A wonderful blog from a blogger friend of mine …
Busy!
August 10, 2013
regular busy, free Leave a comment
I have not had much time to sit and think about my blog lately … this “unemployed” lark is taking up all my time!
In reality preparing for my future is very time consuming … I have designed and ordered business cards … removed the old sign writing and glue from my car (thanks Julia for coming to visit and helping!) … set up a new blog (nothing posted it on yet!) and set up LinkedIn and Twitter accounts so that I can hit the ground running once I have completed my Celebrant course in Glasgow at the end of August.
I have been to the job centre to sign on … I have a meeting arranged with Business Gateway and I have been looking up information on being a sole trader.
Everything is lovely and busy… my head is exhausted but some lovely friends have popped round to help and to chill with me, so all is good.
There is a lot on the horizon for me at the moment .. and I’m loving every second of it. I know that, financially, the next few months are going to be tough, that is ok. I will survive no matter what, and … shock on shock… I give up smoking next week, with the help of the pharmacist. I simply cannot afford to smoke, I cannot afford to buy takeaways … and this is all GOOD news, the temptation will be taken away from me and that is ok.
I feel good. I feel free.
The wake
August 7, 2013
regular failure, sadness 1 Comment
It was a very strange day today. We finished sorting out and cleaning the office and then Karen and Lauren (who came down to help) left and I had to wait as my car was having the sign writing removed.
I sat on my chair, at my desk and looked around and remembered how exciting it had all been when we first moved in… I remembered the days of starting up and working from home … having to work 18 hours a day with over 90 staff at one company alone … it was exhausting .. but fun … even if I did spend most of my day swearing like the ex trooper that I am.
It is sad to watch something slowly fail. The economic situation pulled the carpet out from under our feet and although we did try very hard to stop the slow slide, eventually it took it’s toll on me .. and on Karen … and we know that we both gradually lost the fire that we had both once had for the business.
We are proud that we did not sway with the winds of change and introduce zero hour contracts or use umbrella bodies to pay temporary staff, We stuck the the rules, we stuck to the good old fashioned PAYE method because it is fairer to temporary staff, who were our bread and butter of the business.
We stuck to our morals and I am proud of that.
Today we put Brae Scotland to rest … with our heads held high but a sad sinking feeling in our stomachs. It was the right thing to do, to put it, and us out of our misery but tonight it feels very final.
it was sad to look around after everyone had left and see the shell of a building and the empty chairs and desks.
i admit to having a few tears then and a few tears now as I am writing this.
Rest in peace Brae Scotland, I loved you from the start and I will keep many happy memories with me as I move on along the path of life.
Unemployed
August 6, 2013
regular job centre, self employed, unemployed 7 Comments
Today I signed on. I am officially unemployed. Ironic since I ran a recruitment agency but no matter… I am just another figure that will probably disappear from the governments figures somewhere along the line *smile*
It has been difficult closing Brae Scotland. It has been “my baby” and of course Karen’s baby too … we started it nearly 8 years ago from a back bedroom and watched it grow very quickly. It did, for a long time, take up most of our lives and to be fair it gave us back what we put in. Lately it has been a different story. Over the last couple of years we have watched it begin to slide away and the stress build. So although it is sad that we have had to say goodbye to it, in a way we are very happy to say hello to our new futures.
I do plan to train to be a non religious Celebrant. I am doing a course in Glasgow and by the end of August, hopefully, I should be qualified.
In the meantime I have to sign on. Which was a bit strange to say the least, but, after all the horror stories I have heard about the Job Centre I have to say that the lady “Janet” who dealt with me could not have been more helpful.
I explained what I planned to do and that I had already booked and paid for a course and she has pointed me in the direction of Business Gateway, she even arranged an appointment for me and explained what benefits I would be entitled to during the set up and start up of my new venture.
It is all very positive.. and Im looking forward to it. I cannot get an appointment until the 22nd of August though and in the meantime I have to apply for jobs … now .. Im 52, I have arthritis in my back, knees, fingers and elbow .. (who in their right mind will give me a job) LOL … (I should also mention that I am bossy and very crabbit at times!).
Anyway … for the next few weeks I will apply for jobs, because if I don’t they won’t give me money … I do not have a lot of savings, but I do have some .. which is a good job because when I came home and worked out my bills and what I will receive I have the massive total of £17.68 a MONTH to live on .. (that includes buying food!) …. hey ho… I guess I will be losing some weight then LOL
Anyway, a couple of hard months won’t bother me too much .. I’ve been through rougher times .. I will simply get my head down and get on with it.
Between now and the 22nd I can do all my background work that I want to do, in fact I have done a good deal of it already, but I want to start developing a database of useful contacts so I can hit the ground running.
I am really looking forward to this new challenge. I am excited about it .. you may not see a lot of me socially for the next couple of months, but I am here if any of you lot want to pop in!!
Here is to the future …. with a smile!
The Crossroads
August 5, 2013
regular journey, recruitment, staff Leave a comment
Brae. A photo taken by Pam Wardlaw
Our life is a series of small journeys. From birth to death we travel along different paths and roads, coming across crossroads and hopefully choosing the direction we want to take but sometimes the direction we take is forced upon us and it is then we have the choice of enjoying our new route or being fearful of the path yet untread.
I have come to the end of a long journey of 27 years in recruitment. A job that I have loved with passion for a long, long time. Unfortunately the love affair has ended, my journey in recruitment has reached the finishing line.
Over recent years I have had the pleasure to share the journey with the most amazing 3 women, Karen (my business partner) and of course Kelly and Renata who have worked for us for the past 5 years. As a boss I really could not have asked for better colleagues. Loyalty, understanding and a good bit of cheek have made our days together enjoyable and it has been a pleasure to spend time with them.
Karen is a woman who I trust and always will and I know we are walking away with sorry hearts but at the same time with our heads held high as we know we have always worked to a high level of compassion and ethics.
I am proud of my career, I am proud of my “gals” … I look back and I smile .. but now it is time to look forward.
Here is to the future, to friends, past, present and future … and more than anything to the next crossroads…
I had better get my walking shoes on ….
Brae. A gay woman's tale! 