Friends Of NSC - A Business Idea

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

This is a BAD idea.

It's like drinking in a pub and thinking that because, like you, other people are in there they must be sound.

Half the pEOple in my local are tossers and, similarly, half the people on NSC are tossers as well. In the same way that I would never get a bloke down the pub to do anything for me business-wise I'd never source business through NSC.

Seems a reasonable idea to me. Just because someone, on here, says that they do plumbing, it doesn't mean you have to use them if you've got a leaky tap, it's purely an option like yellow pages or google. As long as Bozza runs a disclaimer to protect himself and the participants understand what they're getting themselves into, I can't see the problem. Not much different to NSC Classifieds.

 

[Simster]

Not much different to NSC Classifieds.

So what's to stop people advertising their businesses in NSC Classifieds?

Perhaps just rename it "Classifieds and Trade" or something? Job done.

 

[hart's shirt]

So what's to stop people advertising their businesses in NSC Classifieds?

Perhaps just rename it "Classifieds and Trade" or something? Job done.

Yes, Simster's renaming of the classifieds and having a specific trade listing section would seem to be the easiest and most efficient thing to do here.


I'm involved with a networking organisation out here in the UAE that has 6 chapters in Dubai and 1 in Abu Dhabi. The 200 or so members of the various chapters are committed to referring business to each other at weekly breakfast meetings. The majority of members are small business owners, entrepreneurs and/or decision-makers within their organisations.

I could be wrong and there's certainly no criticism intended here, but I'd imagine that particular demographic and mindset is different from that of many NSC contributors. It's not a case of 'better or worse' - just a case of different goals, interests and priorities.

As has already been pointed out, there's already FOTA - Albion's business networking initiative - that's in existence.

Anybody on NSC serious about networking and potentially increasing their business whilst supporting the Albion should perhaps start there as a matter of course.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Can anyone recommend a good psychiatrist?

 

[looney]

I'll give it some more thought - I think it would need some carefully crafted Ts & Cs due to the reasons looney states above, which has always been my concern with this.

Unfortunately differences of opinion do genuinely occur, despite the best of intentions, and it someone comes ranting on NSC about a bad experience with a particular tradesman then people start becoming upset, and that particular upset could lead to legal difficulty.

A lot of Boards that contain trade ban any allegations of events that happen "off-board" for the simple reason theres no way of telling if the allegations are true or not. As a general principle its not a bad idea either.

 

[aftershavedave]

A lot of Boards that contain trade ban any allegations of events that happen "off-board" for the simple reason theres no way of telling if the allegations are true or not. As a general principle its not a bad idea either.

may i ask a question looney?

have you been having spelling lessons or using a spellchecker? you used to have absolutely appalling spelling!

 

[Lady Bracknell]

FOTA are basically a group of business people happy to shell out several hundred pounds a year to the club in order to get an ad in the programme, a monthly breakfast meeting and the chance to meet the gaffer!

Actually, that's a tad unfair but they're a networking group brought together by the common interest of the club. I don't know if anyone ever gets any business as a result (I didn't but accept that I'm almost certainly in the wrong business for that sort of group!) but there's an incentive to get involved which doesn't really exist so far as an NSC equivalent. Unless you think your business will be improved by a binfest.

That's not to say I wouldn't use a trusted person who I know ON and OFF NSC but I'm not sure I'd be at all convinced that membership of NSC was enough.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

another snidey way for US to get some punters in through the back door, "check a trade"

 

[looney]

I still do, I have good and bad days. its a facet of dyslexia. I would expect it to be better than yesterday as I had the shittiest day for f***ing ages. Less stress.

 

[Pretty pink fairy]

As Alan would say f*** THE LOT OF YOU.

do one nigel

 

[aftershavedave]

I still do, I have good and bad days. its a facet of dyslexia. I would expect it to be better than yesterday as I had the shittiest day for f***ing ages. Less stress.

well you seem to have a lot of good days now

 

[desprateseagull]

how about setting a minimum post threshold, so no carpetbaggers get in? or make people get x nominations before being accepted as 'NSC approved' ?

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Personal recommendation seems to me the most reliable way of acquiring somebody to do a job. Any job.

I'm sure they're very worthy, but I don't even bother looking up Friends Of The Albion. As somebody up top said, they're businessmen who have paid for the privilege of being associated with the Albion. Doesn't make them either good or bad suppliers of goods and services. Just makes them Albion fans hoping to drum up business. Fair enough. But not good enough.

I'd prefer to go by word of mouth, 'Anybody know a good plumber?' threads, and PMs from posters who I know and trust. Soon as you create a 'Friends Of NSC' list, its open to manipulation, recrimination and all the rest of the crap that inevitably comes with it. IMHO, like.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

A good idea Gareth , perhaps FONSC could be a sub listing of NSC Classifieds. I would prefer to give a recommended tradesman on NSC a job rather than gambling on checking the Yellow Pages. You would need a minimum criteria to stop all the cowboys signing up to NSC just to rip us off.

 

[surrey jim]

I agree with the idea but I think the potential problem is as follows.

I call up John Boy who comes round to do some plumbing, as he mentions on this forum that he is a plumber.
He comes round, and says he can only do a temporary job, as important part won't be available till next week.
Being an unreasonable twat, I then go onto NSC and say "Everyone, don't use John Boy, he's a shit plumber".
Other people then decide not to use a perfectly good tradesmen because of one idiot's comment.

Disclaimer - John Boy is an excellent plumber, and I am (mostly) not an unreasonable twat!

I would like to add to the above that John Boy is also an excellent removals man

 

[corkster]

a good idea mind you i would say that as i run a window company

 

[desprateseagull]

may need to get henry winkler's OK to use the FONSC (FONZ?) name..?? lol

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

I think this idea has crashed and burned because of too many people slagging it off even though yes got 32 votes and no 11 votes, all the no's chipped in to destroy the idea. Thanks for the positive comments from people though.

 

[NMH]

Fixtures -

Freemasonry - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Soul Finger]

I think this idea has crashed and burned because of too many people slagging it off even though yes got 32 votes and no 11 votes, all the no's chipped in to destroy the idea. Thanks for the positive comments from people though.

All the 'no's' dared to challenge your idea.

From experience as a FOTA member for three years, I was in a position to comment.

It was constructive criticism, with no mallice intended.

You acted like a great big baby and threw your toys out of your pram when someone had the temerity to not say "this is possibly the most brilliant idea since sliced bread, Uncle, you are amazing".