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December 7, 2009 at 9:39 am #966377Up::0
I started my business coz I couldn’t live on a government pension , flat motherless broke and homeless … That was ten years ago , all my friends said I couldn’t do it , and they weren’t willing to help … They’re not laughing now … I’m still struggling but no longer broke . There must be others out there learning as we go . Let’s have a yarn about our adventures , our dreams , and our success .
December 7, 2009 at 10:05 am #1017783Up::0Good onya Ray I started with nothing but didnt have a dream and 24 years later retired without too many worries.
Welcome to the forum, why not go into the new members area and tell us more . This sounds interesting and maybe other members would like to swap a few ideas.
January 18, 2010 at 9:01 am #1017784Up::0Hi Ray!
How did you DO IT???
I would love to know!!!
What is your business and how did you start without any money?? That’s my dilemma now.Regards,
JocelynJanuary 18, 2010 at 9:30 am #1017785Up::0Hey Jocelyn
Just replied to your other thread.
What to do without much cash?
Well, if you have an Internet connection, I really think you’d be best served by heading over to the Thirty Day Challenge. http://www.thirtydaychallenge.com – sign up (its free), review and do all the lessons, and I’m sure you’ll come up with something!Again, congratulations.
Cheers
BradJanuary 18, 2010 at 11:44 am #1017786Up::0Jocelyn, post: 24031 wrote:Hi Ray!How did you DO IT???
I would love to know!!!
What is your business and how did you start without any money?? That’s my dilemma now.Regards,
JocelynHi Jocelyn,
I started at the local weekend market , cleaning jewellery for $1 per piece .. set up a little table near the ATM .. and while ladies are waiting to withdraw cash I made my spiel ‘Clean your jewellery while you wait $1 only takes a couple of minutes’.
After a couple of weeks I was able to buy an ultrasonic jewellery cleanng machine .. you can get them new for under $100 …
A few weeks later a customer suggested that I sell jewellery as well .. so I did some research to find where I could buy small lots cheap
some time later someone suggested I should sell second hand jewellery so I applied for a secondhand dealers licence and did that
another few weeks and a bloke asked me to lend him $30 as he had spent too much and didn’t have petrol to get home, he offered to let me hold his gold ring … more research told me to do this I needed a pawnbrokers license .. so I applied and got that ..
Had a disagreement with market management , lost my temper and told them to stick it .. but too stubborn to give up .. I found a little shop I could rent cheap .. moved out of Salvation Army Shelter, slept in back of shop .. went to friends place for showers.. ate lots of sandwiches.
Got lots of encouragement and advice from other Pawnbrokers
One year later moved to different area to test what I had learned in another environment
Now I’m about to leave present shop as my business has evolved into different kind of money lending which is not geographicaly limited ..
It is now a credit line , I even have my own plastic card printing machine and website … http://www.alternativechoice.com.auStill learning, still growing, still having fun … thinking back … first month cash flow $28.50 gross profit $3.75 .. this financial year average $208.39 per day .. still working 7 days a week ..
Good Luck .. What ever happens … Never give up. Never give in ..
January 18, 2010 at 12:21 pm #1017787Up::0Hey Ray
Yours would have to be one of the most inspiring stories I have ever read.
Thank you.
Congratulations for never giving up.
If I had 1/99th of what you have inside, I’d be ok.Cheers
BradJanuary 18, 2010 at 12:54 pm #1017788Up::0Ray53, post: 24085 wrote:Hi Jocelyn,I started at the local weekend market , cleaning jewellery for $1 per piece .. set up a little table near the ATM .. and while ladies are waiting to withdraw cash I made my spiel ‘Clean your jewellery while you wait $1 only takes a couple of minutes’.
After a couple of weeks I was able to buy an ultrasonic jewellery cleanng machine .. you can get them new for under $100 …
A few weeks later a customer suggested that I sell jewellery as well .. so I did some research to find where I could buy small lots cheap
some time later someone suggested I should sell second hand jewellery so I applied for a secondhand dealers licence and did that
another few weeks and a bloke asked me to lend him $30 as he had spent too much and didn’t have petrol to get home, he offered to let me hold his gold ring … more research told me to do this I needed a pawnbrokers license .. so I applied and got that ..
Had a disagreement with market management , lost my temper and told them to stick it .. but too stubborn to give up .. I found a little shop I could rent cheap .. moved out of Salvation Army Shelter, slept in back of shop .. went to friends place for showers.. ate lots of sandwiches.
Got lots of encouragement and advice from other Pawnbrokers
One year later moved to different area to test what I had learned in another environment
Now I’m about to leave present shop as my business has evolved into different kind of money lending which is not geographicaly limited ..
It is now a credit line , I even have my own plastic card printing machine and website … http://www.alternativechoice.com.auStill learning, still growing, still having fun … thinking back … first month cash flow $28.50 gross profit $3.75 .. this financial year average $208.39 per day .. still working 7 days a week ..
Good Luck .. What ever happens … Never give up. Never give in ..
Wow Ray, Thanks Very much for sharing your story. Yours is a very inspirational and amazing journey. Congratulations to you for finding success and making it happen! It made my day hearing your story and I hope I could find the same success as you have.
Kind Regards.
Jocelyn.
January 18, 2010 at 3:01 pm #1017789January 18, 2010 at 9:53 pm #1017790Up::0Thanks Ray
Wouldnt it be fantastic if all those living at the Salvo centres could get inspiration from your story and did what you did.
I wonder how we as a community could help in some small way ( not financially), any ideas,anyone?
January 20, 2010 at 2:48 pm #1017791Up::0Hi Ray,
i couldn’t wait to speak to you again after our call the other day so here I am haha. Have you thought about using the government’s New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) on your business?Cheers,
MikeJanuary 20, 2010 at 10:45 pm #1017792Up::0Ray,
You story is inspiring, and you are a man with an incredible will ! Thanks for sharing your story, it certainly gave me a lot to think about.
Have a nice day !
SB
February 22, 2010 at 4:45 am #1017793Up::0Hello Ray
Your story is simply amazing and an inspiration to us all, there is a saying from someone from somewhere…and it goes is something like this ‘If you don’t have dreams they will never come true’
How true Ray.
Cheers
Steven
February 22, 2010 at 7:07 am #1017794Up::0Ray53, post: 24085 wrote:Hi Jocelyn,I started at the local weekend market , cleaning jewellery for $1 per piece .. set up a little table near the ATM .. and while ladies are waiting to withdraw cash I made my spiel ‘Clean your jewellery while you wait $1 only takes a couple of minutes’.
After a couple of weeks I was able to buy an ultrasonic jewellery cleanng machine .. you can get them new for under $100 …
A few weeks later a customer suggested that I sell jewellery as well .. so I did some research to find where I could buy small lots cheap
some time later someone suggested I should sell second hand jewellery so I applied for a secondhand dealers licence and did that
another few weeks and a bloke asked me to lend him $30 as he had spent too much and didn’t have petrol to get home, he offered to let me hold his gold ring … more research told me to do this I needed a pawnbrokers license .. so I applied and got that ..
Had a disagreement with market management , lost my temper and told them to stick it .. but too stubborn to give up .. I found a little shop I could rent cheap .. moved out of Salvation Army Shelter, slept in back of shop .. went to friends place for showers.. ate lots of sandwiches.
Got lots of encouragement and advice from other Pawnbrokers
One year later moved to different area to test what I had learned in another environment
Now I’m about to leave present shop as my business has evolved into different kind of money lending which is not geographicaly limited ..
It is now a credit line , I even have my own plastic card printing machine and website … http://www.alternativechoice.com.auStill learning, still growing, still having fun … thinking back … first month cash flow $28.50 gross profit $3.75 .. this financial year average $208.39 per day .. still working 7 days a week ..
Good Luck .. What ever happens … Never give up. Never give in ..
Hi I’m so glad I just read all this..we started a business 2 weeks ago with nothing..and I mean nothing…we’ve begged and borrowed just to get through the week..now after a few days on the internet socializing and door knocking for a week, we have 3 contracts and the phone is running hot..however after a few destructive comments about our website today on here, i hit rock bottom and let it depress me..but after reading this I see that this is MY dream and we are passionate about our work so I am determined we are going to be successful (without the damn website lol)
I must mention the website was put together by a friend who tried to help us out, but it seems wasn’t such a good idea lol I’m so glad you made it and even more glad you have shared your story with us..so I just wanted to say a big Thank you..February 22, 2010 at 8:35 am #1017795Up::0Ray53, post: 20570 wrote:I started my business coz I couldn’t live on a government pension , flat motherless broke and homeless … That was ten years ago , all my friends said I couldn’t do it , and they weren’t willing to help … They’re not laughing now … I’m still struggling but no longer broke . There must be others out there learning as we go . Let’s have a yarn about our adventures , our dreams , and our success .Hi Ray53,
I love your positive outlook in life, I think with the recession scare, people all around the globe have learned that thru industry and perseverance, we will all overcome poverty. It is just a matter of mindset and working hard!
April 8, 2013 at 7:13 am #1017796Up::0Well, It’s been a while, things were going very well, got up to $140000 PA .. Then the authority for Credit Providers was transferred from ‘Victorian Business Licensing Authority’ to ‘Australian Securities & Investment Commission’. They effectively legislated me out of business. Back to nothing.
I still have my Secondhand Dealers Registration and Pawnbrokers Endorsement, so I will start again.
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