Pro Bono Work, the pros and cons

I've been thinking about this one for a while.  A good friend of a close family member asked me for some help recently.  They are just looking to focus their strategy, consolidate what they've got going for them and increase good quality sales.  It's a simple, straightforward local service business, nothing too mad or fancy about it.

Very kindly they offered to pay me for my services but I wouldn't hear of it.  When the close family member I know them through was having a tough time a few years ago, this person was there for them.  More than some other family members in fact.  I would love to be able to help her out now without having to worry her purse strings.  I believe that good things should come back to you. 

The freebie help was met with an interesting response.  I think I can understand why: she probably thinks that if there's nothing in it for me, then I won't put much effort into the project.  If I were to have some vested interest, I would drive more power into my efforts, perhaps.

I regret telling her I wouldn't take anything for the work now, not because I'm broke (which I am, GOD I'm so stupid), but because giving the goods away for free is going to devalue the work that I do.

DAMNIT. 

You see? This is why I haven't started up full time.  I NEVER TAKE MY OWN ADVICE. 

Good News for Small Business!

You may have spotted this on the news during the week - Brussels are trying to make life easier for people running small businesses. They are hoping to do away with the rule that annual returns have to be made with the Companies Registration Office for every Limited Company operating in Ireland. The new, better, regulations are going to be all over Europe of course, but here's what it means for us...

If you are running a Ltd. Co. and have annual turnover of less than €1,000,000, you will not have to make an annual return to the CRO. At least that is what I understood from RTE...

This process is one of the costs that a company is burdened with, a cost that sometimes makes people decide to run a Sole Trader business rather than an Ltd. from the get go. It can range from €1,000 upwards - a lot of smaller business like to get their trusted accoutant to do it for them, which is where the costs come in. It also takes up quite a bit of time - paperwork of course - so hopefully this ruling will mean that businesses can get back to running efficiently.

Ryanair are doing away with check-in desks to make themselves more effiecient and cost effective - here is what small businesses can do - soon, I hope.

To get the full information, read about the European Commission's proposal on EU Business.

Just to clarify, this "return" is different to the submission of Annaul Accounts to the CRO, which Ltd. Co's don't have to do unless their turnover hits €7,300,000 which is pretty great too... For more information on that one, hit the CRO website.

It's nice to see someone being practical and proactive about reducing small business costs! It's getting easier to start up a Ltd Co...hoorah.

Twenty's New Business Idea

It's not bad!

Go, have a read. He's a blogger, he's a writer, but he's also too lazy to go and start this new business, so he's putting his idea out there ;)

Guess Who's Back?

I'm back!

Thank you for all the good wishes, I had a splendiferous holiday thank-ee all. Can't believe I actually steered clear of all Internet-contact for three-ish weeks. I did!!! (extra !!! for a certain arm-chancer, haha).

I'm totally out of the current-affair loop, so will be checking all your archives and catching up over the next few days, before I get back to "work" - yuk. Have no idea what's been going on in the world, apart from hostage releases and the epic Wimbledon final - courtesy of fuzzy & patchy CNN.

Apparently there has been a bit of rain. I encountered some thunder storms on my travels - four or five in fact - but it's funny how much less rain hurts when you are on hols. Lightening is pretty, rather than depressing. Possibly because the storms manage to make a lot of noise in a short amount of time, and serve to clear the air for some brighter spells, thank goodness. I have some extra freckles this week.