Risks

[Minty]

I want to hear about any financial/lifestyle risks you've taken, that you'd care to share. I'm about to take a risk and obviously will be working hard to make it work, but what about you?

 

I've read Richard Branson's book 'Screw it, let's do it' which is good, but also I've had some inspiration from a few other people, like the owner of a B+B in Scotland who sold her house, bought a B+B up there with no previous experience at all, and made it work. I know others who quit their jobs to go self-employed, or moved abroad for new jobs, and taken risks along the way. Some worked out, some didn't... what about you?

[Ponty]

I've had both really.

 

I went self-employed after I left Uni and that didn't work at all. I survived, and came out the other side debt-free, but it was touch and go and it was really only the fact that a friend knew of a job going at exactly the right time that I survived.

 

I also took a massive punt, quitting that job to move 250 miles away to a specialised engineering job that I essentially knew nothing about, apart from what I'd read at Uni. That went really well and 5 years later I'm in F1. That could turn out to be a huge gamble in its own right, with the massive cost cutting hitting the sport, but that was entirely unpredictable 3 years ago when I started.

 

Sometimes the gamble works, sometimes it doesn't, but you should never regret attempting something and failing. Regret the stuff you never attempt instead.

[Hatch]

but you should never regret attempting something and failing. Regret the stuff you never attempt instead.

 

This.

[Minty]

Totally agree, I've done it before, and I'm doing it again... just wondered what experiences others had had.

[saint_stevo]

I'm in a slightly different position in that i am looking to take a risk. My situation has changed quite a lot of late and i am now looking to move abroad/away and start a new life doing something different in new surroundings

[Rattlehead]

I'm in a slightly different position in that i am looking to take a risk. My situation has changed quite a lot of late and i am now looking to move abroad/away and start a new life doing something different in new surroundings

 

:smt039

[OLYMPIC]

I'm in a slightly different position in that i am looking to take a risk. My situation has changed quite a lot of late and i am now looking to move abroad/away and start a new life doing something different in new surroundings

 

In witness protection?

[hamster]

Whatever it is Minty, good luck.

[Dicko]

I want to hear about any financial/lifestyle risks you've taken, that you'd care to share. I'm about to take a risk and obviously will be working hard to make it work, but what about you?

 

I've read Richard Branson's book 'Screw it, let's do it' which is good, but also I've had some inspiration from a few other people, like the owner of a B+B in Scotland who sold her house, bought a B+B up there with no previous experience at all, and made it work. I know others who quit their jobs to go self-employed, or moved abroad for new jobs, and taken risks along the way. Some worked out, some didn't... what about you?

 

I done both (as our mutual friend will have told you)

[hamster]

I want to hear about any financial/lifestyle risks you've taken, that you'd care to share. I'm about to take a risk and obviously will be working hard to make it work, but what about you?

 

I've read Richard Branson's book 'Screw it, let's do it' which is good, but also I've had some inspiration from a few other people, like the owner of a B+B in Scotland who sold her house, bought a B+B up there with no previous experience at all, and made it work. I know others who quit their jobs to go self-employed, or moved abroad for new jobs, and taken risks along the way. Some worked out, some didn't... what about you?

 

Minty, what would you consider 'making it work'?

[Marsdinho]

I got married, that was f_cking risky.....

[Post-it note]

I got married, that was f_cking risky.....

 

no, just feckin stupid.

[Minty]

Minty, what would you consider 'making it work'?

 

I simply want to be able to support myself financially, now and in the future, and be happy in what I do. The same as anyone else really.

[Hatch]

On the other side of the coin,

 

a mate of mine, quit his succesful job to set up a website driven business, providing a facility to store all your documents, photos etc online for a small annual fee.

He used big London marketing agents, including Max Clifford , to get him into the magazines and stuff and try and selll his site.

 

Anyway, it all went tits up, not helped by people like BT offering similar facilites for free and he ended up losing 250k-300k.

[Saint Keith]

On the other side of the coin,

 

a mate of mine, quit his succesful job to set up a website driven business, providing a facility to store all your documents, photos etc online for a small annual fee.

He used big London marketing agents, including Max Clifford , to get him into the magazines and stuff and try and selll his site.

 

Anyway, it all went tits up, not helped by people like BT offering similar facilites for free and he ended up losing 250k-300k.

 

hmm. there is a difference between mitigated risk and rank stupidity

[Dicko]

I went self-employed in July 2005

 

I've had some 'white knuckle rides' along the way, but my life is a million times better than before

 

The thought of sticking a suit on and charging up & down motorways all day, just to make somebody else money, sends shudders down my spine

 

It's a bit of a cliche, but most people regret what they haven't done in life, as opposed to the mistakes they actually made

 

This is the only life you'll get Minty, so whatever it is - Go for it!!

[Hatch]

hmm. there is a difference between mitigated risk and rank stupidity

 

 

exactly, I told him it was a stupid idea in the pub over a pint. A meeting with me in the pub would have cost him £3.30, but instead he got carried away and paid thousands to Clifford, who essentially did fook all.

[Ponty]

exactly, I told him it was a stupid idea in the pub over a pint. A meeting with me in the pub would have cost him £3.30, but instead he got carried away and paid thousands to Clifford, who essentially did fook all.

Still, he should get some good press coverage when he dies.

[Minty]

The thought of sticking a suit on and charging up & down motorways all day, just to make somebody else money, sends shudders down my spine

 

It's a bit of a cliche, but most people regret what they haven't done in life, as opposed to the mistakes they actually made

 

This is the only life you'll get Minty, so whatever it is - Go for it!!

Couldn't agree more, hence I am where I am.

 

After I got made redundant 20 months ago, with a wedding still to pay for as well as normal every day life, I had to find another job to pay the bills and get me through. But now I've done all that, and had the wedding (and come out the other side debt-free, which is rare for modern weddings!) it's time to make the next step.

 

And for the record, I don't consider my wedding to be risky or stupid, but I know others won't see it the same way!

[Minty]

Still, he should get some good press coverage when he dies.

 

And before that, if he gets a terminal illness...

[Ponty]

Couldn't agree more, hence I am where I am.

 

After I got made redundant 20 months ago, with a wedding still to pay for as well as normal every day life, I had to find another job to pay the bills and get me through. But now I've done all that, and had the wedding (and come out the other side debt-free, which is rare for modern weddings!) it's time to make the next step.

 

And for the record, I don't consider my wedding to be risky or stupid, but I know others won't see it the same way!

 

I'm sure many don't at the time

 

Are you going to give us a clue what your ambition/intention is?

[Minty]

Are you going to give us a clue what your ambition/intention is?

 

Well most people could probably guess what it relates to, but I shaln't go into details until I have everything in place.

[Wilko]

I once had a danger ****. It turned out quite well, but I wouldn't risk it again.

[Ponty]

Well most people could probably guess what it relates to, but I shaln't go into details until I have everything in place.

 

Well I can guess then. It's worth saying that even the specialist pornography industry is pretty saturated nowadays though.

[Minty]

I would've thought saturation was a good thing?

[Ponty]

Yeah, strange choice of word by me. Freud would have a field day. Anyway, I'm off to watch some watersports.

[hamster]

Well I can guess then. It's worth saying that even the specialist pornography industry is pretty saturated nowadays though.

I had a small part in a porn movie once. Never again.

[Hatch]

I had a small part in a porn movie once. Never again.

 

 

I was offered a role in a porn movie once, I was well up for it, being a drunken red blooded teenager, but when I realized it involved bumming my mate , I pulled out. So to speak.

[hamster]

I had a small part in a porn movie once. Never again.

 

I was offered a role in a porn movie once, I was well up for it, being a drunken red blooded teenager, but when I realized it involved bumming my mate , I pulled out. So to speak.

 

I knew that I recognised you Hatch. Sorry about the 'souvenir', did the Dettol do the trick?

[saint_stevo]

and people call me gay.....

[Manuel]

I'm all for change, but not necessarily risks. I changed my life fairly significantly a number of years ago: relocation, and a new career in an entirely new field, but I wouldn't say there was much risk associated with it because I was unhappy in my current role, so not much to lose, and confident I could succeed in the new one despite a large pay cut albeit temporary.

 

People can't be expected to know what they want to do with their lives at sixteen or even twenty so it's no wonder people search for change in their jobs/careers/location/wife(lol) later on.

 

As far as "never regret attempting something and failing", of course we're all speaking hypothetically but someone wise also once said only gamble what you can afford to lose.