's even "rescue" it?

This was a classic example of Indonesia flexing their muscle, and you've let them.  

Shame on you.

Why are you even letting Indonesia make the refugee's that are leaving FROM THEIR COUNTRY our problem?

They are living in Indonesia at the moment, so isn't it Indonesia's problem?

How are you going to stop the rest of them from coming now?  You've just proved that you're nothing but hot air and hope.

Till next time...

A typical subcontractor in the residential sector....

So, we have a house to finish and it's almost done.  We've sent the requisite notice to the clients advising them of the date they can inspect the completed works and pay us our final progress claim.

All that's left to do is some external painting.

The painters were supposed to be there on Friday.  They weren't.  The head guy was "sick".

They were supposed to be there on Monday.  They weren't.  The head guy's "car broke down".

Phone calls go unanswered and so do text messages and emails.

The painters were supposed to be there this morning.  They're not.

Again, phone calls go unanswered and so do text messages.

I eventually get in touch with the head guy.  Lovely man - really.  Lovely family, too.  Heart of gold but unorganised to the extreme.

He confesses that he has no money to buy the rest of the paint he needs to finish my job, so he's had to contract himself out at day labour just to bring in some quick cash to buy the paint he needs for my job.

WHAT THE HELL?

I don't get how these people run businesses!?!?

OK...I understand that someone passes you a bum cheque and you were counting on it to pay your own suppliers and because of that you become temporarily stuck.  But all my painter needed was $1000.  That's it.  Just $1000.

Surely, surely these "businesses" have some sort of float they can dip in to?  I don't understand how they can't have one.

So, he's delayed the completion of his work on my house for 4 days because of $1000.

Bless him - he was too embarrassed to tell me the real reason for not showing up, and he was worried that if he asked for a 'start' I may think that he was trying to shaft me (ie: take the money and never show up again - a practice rife in this segment of the industry), but still, we all have a job to complete and it needs to be completed.  It's that simple.

Subbies - please become better business people, and please learn to open your mouth and say something if you have problems.  There are some builders out there who aren't your enemy.


Till next time...

The proposed SOPA changes...

A Summary of the proposed SOPA changes:

Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Amendment Bill 2013 – Summary of changes

1.    Prompt payment provisions.

These amendments will not apply to a residential construction contract that is connected with the main contract. Exception does not apply to other work that may be described as residential e.g. high rise apartments and other commercial developments.

Proposed s11(1):

·               A progress payment to be made under a construction contract is payable in accordance with the applicable terms of the contract.

Proposed s11(1A):

·               A progress payment to be made by a principal to a head contractor becomes due and payable on the date occurring 15 business days after a payment claim is made.

Proposed s11(1B):

·               A progress payment to be made to a subcontractor becomes due and payable on the date occurring 30 business days after a payment claim is made.

Proposed s11(1C):

·               The existing due and payable provisions for construction contracts connected to an exempt residential contract are retained.

Proposed s11(8)

·               Any provision in a construction contract that provides for payment of a progress payment later than the periods stipulated in s11(1A) and s11(1B) are void.

2.    Removal of existing requirement under s13(2)(c) for a statement that a payment claim is made under the Act.

   

3.    Requirement for a payment claim to be accompanied by a supporting claim.

Proposed s13(7):

·               A payment claim submitted by a head contractor to a principal must attach a declaration that all subcontractors and suppliers have been paid all amounts that have become due and payable in relation to the construction work concerned.

Maximum penalty: $22 000

Proposed s13(8):

·               To serve a supporting statement with knowledge that it is false or misleading in a material particular is an offence.

Maximum penalty: $22 000 or 3 months imprisonment or both

4.    Investigation of compliance with provisions regarding supporting statements

Proposed s36 to s36B:

·               Appointed authorised officers (public service employees) may require a head contractor or associated persons to provide information or documents relating to compliance with the new provisions of s13 regarding supporting statements.

Maximum penalty: $22 000 or 3 months imprisonment or both

Not happy, Jan.

Till next time....

Yet another step in the road...

...toward a Nanny State?
...toward total Government involvement?
...toward being completely, totally, utterly restrained that you just can't do business anymore?

When, oh when, will the Government just F* off out of our businesses and let us get on with the job?

I've received this today from a construction solicitor and I'm not impressed in the slightest.

MORE GOVERNMENT CONTROL PLANNED FOR THE NSW CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

On 30 October 2013 the New South Wales Legislative Assembly passed the first of a number of proposed amendments to the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 1999 (NSW) (“Security of Payment Act”)  that will change the construction legal landscape in New South Wales for many years to come.

All that is required now is the bill’s passage through the Legislative Council for the amendment to become law.

In Australia, the Security of Payment legislation exists in some form or another in all States and Territories. The Security of Payment legislation typically governs the contractual relationships of principals (developers), head contractors (builders) and subcontractors.  

The effect of the existing Security of Payment legislation is to override the contractual relations of the players in the construction process. The existing legislation provides a statutory process to circumvent the agreed contractual clauses to determine the amounts due to a claimant for construction work performed by it. The system is far from perfect and provides little more than rough justice to the parties to resolve disputes concerning payment.

Subcontractors are the main users of the Security of Payment legislation. Head contractors do not often use the powers against principals.

No other industry in Australia has such legislative interference in its commercial relationships.

In 2012 the Collins enquiry, headed by Bruce Collins QC, looked into insolvency in the construction industry and made various recommendations to the Government. (This was at approximately the same time as the Reed Constructions Pty Limited insolvency which involved major government contracts). These recommendations are now being enacted in response to the growing number of insolvencies of major head contractors and the knock on effect to subcontractors.  The bill creates yet more legislation reflective of the Queensland legal and regulatory regimes governing its construction industry.  This is in stark contrast to American politics and its swing towards reduced government involvement.  

The new legislative amendment represents a dramatic first “phase” of changes to further limit the way parties contract in commercial construction contracts and residential subcontracts.

Whilst the Minister for Finance and Services, Mr Andrew Constance, admitted in the second reading of the bill that “the majority of the industry does the right thing” the majority of head contractors must by this proposed bill bear yet another burden created by a few.

The proposed amendments dictate when progress payments must be made under head contracts and subcontracts despite what the parties might otherwise agree. This change reflects the Security of Payment legislation (and other legislation) in Queensland. In another section the proposed amendment changes the form in which payments claims are made. The result will be that every demand by subcontractors for payment (whether by letter of invoice) from head contractors will now require a special statutory response, which if missed becomes an automatic debt due to the subcontractor regardless of the work done and its true value.

Australian head contractors and subcontractors have never seen legislation like this.

The amendments further require that a head contractor attach to its own payment claims a declaration (referred to as a “supporting statement”) that all subcontractors and suppliers have been paid all amounts that have become due and payable in relation to the construction work concerned. If they do not, a maximum penalty of $22,000 applies. Further, if a head contractor serves a supporting statement with knowledge that it is false or misleading it will be an offence with a maximum penalty $22,000 or 3 months imprisonment or both.

On major constructions sites a head contractor will manage up to 70 subcontractors, consultants and suppliers to complete the works and each may make monthly or even weekly claims. During the course of any project, thousands of requests for payment will be made. The management of that process created by these proposed laws could have extraordinary consequences if the head contractor’s statement is in error.

Finally, the Government may (by these amendments) appoint public servants who can require a head contractor to provide information and all documents relating to compliance with the new provisions regarding supporting statements. Failure to comply with the requirements of such a notice may result in a maximum penalty of $22,000 or 3 months imprisonment or both.

In this instance the Government’s first legislative phase (as it puts it) comes at a high cost to the majority of the head contractors that do the right thing. The bill represents just the beginning of a legislative and regulatory regime to change the way construction takes place in the State of New South Wales.

The major builders will cope with this proposed legislation and the costs will be passed to principals. The costs will be substantial to ensure compliance, however, it is the mid-tier head contractor that will be forced to increase its administrative workload to accommodate the proposed changes. The bottom of the construction market will ignore the law. As always it’s not about creating yet more laws that will be ignored but about enforcement against those few bad apples.

In the meantime our economy which is highly dependent on new housing starts and capital expenditure for growth staggers on. If construction is the engine room of the State then the drivers of that engine are its builders. These builders continue to have their contractual rights restrained and if all the recommendations are enacted, they will within a short time, be operating under even stricter laws and controls. No doubt the other States and Territories will be looking on to see how the New South Wales economy performs if the bill is passed what affect it will have on its builders. 

You know what effect this will have?  It will screw us even more and screw our cashflow even more.

Have you ever stopped to think about how much the subcontractors actually screw over the builders with dodgy and inflated progress claims?  As it is we've got nothing in the way of protection against that.  The SOPA essentially states that we have to pay their full claim and then fight it out in court!  If that's how it has to be managed then why even have the SOPA in the first place?

Government....Please understand this.....All you manage to do is screw things up!  

GO AWAY!  YOU ARE NOT WANTED IN OUR BUSINESSES AND YOU ARE NOT WELCOME IN OUR BUSINESSES. 

I have not even started on this particular topic yet.  Stay tuned...


Till next time...

The people have spoken...

mandate

noun

ˈmandeɪt/

1. 1.

   an official order or commission to do something.

   "a mandate to seek the release of political prisoners"

   • 
     

     
     
   • 
     
   • 
     

     
     

     
     
2. 2.

   the authority to carry out a policy, regarded as given by the electorate to a party or candidate that wins an election.

   "he called an election to seek a mandate for his policies"

   • 
     

     
     

     
     

verb

manˈdeɪt/

1. 1.

   give (someone) authority to act in a certain way.

   "the rightful king was mandated and sanctioned by God"

   • 
     

     
     
2. 2.

   historical

   (of territory) be assigned to (another power) under a mandate of the League of Nations.

   "mandated territories"

During the 1998 election the Liberal's campaigned on their GST policy and won the election.  The GST was implemented (with just a bit of negotiation with Meg Lee's of the Senate) with the legislation passing through both houses.

During the 2007 election Kevin '07 campaigned against the Liberal's WorkChoices policy and won the election.  Labor immediately set about dismantling the WorkChoices legislation and the legislation to do so passed through both houses (noteworthy here that Liberals did not oppose the legislation).

During the 2013 election the Liberal's campaigned against the Carbon Tax and won the election.

In all three elections the victor had received a clear mandate from the electorate.  There can be no confusion and no misunderstanding on this.

Labour did the right thing and allowed the passage of the GST legislation through the houses and the Liberals did the honourable thing and allowed the passage of the legislation to dismantle WorkChoices through the houses.

So right now I simply can't fathom how Labor can not recognise the clear mandate that Liberal has received from the election to dump the Carbon Tax. 

It is beyond rude.  It is beyond arrogant and it is just very, very poor form to say the least.  I just don't have the words to express my disbelief at this latest little sooky-la-la behaviour from the Labor party.

Tony Abbot's campaign was so clear - he was going to dump the tax.  It was his mantra every single day - day in and day out of the election campaign.  At every single opportunity it was his catchphrase.  He did have 3 or 4 other key platforms that he campaigned upon - and he can rightfully consider that he has a mandate for those also.

So Labor, you need to "man up", accept your punishment (ie: the mandate from the electorate) and let the Liberal's get on with the job.  If you want to sook and carry on, do it behind closed doors where we can't see it.


Till next time...

Our job as a parent...

I was listening to FM radio station yesterday morning as I was doing the school run and I heard a comment about a man who'd purchased an apartment as an investment property that will eventually be owned by his son who is currently 5 years old.  The radio station were inviting people to call in and voice their reaction to this little bit of "news".

I was staggered by the comments against what this father was doing!  It was terrible to listen to, to be honest.  

This man's "story" even made the nightly news and some of the printed and online news:

http://brisbanetimes.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/lawyer-buys-710000-city-unit-to-set-up-son-5-on-ground-floor-of-property-market-20131028-2wc2p.html

http://news.domain.com.au/domain/real-estate-news/the-best-reason-for-not-buying-your-child-a-property-20131029-2wdod.html

http://smh.domain.com.au/real-estate-news/lawyer-buys-710000-city-unit-to-set-up-son-5-on-ground-floor-of-property-market-20131028-2wc2p.html


That the man even wanted to share what he was doing with the media is a little curious, but that's not the point right now.

People....we are parents.  It is incumbent upon us to provide our children with the best possible start in life that we're able to provide for them.  It really is that simple to understand.  And it's almost like an unwritten contract that we entered into the moment that the child is born.

It's our responsibility to do this, so good on this man for doing what he's done.  

There's no question that prices right now are ridiculous, and history tells us that it's just going to get worse in the future.  I always ask myself how on earth my kids are going to be able to afford to buy something when they're adults if I'm not able to help them out.  I wish I was in a position right now to do the same thing for my kids as this man has done for his son.


Till next time...

Another babe-elicious something...

There is a pub on the highway on my route home from school pick up.

It must have recently changed hands as there's new signage and there's been a bit of action there lately.  The signage says "Cold Beer, Hot Girls, Now Open".

The other day as I was driving home there was a really drop dead gorgeous woman with a smoking hot body (except for the gynormous plastic rack that looked as though she was going to float away into the sunset at any moment) standing in front of the pub.  She was wearing black, tight, tiny up-her-crack shorts and a bikini top that barely covered her nipples.  This girl was hot, and she was stopping traffic!

Anyway, she manages to catch the eye of my son (who is 9) and she gives him a little twinkle wave.  You know, the kind of wave that's a bit cheeky, using only a few fingers.

My son got so excited about it!  "Mum", he said, "she waved at me like this" and proceeded to demonstrate the little twinkle wave.  The smile on his face said it all!  It made his day.

Meanwhile I'm thinking to myself 'he's only 9, how can that excite him?'  Which led me to start thinking about DNA and the pre-configuration of the sexes, but that's the subject of a different post.

Anyway, the incident was quickly forgotten...

The next day, or possibly the day after, I picked my son up from school.  There was no 'hello mum'.

The first thing he said was "mum, are we driving past that pub again?".

He's 9, and all I can think is my goodness....typical male already!


Till next time...

Out of the mouths of babes...

I was at a school function one night this week.  It was a compulsory event that all children in the junior school had to attend and at some point perform in.  My daughter is 5 and in Kindy.

We'd arrived a little early and were waiting to go in to the Town Hall when one of my daughter's teachers arrived.  We were chatting and the teacher started talking to my daughter.  

The teacher asked my daughter "what do I teach at school?" 

My daughter's response: "I don't know....all the boring stuff."

LOL. 


Till next time...

A laugh a day keeps the Dr away...

Thank you Michael Smith - This post gave me a good laugh!


Till next time...



source: http://www.michaelsmithnews.com/2013/10/other-passengers-slowly-became-aware-she-was-watching-the-craig-thomson-parliamentary-statement-.html

And the rest of the day?...

Well, if I were a betting woman I think I would have won.

He did get up for about an hour at around 4.30pm to go outside and do some more tackling practice with son.  

When they finished he also got the shower ready for said son (set the water temperature), then he proceeded to sit on his fat arse on his red chair looking at the computer till he went to bed, which was about 11.45pm.

By contrast my afternoon consisted of everything I mentioned in my post yesterday, except I was too tired to even contemplate entering our business accounts in to MYOB.  Instead I collapsed on the couch and watched Limitless with Bradley Cooper....geez, I love Bradley Cooper!!

Again, someone shoot me!


Till next time...

Almost a day in my life...

It's Sunday, about 1.00pm and I look around my house and start to withdraw into my own thoughts.

Here's what I was thinking about:

7.15am - get out of bed, wash my face, brush my teeth, greet my children and ask what they want for breakfast

7.20am - start brewing an espresso for myself and hub

7.25am - start cooking a ham and egg breakfast for son and start preparing cereal for daughter.  Sip on espresso whilst cooking.  Start to hear signs that hub is up

7.35am - start cooking egg and mushroom omlette for my breakfast

7.40am - sit down and eat my breakfast.  Hub walks in and greets family.

7.50am - hang out washing that I'd programmed to start in the machine at 5.30am

8.00am - unpack dishwasher, get clothes for kids, get dressed myself

8.15am - start packing dishwasher and clean the kitchen

8.35am - put another load of washing in the machine

8.40am - can't remember what I was doing at this time, but various short conversations with children and hub take place whilst in the middle of doing odds and ends

9.00am - hub takes son outside to do some tackling practice.  I go and watch for a few minutes

9.10am - I announce that I'm heading out to do a small grocery shop and leave

9.25am - I arrive at shopping centre and shop

10.45am - I arrive home and commence bringing in grocery bags from car.  Find hub and children inside, children playing around and hub sitting on his red chair on computer watching youtube videos.  TV on in the background.  Hub offers to help with bags which I accept

10.50am - I commence unpacking grocery bags and putting away groceries.  Hub resumes sitting on his red chair watching the computer

11.05am - I've finished unpacking groceries and notice alot of natural yoghurt in the fridge so resolve to make frozen yoghurt for desert for the kids

11.10am - bring in first load of washing that's now dry and commence hanging out second load of washing that completed its cycle whilst I was shopping

11.30am - unpack dishwasher for 2nd time

11.35am - commence making frozen yoghurt mixture

11.45am - put frozen yoghurt mixture into churning machine

11.50am - re-pack dishwasher for 3rd time today

11.55am - try on pair of shorts that I bought this morning

12.00noon - general tyding up of the house

12.20pm - frozen yoghurt ready so scoop it into a tub for freezing but dish kids and hub up a small bowl each as a treat

12.30pm - empty contents of freezer and start defrosting it (old fridge/freezer and hub left the door to the freezer open overnight last week and it created crystals everywhere....really gave me the shits because I'd only defrosted it a week beforehand)


So, that's what I was thinking about....everything I had done, finished, accomplished since I'd woken up.  From then till now went something like this:

1.15pm - freezer re-packed and start washing all the dishes that don't get washed in the dishwasher.  Look at hub and make mental note he has not moved since he helped me with groceries....start wondering how soon after I left to go shopping he actually plonked his fat arse on that stinking red chair.  Start mentally reviewing my day and this timeline.  Notice my tomato seeds have started to sprout (little experiment to see if I can grow tomatoes....I can't grow herbs, but maybe tomatoes are different?)

1.15pm - get something to eat for the kids and start weighing and cooking my lunch

1.40pm - I finally sit down (first time since I sat and ate breakfast) and eat some lunch

2.00pm - start constructing this blog post

2.20pm - (right now!!) about to wind up this blog post.  Note hub still sitting on his fat arse on the computer.  I mentally review what else I need to do today:

• Wash daughter's hair
• Get school bags ready
• Iron school uniforms
• Cook dinner (home made hamburgers)
• Have a shower and wash my hair
• Make sure all school notes have been read and responded to where required
• Prepare school lunches for tomorrow
• Get kids off to bed
• Take computer into lounge room so I have some company whilst I enter our business accounts into MYOB

What will he be doing tonight?

Well, I'll take a bet he'll be sitting on his fat arse on his red chair watching the computer or the TV.

Someone shoot me!


Till next time...

Who REALLY needs protection?...

Consumers are not dumb.  That's right - consumers are not dumb.

Even more importantly - they do not need to be saved from themselves!

People ask me why I hate (yes, hate is a strong word, but I doubt I can use any lesser word) the construction industry so much and all I can say is that it's not a fair industry.

What other industry do you know of where external consultants, an engineer for example, is employed and instructed by the clients, designs his work and then the builder has to build it in accordance with those designs and then it's the builder who has to provide the warranty. 

We're not engineers.  How do we know if the design that the engineer has drawn is adequate?  Why should I have to provide warranty for that?  And....the warranty lasts 6 or 7 years!!

Where's the fairness in that?

What other industry do you know of where the clients fuck-arse around making decisions (selecting a tile, for example), doesn't make their decision in a timely manner thus severely affecting the critical path and blows out the construction program, then refuses to pay the delay costs associated with the delay THEY created?

Where's the fairness in that?

In this state we have Department of Fair Trading and the Consumer Tenancies and Traders Tribunal.  They are consumer protection devices because apparently consumers need protecting.

Well, I ask, WHERE IS MY PROTECTION???

I have a client who has delayed my progress on HIS house by 94 days.  That delay costs somewhere around $1,200 PER DAY, and that's not even counting the cost of missed opportunity because I'm stuck on his shitty house. 

That client now owes me $140k (in very loose round numbers).  Where is my protection against that? 

The client refuses to pay. 

I still have to hand him a completed house whilst he owes me all this money? 

I ask again, Where is my protection against that?

Now, I have to go and spend the equivalent in legal fees to recoup the delays costs I'm entitled to recoup.

How is that fair, I ask???

I have another client who's house was completed and handed to them over 12 months ago now.  Twelve months after they've been living in and enjoying their new home they decide to launch proceedings in a jurisdiction against us for....wait for it....our delay is delivering them a completed house.  They've also claimed for variations they agreed to (in writing might I add), and defects.  Their claim amounted to $150k or thereabouts.

Where is the fairness in them being able to do this 12 MONTHS AFTER THEY MOVED IN??

What's more, the variations they're trying to claw back WERE AUTHORISED IN WRITING BY THEM.

What's more even still, they never even notified us of any defects so how were we supposed to deal with them?

Where, again I ask, is the fairness in that.

So, what do I need to do?  What anyone who's the defendant in a $150k suit does.  Defend themselves!

So, I'm forced to go and spend almost the equivalent defending myself.

The clients forget all the work we did that we didn't get paid for.  The clients forget all the margins we forewent just so we can get the job done quicker and help their budgets.  The clients forget about all the information they never provided to us in the hope they could trick us and force us to provide things that we never knew about in the beginning.  The clients forget about all the changes they made during construction, and all the times they took forever and a day to make decisions, that all cause a knock on effect in the delivery program for the house.

Again, I ask....where is the fairness?

Where is MY protection against the consumer's stupidity??? 

The consumer does not need to be saved from me - rather, it is I who needs to be saved from the blasted consumer.


Till next time...

Time Flies (supposedly when you're having fun)...

Well, I haven't been having that much fun, but the time has certainly flown past.  I think most people I've spoken to have said the same thing about how quickly the year is passing us by.

I didn't launch the JGF Project that I mentioned in previous posts - the economic environment wasn't conducive to a new niche business (in my lay person's opinion).  I've got everything ready to launch it; marketing material, domain names, smart-phone phone numbers, yada, yada...but I'm not in a hurry to get on with it.  The work and the resulting $$ would be most welcome, of course, but I'm just not convinced I'd be doing the right thing by jumping in to it right now. 

So, the search for my groove continues.

I have a few ideas.  There's one idea that I particularly like (we'll call it the DSW Project), but it involves my total reliance, well in the beginning at least, upon my husband's qualifications, and I'm not quite sure I want that.  I think I want to get out of the construction industry.  I've grown to really hate it (the residential side of it, anyway).  And this little idea would only entrench me in the industry further.  On the plus side, however, there's the possibility that should demand be strong enough (and on my limited market testing thus far, it appears there may be), a good, systemised, structured business could be formed.  A business that could eventually be run by others with me taking a strategic role rather than a hands-on-in-the-trenches role.  The other downside to this idea, though, is that it would almost be considered to be discretionary spending, meaning that it would be hugely effected by economic factors and market confidence.

I did do some limited testing of the demand and the number of calls I received was surprising.

So, that's one thing I'm pondering.

I've explored going back in to the workforce as an employee, but I don't know how I'd cope with that.  Afterall, I've been self employed since I was 22 years old (I'm a few months from 40 right now), so that's a long time!  And, how would I manage the school drop off/pick up thing?  I struggle to comprehend how others manage it.  I find myself spending up to 4 hours (2 hours in morning, 2 in afternoon) doing the whole drop off/pick up thing, and I'm not even spending any time at the schools socialising with other parents.  That time is literally spent on the roads on Sydney.  Granted, that's in part a consequence of where I'm living in relation to the schools, however, it's still a huge chunk of time.   

I did go for an interview or two, but I shouldn't have.  They were both in the real estate industry, which is where I started my working life back when I was 17, and there's just no way I'll ever get paid a) what I need; and b) what I'm worth in the real estate game unless I'm the employer and not the employee.  And even then that's questionable.

So, this is an option that's also not really an option.

I find it really curious though, that whenever I think about going back into the employee arena I always go back to the real estate game.  I wonder why that is?

I've also started thinking about re-establishing my business that I'd sold off back in 2000 (or whenever it was).  Again, back in the real estate game (I'll call it TRS).  Last week I recalled out of the blue an article I'd read about a particular part of the industry still being a cottage industry.  I was also reminded of the dreams and ambitions I had when I initially established TRS.  Then I stumbled across another article about the largest player in this sector selling to another party enabling this purchaser to become the biggest service provider of its kind in the country.  I can't help but think either one of those 2 companies is sitting in my chair.  A few sessions of number crunching and a few (daydreaming?) thoughts about how I could run it better now that I'm older, wiser, more experienced and thoughts about re-establishing it started taking hold.  Afterall, it's definitely a business that can be run (profitably) with or with out me once it's properly systemised and procedurised.

I cast my mind back and couldn't even recall why I'd sold TRS in the first place.  I asked my mum.  She said it was because I wanted the $$ to join up with hub in the property development arena.  I distinctly remember that that's what happened.  I decided to double check with my husband and a girlfriend about what they remember of my reasons for selling.  Both of them said that I just got sick of dealing with whinging people! 

Well, that hasn't changed much in the years since I have to admit. 

Naturally, this has stopped my thoughts in their tracks.  How can I possibly get back in to TRS if I can't stand dealing with whinging people?  Would it be the same though?  Back then, I was at the coalface.  I was servicing clients on both sides of the service coin, both of whom had conflicting interests and motivations and I was a lot of the time the meat in the sandwich.  But my recollections are that I actually enjoyed it and obtained a great sense of satisfaction in closing a deal with a new client and actually delivering what I'd told them they could expect to receive.  I got a kick out of growing the business from nothing to something that I sold at a multiple that was, back then, a record; and a multiple that many struggle to achieve today.

So, that's tossing around in my head, too.

Or, I can find something totally, completely, utterly different to do....but I don't know what.

In the meantime, I'm doing what I'm doing with hub.  We're still working that juicy little commercial job that we got just before last Christmas.  We'll be winding that up soon, and again, we have nothing to move to afterwards.  So, expect the stress levels to be ramped up a few notches.

I almost feel like it's too late for me.  I'm pushing 40.  No, 40's not old, but I can't help but think that if I want to get into a new business and grow it into something substantial that I've missed the age boat.  Don't these things normally get started when people are in the mid to late 20's to early 30's?  I feel like I don't have time on my side any more.  And that's frightening.  Almost as frightening as being almost 40 and not knowing what I want to do with my life.


Till next time...

Tax Cuts...

I have had this little story in my files for a while now, waiting for an opportune time to post it; now is probably it:

Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand.

Suppose that every day, ten people go out for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100.

If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this -

The first four (the poorest) would pay nothing. The fifth would pay $1. The sixth would pay $3. The seventh $7. The eighth $12. The ninth $18. The tenth (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.

They ate dinner in the restaurant every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a problem. "Since you are all such good customers," the owner said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily meal by $20."

So, now dinner for the ten only cost $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So, the first four were unaffected, they would still eat for free.

What about the other six, the paying customers? How could they divvy up the $20 windfall so that everyone would get their 'fair share'?

The six paying customers realised that $20 divided by six is $3.33. If they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth and the sixth would each end up being 'PAID' to eat their meal.

So, the restaurant owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each person's bill by roughly the same amount, and proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so -

The fifth, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings). The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings). The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% savings). The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings). The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings). The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. The first four continued to eat for free. Once outside the restaurant, they began to compare their savings.
"I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth, pointing to the tenth diner "but they got $10!"
"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth. "I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that they got ten times more than me!"
"That's true!!" shouted the seventh. "Why should they get $10 back when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!"
"Wait a minute," yelled the first four in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"
The nine surrounded and beat up the tenth diner.

The next night the tenth diner didn't show up for dinner, so the nine sat down and ate without number ten. When it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

That, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up at the table any more. There are lots of good restaurants in Europe and the Caribbean.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D. Professor of Economics 536 Brooks Hall University of Georgia 

And there you have it.  Not so difficult to understand, is it?  Seems some people just don't get it.

Till next time...

Irony...

I love sarcasm, hypocrisy and irony....I find all 3 amusing in equal measure.

During my holiday up at Port Macquarie (which was fabulous), I discovered a walking trail right in the city, so decided to take a walk.

One part of the walk led through a wetlands.

I decided to stop and take a some pictures of the putrid state we humans leave things.

Can you spot the irony?  I just love it!!

Till next time...

Happy New Year...

As I sit hear on New Year's Day at 6.20am eating my breakfast after a long powerwalk along the Rocks here in Port Macquarie where I'm currently holidaying I start to congratulate myself silently.

I don't congratulate myself for the year gone by; it really was just a waste of a year.  

I shouldn't really say that, actually.  It was a year of steady as she goes, but little in the way of momentum.  I moved forward just a small bit, and it's better than going backwards, I guess.  

I didn't save any money or get an additional job that I very much wanted/needed (well, I did, but it doesn't count because 95% of it falls into this new year), I didn't buy a house, I didn't make any investments.

Instead, I congratulate myself on being here.  

Don't get me wrong, I never had entertained any morbid thought of self destruction...but sometimes things weigh upon my mind so much that I wonder "how on earth am I going to make it through this?" or think to myself that I simply don't have the energy or mental capacity to deal with it.

I congratulate myself on sticking the course when the going got tough, and tough it has been at times.  

I congratulate myself for being enthused enough to seriously establish a new business (launching mid 2013 if all goes well - we'll call it the JGF project).  I just need to move my life around a bit to try and fit it in somewhere.

I congratulate myself on standing my ground when I knew I had to and it was the right thing to do and alternatively for having the maturity and common sense of acquiescing when it also required or appropriate.

And finally, I congratulate myself on my children; that they're growing up in a stable and loving environment and not being fucked up by the events that have taken place in our lives over the last few years.  I've managed to shield them from it all and provide for them as though nothing ever happened to us.  In my mind this last one deserves the biggest pat on the back.

As for the year ahead, well, I hope it's a good one, although I do fear it will be more of the same with a crumbling world economy on the horizon.

As for new years resolutions well they're always broken so I've not really made any this year. 

Goals are different, however.  

Three weeks ago I started working out and training again and modifying my diet so I can lose 10kg (all the weight I put on after I gave up smoking 2 years ago!!).  I'm determined to complete this by end March and maintain it for the year.  I'm determined to remain cigarette free (although that will be easy because the stench of it really makes me sick these days - it's just disgusting).

Another goal I have is to launch the JGF Project before 30 June, but this is somewhat out of my hands as it really will depend on the state of the economy I think.

And my final goal is to continue to be the best mum I can be and provide a stable and happy environment for my kids to grow up in....again, this really is probably the most important of the 3 goals.

And my wish list for the year?

I wish Julia Gillard would call an election at the earliest possible opportunity.

I wish that Malcolm Turnbull would leave the Liberal Party.

I wish that Barry O'Farrell steps down and gets replaced by Gladys Berijiklian (I think she's a gun!).

I wish to win the Lotto, OzLotto or Powerball.

So, there you have it...another year in review.

Happy New Year.


Till Next Time...