Most pleas on the forum are greeted freely with offers of help – it being mostly in the form of written assistance and some offers of practical help – the emphasis on the 'free' bit. It is partly what the forum is about.

The best suggestion I can offer is for you to use the PM system, should you think a particular poster might be likely to take up your offer. Of course, taking care not to be a nuisance to members.

Some may ignore you, some may politely decline and a minority might complain loudly. Depends on if you only contactvthe once, or more often! Explaining your situation to each might be good, too.

Cup Alloys, Arceuro and amadeal(?sp) all certainly help people on the forum, while not directly pushing their wares. A service, rather than marketing goods, is a little different. Helping someone to achieve a result would be viewed differently to offering ready-made tool holders at below market value, per eg.

Neil suggested a list of people willing to offer help over two years ago, I'll let people read it to see how poor the response was. Please note his Bold type.

I can't find the advert now but there is a chap how has a small advert in the mag and states he is a retired engineer, if he can pay for an add it is unfair to him if others don't. Still you can claim back the cost of the advert when you do your tax return showing earnings from these little jobs!

Neil and Myself do delete adverts in the classifieds and contact the sellers if we think the system is being abused and also act on ones pointed out by other members, I'm not aware of the boiler one mentioned above.

Oh my the world is getting complicated!

A member has been in touch to say given the import cVAt & duty issue, shouldn't I 'stomp' on income tax evasion?

Good news for once. It used to be that anything you generated above your costs (e.g. materials, transport) from doing 'odd jobs' was taxable and needed to be declared.

From 6 April 2017 a new 'trading allowance' was introduced that means you don't have to pay tax on or even declare up to £1,000 of trading income.

Bear in mind this is on 'income' not profit, but I am sure it covers the sort of minor trading Ken is describing.

If your income from trading goes above £1,000, you can deduct £1,000 from your receipts.

Neil

Ken

You might consider advertising your service on Model Engineering Clearing House. As far as I know their service is free. How much response there is to any of the adverts, I know not but it might be worth a try.

http://modeleng.proboards.com/board/23/trade

Dave
The Emerald Isle

Hi Ken,

I for one would possibly use your services if I needed such help and dependant on where you were located and how much you would charge. However what you are actualy asking for, boils down to free advertising, it really is that basic, and so the organisers of the website and magazine are completely right to decline your suggestion.

Maybe a better solution would be to follow the advice of contacting people who are asking for advice or a particular service and state that you feel that you could assist or produce x, y or z at an estimated cost of £whatever.

Please don't be offended by my posting, I am sure you are a very capable engineer, but the business of running teh mag and website is a very different matter.

Best wishes for 2018,

Ian

Offering help in return for payment is the foundation block of commercial enterprise.

Trying to see that differently to what it is, is a total delusion.

may I express an alternative opinion to mr Charity who states that "it's incredibly east to make money from a hobby I've been doing it for years" . It is also easy to snatch hand bags, stab people, and set up computer scams,or drive without tax and insurance. The wider Society we live in sets boundaries to our activities which determine what is acceptable/not acceptable

Once you accept payment or reward you become a professional and the world of your activity radically alters. You are required to inform your local council, home insurer, motor insurer, utility supplier THEY will decide if you will pay domestic or business tariffs. You may also have to comply with h & s and fire regs. You may no longer qualify for domestic waste collection and may have to use a regulated waste disposal specialist.

The concept that you are only a "little bit professional from time to time" may not be the official viewpoint on your activities.

I would suggest for you and your families benefit a product liability insurance would be wise.

As the moderator says it is complicated. You can stick as many fingers that you have to OFFICIALDOM , it's usually fine and dandy until you are accused of dishonesty and cheating those who comply with the rules and are required to suffer whatever penalties are imposed.

There is always a choice………

I'v been doing jobs for years, if the person wanting work done asks how much, I suggest $NZ 10 and you supply the materials, when the jobs done the "customer" usually comes up with $NZ50 or so. 90% of the stuff I do would be turned away from a commercal shop, or at least be too expensive to even contenplate. Apart from the small jobs, usually for restoration of tractors and ag machinery, and in the past, parts for Willeys Jeeps, I did have regular work for a local machinery manufacturer, making parts.

Ian S C

Ken,

It sounds a great idea to me. Having access to other equipment like oxy acetylene/ propane, bending rolls or somebody who can weld would be useful to me – for reasonable expenses of course.

Phil H

The problem is deciding what is a small op and may be allowed and what is not. Looking through Ken's photo albums which are virtually all "jobs" I would say some of those would be classed as a bit more than a few quid for a pint or two unless that is what you may charge to make something like the saddle tank in his avitar and he even includes a business name in his user name!

The answer to Ken's particular situation was covered early on in this thread, I've even used it to point people in his direction in the past.

J