mfp123 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) Cupcakes. Seriously. There has been a surge of cupcake businesses. Seems we cant have enough. And it's a brutal time to start a small business now. I wouldn't recommend it. Taxes high, income low, late payments, defaulters etc. thats crazy! ive just typed in cupcakes in google for a laugh and there are 10 local businesses within a 6 mile radius of me all with their own websites. the first one i clicked on said regrettably they are fully booked and cant take anymore orders for the next few months... just goes to show you dont have to follow convention to succeed. if you think the game is fixed, dont play the game. Edited October 23, 2011 by mfp123 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Cupcake mania? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hovis Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Cupcake mania? I would lay money I haven't had a cupcake this year. Where do these trends spring from? What next? Sponge finger frenzy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I would lay money I haven't had a cupcake this year. Where do these trends spring from? What next? Sponge finger frenzy? Whatever happened to our firm belief in biscuits, particularly fig rolls? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hovis Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Whatever happened to our firm belief in biscuits, particularly fig rolls? I'm still buying the fig rolls for work Mr Pin I "forget" that nobody else likes them so they last for ages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hectors House Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 ...you can't be a jobs broker if there are no jobs.... Well we live in more enlightened times, HR people are finally realising that you don't need to pay a salesperson to find talent, most Recruitment Consultants do precious little, the genie is out of the bottle now so even when things do eventually turn around and good times return (maybe not before you or me retire that is! - I'm 44 btw) there will be little demand for them. Actually in the last five years there have been a lot of failed Estate Agents turn Recruitment Consultants when things started going iffy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redcellar Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Whatever happened to our firm belief in biscuits, particularly fig rolls? Guys and girls, cupcakes, they're the future. Some with hundreds and thousands on, others with icing. The cupcake road is paved with riches. Seriously, no idea where the fad came from or how you can run a business that just makes one type of cake. These people are clearly geniuses. Bill Gates move over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonkers Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Well we live in more enlightened times, HR people are finally realising that you don't need to pay a salesperson to find talent, most Recruitment Consultants do precious little, the genie is out of the bottle now so even when things do eventually turn around and good times return (maybe not before you or me retire that is! - I'm 44 btw) there will be little demand for them. Actually in the last five years there have been a lot of failed Estate Agents turn Recruitment Consultants when things started going iffy. Recruiters take a lot of the legwork out of my job hunting, worth their pay to me! The best ones give you decent inside info on the company and what they are really looking for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfp123 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 thought id add some cupcake facts for you. its a $6billion industry in the US... there are over 200 cupcake makers in manhattan alone... "crumbs" started as a single cupcake shop in 2003 has just been sold for $66million earlier this year... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South Lorne Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 the difference is that you make the assumption that to get ahead, i.e move up the corporate ladder is the way to suceed. its not. ...if you read the thread correctly you would have understood the opposite was the case.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_duke_of_hazzard Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) We're trying to hire an enormous number of software engineers. Failing miserably; generally the only hires we make are to non-Britishers. Doesn't help that we're paying peanuts (we've been taken over by pirate equity and are in the "cost-cutting" phase). Edited October 23, 2011 by the_duke_of_hazzard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Venger Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Cupcakes. Seriously. There has been a surge of cupcake businesses. Seems we cant have enough. Yes that's true, more people doing that. Just at things are setting on the number people prepared to pay £3 a cake because of financial pressures. Doomed. Fish and chip shop in Didsbury were doing cod and chips for £1 all day last month. A promotion maybe. Huge long queue of people when I passed. You don't get too many wealthy fish and chip shop owners and it's a lot of graft and boredom for the money too. And always a few extra risks working in food industry. More people trying to do home cleaning jobs too, at the same time more people thinking of cutting back on cleaners. All these bottom of the line jobs are not likely to make you good money. China luxury cake shop, baked in your apartment kitchen, making £10,000 a month. Got my doubts. Are the supermarkets not stocking luxury cakes, and what if an established brand comes in like Sara Lee with their marketing, draw and additional sell ons like coffee, compared to 1 man band. Seriously; home delivery for cakes, because 'people get the urge for cake', and so must be extra profit potential? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Money verses time......people with excess money but not enough time buy all sorts of stuff and services others with the time and ability would either do themselves or not bother and be no worse off because of it.....all down to the middle man, some can afford to pay them others try and cut them out completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiCasaSuCasa Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I've noticed a quite a few milkshake places (wacky flavours) springing up, which definitely seems like a fad too. Last couple of places I've been have really struggled recruiting software engineers too. Sky high expectations and piss poor salaries are the norm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 ....money can I would have thought be made from those that are holding the purse strings.... bankers and the state.....so consultants to either would be worth a try....or selling services or stuff to employees of either one or the other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyracantha Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Yes that's true, more people doing that. Just at things are setting on the number people prepared to pay £3 a cake because of financial pressures. Doomed. I raised this in a coffee shop yesterday with Mrs P. (She knows I think coffee costing more than a pint to be a terrible rip-off). Costa CE was on the business slot of R4 breakfast this week - he seemed to think it was all about people cutting back but still needing a little luxury - presumably because they are "worth it". Mrs P described it as the lip-stick effect. Cupcakes at £3 yes nonsense. People used to eat out at weekends, cut back and get carry outs, cut back and buy M&S meals for 2 (or other premium range ready meals), cut back and cook for themselves (god-forbid!), cut back and then what? It's going to be painful but I hope we see a better, less superficial society arise from the ashes of this one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Si1 Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 Last couple of places I've been have really struggled recruiting software engineers too. Sky high expectations and piss poor salaries are the norm. I think the number of people who CAN write software and the number who WANT to are different things - aptitude is not the same as enthusiasm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oliver Sutton Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 .Steve Jobs biography is out soon while Bill Gates was similar to him in that they were both college drop outs ... They dropped out to work in the software industry and never left it. Hardly an example of people jumping around into different jobs like you deem necessary. I can't remember either of them taking time out to be a submariner, a chef, a fluffer, or a mechanic with their own garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laura122 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 We're trying to hire an enormous number of software engineers. Failing miserably; generally the only hires we make are to non-Britishers. Doesn't help that we're paying peanuts (we've been taken over by pirate equity and are in the "cost-cutting" phase). How much exactly is peanuts and where in the UK are you looking London seems quite steady in IT paying good rates - 80K plus and I am 3o Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmf Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Yes that's true, more people doing that. Just at things are setting on the number people prepared to pay £3 a cake because of financial pressures. Doomed. Fish and chip shop in Didsbury were doing cod and chips for £1 all day last month. A promotion maybe. Huge long queue of people when I passed. You don't get too many wealthy fish and chip shop owners and it's a lot of graft and boredom for the money too. And always a few extra risks working in food industry. More people trying to do home cleaning jobs too, at the same time more people thinking of cutting back on cleaners. All these bottom of the line jobs are not likely to make you good money. China luxury cake shop, baked in your apartment kitchen, making £10,000 a month. Got my doubts. Are the supermarkets not stocking luxury cakes, and what if an established brand comes in like Sara Lee with their marketing, draw and additional sell ons like coffee, compared to 1 man band. Seriously; home delivery for cakes, because 'people get the urge for cake', and so must be extra profit potential? I was laughing about this the other day. That car rental place had an advert about someone running a small business and using their cars to save money. The business? cup cakes. Thoughts: it's not a skill baking these small cakes. It's easy - that's presumably why there has been a rash of these things as people look at the overheads and barrier to entry vs the margin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderpup Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 and many immigrants arrive in the UK with nothing and build up successful businesses after a few years. Yes, they arrive here with nothing and then what do they do? They get a job- they don't simply pull working capital out of their backsides. I have been self employed most of my life and have started business's in the past. It's really not as simple as many seem to think and it's pointless to say to someone on the dole that they should 'start a business' unless you are prepared to back this up with real world examples and advice- pointing at freak events like the Bill Gates of the world is a waste of time. All these self made men who on the one hand slap themselves on the back for their 'achievements' while on the other shouting about how anyone could do the same are totally confused- are they saying it's easy, in which case they achieved very little- or are they saying it's hard in which case not just 'anyone' could do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tbatst2000 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 aptitude is not the same as enthusiasm Indeed, you only need to look at the music industry to see the truth in that one... Having said that, aside from a brief period during the dotcom era, I've not noticed a surfeit of people who want to write software for living let alone a surplus of those that are any good at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tbatst2000 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 What job-fields are: (a) in decline for the forseeable (coming 5 yrs) and what are (b ) increasing in employment for the forseeable? my guesses immediately are (a) in decline - public sector, universities, etc (b ) increasing - banking (unfortunately) , ???? other peoples' views? Banking is definitely not on the up. With all the new regulations across the globe and the difficulty of finding new profitable lines of business expect a continuing gradual reduction in total headcount over the years to come along with more offshoring of IT and back office jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkG Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Yes, they arrive here with nothing and then what do they do? They get a job- they don't simply pull working capital out of their backsides. Or they borrow money from their family, or they find someone who has money and convince them to invest some in a new business that doesn't need millions of pounds of funding. There are plenty of businesses you can start with very little money so long as you're willing to get off your ass and do it. I have been self employed most of my life and have started business's in the past. It's really not as simple as many seem to think and it's pointless to say to someone on the dole that they should 'start a business' unless you are prepared to back this up with real world examples and advice- pointing at freak events like the Bill Gates of the world is a waste of time. Sure, so long as the left stop whining that EVIL CAPITALISTS won't give them a job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
South Lorne Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 They dropped out to work in the software industry and never left it. Hardly an example of people jumping around into different jobs like you deem necessary. I can't remember either of them taking time out to be a submariner, a chef, a fluffer, or a mechanic with their own garage. ...you should read Jobs biography when it comes out ...at one time after college he studied the art of scripture and fonts ..which years later helped him when he was involved in the design of the first Apple computers....your rather obtuse comments deny the usefulness that many people have found in having a variety of skills some derived from hobbies.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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