My neighbour asked if he could borrow the van to help move his son next week. Sure, I’ll put you on the insurance, I cheerily replied. Having the morning at my desk I gave the insurance company a call, I needed to renew the policy as well. After about twenty minutes being told how […]
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Firewood for Craft Cider
Early morning heads up that a close friend’s partner had taken a turn for the worse and the prognosis wasn’t good. I express love and concern and offer of support. I return to the day ahead and encourage my teenage daughter to attend the open day at the college in Nantwich. ‘If we leave […]
What Type of Customer Are You?
Spent Boxing Day morning looking at sales and customers; if 20% of all my customers provide 50% of the revenue, why can’t 40% provide all of my revenue? How much can I sell and who do I sell it too? Is it a first come, first serve operation? What about the sustainability of […]
Heating Oil or Freezing?
Up here at TVF HQ, we had an interesting dilemma this week. The end of August meant a payment from the solar panels and given the incredible sunshine over the summer we eagerly anticipated the amount, would it cover a month’s leccy bill? It came to £254, which we know we need to spend on […]
The Burning Issue
I turned the heating down by one degree this week, apparently that saves 10% of your heating bill or at least that used to be the case. With oil now at 155.35p per litre (Boiler Juice), up from 68.66p the day Russian tanks rolled into the Ukraine, my one degree just isn’t enough. But I […]
Does it Matter Where Your Firewood Comes From?
This is often a question that I ask myself and wonder if others do the same. Traditionally the merchant bought the firewood from a local woodcutter and took it to market on their back or on a cart, this still happens in many parts of the world. The relatively low margin combined with high volume […]
The mower for me
Anyone who read my blog last year on ‘the mower for me,’ may be interested in an update on the grass cutting up here at TVF HQ that lead me to exclaim to the Woodcutter’s wife: My life is complete! Recently I was delivering four barrow bags to a regular customer, however when he saw […]
The joys of parenting
Being self employed means that you get to go to watch your daughter’s disco dancing as part of the local Welsh cultural inter school competition. It is so joyful that the Woodcutters’ Wife and I take it in turns attending, as to share the joy. The dancing saw gymnastics not seen in their parents for […]
Now I am 50
I am finding that I am a lot more chilled, now that I am in my fifties. It has come a lot sooner than I had anticipated; it does not seem such a long time ago that I was starting out on my journey through life as an adult. The thirty years I have left, […]
VAT and Shop
Busy week responding to the demand for part seasoned firewood ahead of going VAT registered. My attempt at direct marketing worked for me with an approximate 25% take up rate, with one person ordering and paying for next years demand, part of which will be delivered now with the remaining loads being delivered as required […]