Zenfordinner

Aye. There is much to be said for attitude and approach. Sharp employers will smell a disgruntled person a mile off. For better or for worse, we live in a market economy and stubborness,alas, will not change market forces.

An eagle coming out of the water with a big fish in its claws.

I,too, would like to find a supplier of dry logs in the Bedfordshire area. If anyone can hook me up, I shall appreciate it. Cheers.

Aha! I wondered where I had left it...

Jojam has a good point regarding the hidden costs. The cost of your employee includes 24 days paid holiday (I think it is still 24), ppe,insurance(vehicles & public liability), any damages to your equipment and client's property will ultimately be your responsiblity; if he becomes injured or ill,you cannot just sack him. Also, employees have recourse in terms of dismissal. An employer is obliged to provide a written contract to the employee within two months of the start date. Contracts might sound tedious but it gives you the opportunity to set out rules/protocol. So, you could state that holidays are to be agreed (or something along those lines, to avoid him taking two weeks off at your busiest time of year,for example). You could also include a clause that he agrees not to set up own business within x number of years. Such details could benefit you and your investment in an employee. It might, in the long-term, be worth a call to a solicitor regarding the scope of contract; and adding up the cost of holidays,ppe,insurances, and wages for a year (perhaps to start,use minimum wagefor a guage). After you figure out how much your employee will, figure out how much they will earn for you. Will they earn (increase your income,contribute sufficiently to cover your costs) their pay? Wages must be sustainable, so whatever wage you start him off, you will want to be able to increase it a little on a yearly basis (to keep up with inflation, give incentive/show appreciation). Just a few thoughts that I hope are of some use to you.

I find that soaking the swollen area in a fairly strong solution of baking soda and cool water is useful for reducing the heat and swelling (and any itchiness) of stings. An epi-pen is probably a good idea especially as one's reactions to wasp stings tend to become stronger with repetition.

I have learnt to never underestimate the amount of ventilation required for our open fire (in an old, draughty cottage), as it quickly becomes apparent if not enough fresh air is available. A few things I have learned about indoor fires etc: Make sure chimney is properly swept- the brush top should extend the top of the chimney. The colder it is outside the better the draw; the hotter the fire, the better the draw. Burning wood consumes more oxygen than one thinks. We put up a taller chimney pot when we relined our chimney to lessen the effects of turblence on the fire. Sometimes, we get a bit of back-draught but usually because fire needs stirring and room needs air. Wood burns better on a bed of ash. (You probably have a solid grate in your stove if not, worth considering filling the gaps. I used shards of fallen roof tiles).

Going back a little: Ecology is popular. Perhaps there is more awareness of ecology, which became topical some decades ago, with various groups campaigning about the extinction of animals, the destructive effects of deforestation, such as landslides, and so on. A number of these organisations used ecology to support their case, such as the group responsible for increasing awareness of a decrease in numbers of the Spotted- Owl in the late '80s. This group (whose name I forget) outlined the link between habitat and species and the knock-on effects in terms of other species including plants, etc.

because it lacks turbo injectors

Very nice. I was thinking of making a few for myself just earlier today!

Ok, thank you. Until after the Fair

Cheers! I found a lovely piece of Beech, but would welcome another piece, as I have another project in mind , for which oak would be perfect.

A chunky slice then

I would very much like a slice of hardwood approximately four feet long by three wide, preferably something lovely- Beech, Oak, Ash, Birch, Cherry or similar. A piece with character would be most welcome. I had a beautiful table made by my father from a slice of wood, which I recently had shipped to my house (it was in storage) but due to a problem with the shipping I now only have the legs. I was looking forward to using the table on a daily basis (I have recently changed my work to begin studying, and to hopefully write something of some value) so I would like to make myself another. If anyone has something they think will fit the bill within Herts, Beds, Cambridge or north London I would be most grateful. Free would be best (isn't it always!) but I have a little bit that I could put towards it. Thank you.

And root crown affecting drainage sytems

Basically, liabilities are what you owe, assets are what you own (or is owed to you). I did not mention goodwill, as it is a subjective matter open to negotiation. The old adage "something is worth what someone will pay for it" is relevent, especially during economically sluggish times. The three times the net worth of a business applies as a general rule of thumb, but is not necesarily applicable to small businesses- according to our accountant. Goodwill certainly has value but the key is someone recognising this and paying accordingly. Any savvy person looking to buy into a business under current conditions will endeavour to buy as low as possible. It could be argued that the wanting to sell during said climate implies a risk to the buyer- although I think that a firewood business has as much, of not more, of a chance at doing well in the near and distant future. If I remember correctly Mr. Winger broke down his business- sold off his assets rather than selling the business on. I imagine he went this route, as he could not find a buyer willing to pay the actual worth of the business,as a whole. A little research, and a few calculations, should give a rough idea of how much you could sell each item, and what would be left after paying any liabilities. Of course, this path would not gain any monies for goodwill, but, to reiterate, the amount of money that the goodwill of your business can command will depend on the prospective buyer. Good luck in whatever course you choose. I think someone already mentioned this, but I would say that now is not really a sellers market, in terms of equipment, as the more of anything available the cheaper it becomes (generally speaking), and the harder the times the keener people become about spending.

Radio 4 had a programme on recently regarding the problem of Starlings (if I remember correctly) nesting in trees in an urban area of France. The amount of bird droppings generated was immense, apparently, so the solution they used was repeated applications within the area of the recorded sounds of the same species (I am pretty sure it was the same species, although I was only partially listening,as I was cooking at the time). It is supposed to have worked- they move along and nest elsewhere. We have used bird scarers, mainly a glittery ribbon, which was tied to various trees. All of the trees in this case were broadleaves so I do not know if it is plausible with dense Conifers. Also, the CD's that Mr. Collins suggested are alos quite effective.There is also a humming wire that I have not tried but have been considering using at home.

I used an old 026, for the first time, the week before Christmas and was unimpressed- it was too underpowered, to my mind, for its size. Much prefer Husky of similar spec on the ground.

The net worth of a business is essentially total assets minus total liabilities.

I remembered yesterday that it was mercury, not arsenic, that was said to drive hatters mad.

Yes, it was the arsenic that drove them mad I was being figurative rather than literal.

I cannot remember if the foliage or the bark is, or was, used in some cancer medicines. We burnt some Laburnum in our open fire a few years ago, seem to recall it burnt fine, lovely looking wood. I have been as mad as a hatter since, though.