FACE PAINTING CHAT UK

[raineshoe]

I have increased my price to cover some of the petrol burden this year. I have not increased prices since I started and this is my third year.

I have just spoken to a regular customer for airbrush tattoos who now looks like they are not going to have us just because the price is £10.00 higher than the last year. If you think I have not increased prices since two years ago that is an increase of £5.00 per year overall.

Got all the rubbish about the budget being tighter etc, which it probably is, but why should I cut the price, I have the overheads too and rising prices too and they are a million pound plus company so I am sure they can afford a £10.00 increase.

Anyone else feeling the pinch

[vixsfacepaint]

not yet but have been thinking what will happen when manchester decided to charge for using m60,prices will have to be incoporated then.Also Oldham are still talking about road charges which could be up to as much as £10 a day .so will have loads of problems them.It could cost up to £25 to just get somewhere like Stockport.Absolutely ridiculous

[DeadCute]

The cost of travel is getting really silly.
I feel sorry for Manchester based painters.
I used to live in London and saw a few of people loose business and homes when congestion charges came in.
I think every one is putting their prices up

[girlfunky]

it seems that everyone is trying to put their prices up - i have made the decision today to increase my prices but only slightly, it seems that there are still paople out there who are happy to work for so little money as long as their bookings are solid throughout the summer - they just dont get it that that attitude makes things difficult for everyone and eventually they will give up but at what cos???

[girlfunky]

also forgot to say that the charges are coming in in 2013 - im not planning to be doing this business as my only income source in 2013 but if its gonna cost an extra £2.50 - £5 to go to stockport (less than 5 miles from my house and not coming back!) then thats just crazy!

[raineshoe]

You could always say to the client you want them to pay 50% of the congestion charge. That way you both share the cost so not quite such a blow to the client or yourselves.... not ideal I know but a possible solution.

[Juliet Eve]

I have increased just a fiver to help with fuel costs, and I explain it as so.

It is a real consideration now and not to be sniffed at!.

However, this may be against the grain, but I still feel that we should all think a little more deeply about the use of fuel in this world. It will run out sometime, so I reckon if it makes us stop and think and search for alternatives then that's a good thing. I must walk more often, and use the bus. Using alternative methods of transport does make us slow our lives down a notch. That has to be a good thing!

I do feel very sorry for people who really need their car, and I do need mine unfortunately. The Zoo is a half hour drive away, that's every day of the hols.

I just wish the government would use the extra fuel tax to put towards some really efficient and cheap public transport.

[YvonneH]

That's the thing Juliet - I would love to use my car less but cannot justify it. My daughter's school is 1.5 miles and she cannot walk it every day yet the bus would cost me twice as much as the car would. Also a lot of them do not have disabled / buggy access and even if they do it is only for 2 wheelchairs/buggies so you may not be able to get one.

Once when my car was broken I waited an hour for a bus to come along that I could actually get on with the pushchair!!!

Just ridiculous really the government claim they want us to use alternative methods of transport but don't make sure it runs properly and they are stifling the development of electric cars by giving companies who are developing them HUGE grants to shelve their plans!!!!!

[raineshoe]

I'd use the car less if I could. Its getting that I can't afford to run it. Like Yvonne my little one is at school at least 16 miles from us. I could put her on the school bus, but as I have to pass school to get to greedy gits its not worth it. I couldn't get to greedy gits either without the car as its on the far side of Blackburn from us and needs several changes in public transport.

I also, couldn't transport all the FP kit on the bus either or train. It would be a nightmare

Gary couldn't get the bus to work either as he works Heywood and means catching a bus to Prestwich, then Bury and then to Heywood. We worked out he would leave at 7.30 am and not arrive till nearly 10.30 am at work.

Impossible

[girlfunky]

A client of si's runs a haulage firm, the last increase in petrol prices cost his business over £4k extra costs per month - thats over £20,000 extra cost per year on petrol and diesel alone!

Portugals taxi drivers are striking in 2 weeks time - that i heard from a portugese taxi driver last week when we were away on our jollys, if their govenment doesnt do something quickly about taxes on fuel. The cost of fuel is a real conversation starter in any country at the moment!

[Erica]

there is a planned go slow of lorries planned all along the main artery into north wales the a55..so this will cause serious disruption..i dont blame them though..our fuel charges are now ridiculous..in 6 years our petrol has gone up by around 40 p a litre.

[girlfunky]

i can fully understand what they feel, at the end of the day the fuel charges are pushing every business to rack and ruin - just cos we arent seeing thousands and thousands of increases in costs doesnt mean it dont effect us too and I feel that the government can only see what the big companies are going through - i doubt they care about the smallest of self employed people like us :(

and also 3 of si's clients including the aforementioned one will be joining that blockade too

[Erica]

sadly..I doubt they will even take any notice of the big cheeses...i think its only a matter of time before we have fuel strikes again

[girlfunky]

on the radio they were saying dont panic buy petrol but guess what i saw winding down the bypass by us this afternoon? The queue for the petrol station at tescos luckily i saw the building up queue and was in the right lane for a roundabout to take the the other way again otherwise I might still of been stuck in the queue now