Canadian Sellers Facing Strong Headwinds

[pierrelebel]

Things are getting more difficult for Canadian sellers.  The weak economy is causing employement to drop and unemployment rate to increase.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/jobs/canada-loses-54500-jobs-in-march-jobl... 

in March, Canada has lost 54,000 jobs

Unemployment rate has gone up to 7.2%

Let's face it: if our customers lose their jobs, it will not be easy to sell them anything.

For more details: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/130405/dq130405a-eng.htm?HPA 

[bb_cool_stuff]

Yes, weird hours lead to Maritial Breakdown especially in Health Services.

The divorce rates in Nursing are huge. A lot of new grads come into their positions thinking they will be working in Pre-Op or Recovery. After twenty years, maybe, but most have to slug it out, in twelve hour ICU & Emergency shifts.

Very tough on relationships.

[inuk_the_polar_bear]

BB, I'm from Windsor Park and now live in Elmwood.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Wow Windsor Park. Where in Windsor Park ?  That is a big area.

You attended WPC i take it. I attended there until Grade 11. We may know each other. 

Had a friend who promoted Wrestling Shows out of Elmwood CC in the late seventies, he is now involved with Steeltown Pro Wrestling out of Selkirk & is GM of the Home Depot in St Vital.

[inuk_the_polar_bear]

What, ya want an address and a phone number? I moved outta there in, um, 1978. Speers Rd by the highway.

Stop and think, this was a long time ago. I graduated from WPC in 1974.

[bb_cool_stuff]

We must know of each other.

You are only two years up on me.

Send me a private with your name when you get a chance.

[pierrelebel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxvlKp-76io 

[bb_cool_stuff]

Very Small World Pierre.

Went to school with Inuk & his brother & was in their home numerous times.

Very bright guys who came from a very nice family.

Obviously he has turned his smarts into a very profitable eBay business.

[pjcdn2005]

Wow, it is a small world.

I don't know what it is about that song but I find it annoying. When I was on that ride in Disneyland years ago I kept thinking about what would happen if the ride stopped and we were stuck in the boat with that music still playing....over and over! lol

I'm glad that you weren't affected by the cuts BB.

[melissasminis]

Please forgive me, but I am still trying to find out how to make a new topic. I want to make a topic, and I do not see an option, how is it done please? Sorry for interupting!

[bb_cool_stuff]

Thanx PJ.

Got lucky & the Provincial Budget is coming down soon. Coincedence ?

As one who went through this previously one must feel for the ones whose postiions were eliminated.

Two other departments were also hit resulting in the same 12 hour shifts with the ones with low seniority receiving payouts.

Problem is there are no positions open in the Province & should a position come open it will probably only be Casual with a small chance it could evolve into a Permanent Part-Time Position.

No jobs, even Union Jobs are safe these days.

Tweve hour shifts won't be so bad, reality in Health Services.

Since the changes take effect immediately, I don't have to go back to work til next thursday.

Maybe i can get a part time counter job at Burger King.

I think i would look hot in the visor & the polyester top.

[brandeentertainment]

Good to hear everything worked out for you BB ...

I think I will weather this years ebay and Canada post storms but eventually it may get to be too much never know ...

I was looking on some big cooperate guys on ebay and toy R us is already down to 98 % percent feedback now my question is how low will ebay allow there % and DSR to go before they get the boot ...

As for Employement in Canada i think there are still tons of jobs not filled in many places .. i know in ontario regardless of what you here there are jobs to be had all over the place ..

I always hear people I know or around talk about how they can't get jobs but i always look at job boards and notice there is always 100's of jobs to be had so I personally think unemployment rate is very closely related to the I am to lazy rate... LOL ...

As for shift work I LOVE IT ... I did 9-5 for 15 years and then once a year you can go on vacation ... My job now with shift work I have 14-15 days off every month I either have 5 off or 4 off .. Basically I 2 weeks I work 4 out of 14 then the next 2 weeks I work 10 out of 14 ..

I could go on vacation like 10 times a year if I want .. I book 4 days off and I get 2 weeks off ...
but I am like inuk said very tired and my first day off is always recoup day but I guess it depends on what your use to which will determine how tired you are ... Example

Yesterday i left for work 5.30 pm got home 7.30 am Package all my stuff by 8:30 am and was at the store by 9 am in the meantime I did 3 loads of laundry and fixed my stove before i went to bed at 11am to wake up at 5pm and do it all again ... So does 12hr shift make me tired YES but not enough to keep me on the couch all day .. I eat lots of fruit and drink lots of water and the sky is the limit for me ..

One thing i know if that have saturday and sunday off is way worse .. you have 1 day to do everything then lots of stuff is closed sunday.. Making appointment is like pulling teeth and most the time you have to use vacation or sick time to get to an appointment and lose a days wages and this day and age every penny counts..

The only thing as Inuk mention it is VERY hard on my wife but she is alot younger and still growing up so she doesn't really get everything Like she says why do you work so much blah blah blah and i say you will know why in 2 years and your 25 with no morgage 2 brand new 2012 vehicles paid off sitting in the drive way and both out kids already have enough to go to college and university and our oldest will be 4 years old then ..
We fight lots for now though but she was also raised by lazy party animals and i was raised by very hard working strict family  so we have a hard time seeing eye to eye without my shift work LOL

My game plan to very much enjoy my life from early 30's till I am done but for now i love Family work and money and I sleep very little too make sure I get some of everything for now...

When times get tough i get tougher bring it on ....... I flipped burgers before and BB it is so hard to look good in those uniforms LOL even worse for women my got all there butts look like there about 3 feet long LOL..

[cumos55]

One has to be willing to make it work... no mateer what one does... whether a day-to-day job or selling on eBay

There are many challenges...  many roads...to follow, to climb to cross.

Success is a reality based on hard work...

Saying it cannot be done is a self-fulfilling prophesy.

We have been thrown many curves by Canada Post, eBay and more.

I made the right decisions  on eBay when I moved my store for .com to .ca  That and selling Canada and everything Canadian....  and that is working very well  today.

and... I grew up in north Winnipeg,  and completed high school ten years before the two Windsor Park graduates....

a most interesting and priceless look at the past... I kept trying to remember every place that was named.... 

[bb_cool_stuff]

Thanx Brande, of course you work an overnight twelve hour shift so i think your job would have to respected a lot more as mine is a lot less physical.

Actually Cumos I don't want to lie. My Grade 12 year was spent at Ravenscourt, the very pricey private school in Fort Garry.

Seems the dumb jock at WPC was spending too much time playing sports, chasing girls, playing pinball & neglecting my studies.

Principal at the time called in my folks & felt i was very bright but lazy & i needed a more structured environment as i was wasting my potential. I don't even think they do that anymore.

Thus boarding school my final year which i now affectionately call Academic Prision with Discipline, although not physical. No girls, no pinball, jackets & ties & only allowed out on weekends.

After a little bit, okay a lot, of kicking & screaming i finally realized my potential.

Probably the best thing that ever happened to me.

[inuk_the_polar_bear]

Seems the dumb jock at WPC was spending too much time playing sports, chasing girls, playing pinball & neglecting my studies.

That was pretty much the whole school from the late 60's through mid 70's anyway. Not a whole lot of world leaders came from that era in that school.

BB, the hacking and slashing is driving us out of Manitoba. The grass has to be greener on the other side of the fence! LOL!!!

Actually, we are leaving for other, better, reasons.

[bb_cool_stuff]

Butch Goring & Brian Engblom left a heck of a Jock Legacy.

I know they graduated a long time ago but every hockey player in school wanted to be Butch & Brian.

I think Butch won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders & Brian won a couple with the Canadiens.

The Engblom's owned the Brereton Lake Resort in the Whiteshell. Our summer cottage was just down the road from the Resort. Nice people but i don't ever recall meeting Brian.

[inuk_the_polar_bear]

I faintly recall Butch. Signed with Phoenix Roadrunners. Showed up back at school with a Trans Am as I recall. Then there were the Rumsey (?) basketball brothers that went on to lead U of M to national titles.

I recall I was the school snot nosed puke.

[cumos55]

For me it was St. John's High School in the north end of Winnipeg.

Where all of Winnipeg's lawyers and doctors graduated from high school, in the early 60's and earlier.

The one thing I remember about  Ravenscourt is a soccer game.  Oldest son was playing and I and another father were coaches.

We had practiced a scoring play off a kickoff before the game

The first half against Ravenscourt was tough... we were playing at their home field.

We did our thing at the second half kick-off......

Centre forward tipped the ball to centre midfield, who then passed to right forward who was streaking down the right side.  Centre forwarded headed straight toward Ravenscourt's net

Two steps  to control the ball and right forward put the ball right in front of centre forward...who was waiting  right on Ravenscourt's penalty spot... one touch control and centre forward scored..

and these were 11-year old boys....

Ravencourt was deflated , definitely  with that planned play, and could not come back  from the goal....

[bb_cool_stuff]

St Johns's & Sisler in the North End were sports juggernauts in the 70s along with Gordon Bell Downtown.

No matter the sport, those three were always strong.

Didn't all the Guess Who members come out of St Johns, Cumos ?

The Rumsey's were Darryl & Brian, Inuk. Great basketball players affectionately known as the Hippie Ball Players. They were before my time. i had classes with their younger sister.

Inuk, Rowdy Roddy Piper, the wrestler, was also there during our time but was known as Rodney Toombs. I don't recall him at all. Did you remember him walking the halls ? 

[cumos55]

I knew Burton Cummings... He was the only onin the Guess Who from St. John's.

I still remember the day he left school.

He turned 16  and was gone.

I saw him in the hallway and asked Burton "Do you know what you are doing?  How do you know you will be a success?  Why not complete Grade 12 first?"

Now I can look back and say

" I do not have a Community Club  and a Theatre, the old Walker Theatre which once was the Odeon Movie Theatre,  named after me"

When Burton Cummings left school  the principle  said "Do not come back"

He did not get his High School standing for Grade 12 until St. John's 100 th year... and he got it because they gave him credit for his many years  in the "School of Hard Knocks"

I graduated from Grade 12 in 1965... So I was there in a totally different decade.. almost a different existence

[inuk_the_polar_bear]

Yeah, Cumos, 1965 was a whole lot different than 1974. North end a world away from Windsor Park.

No, BB, don't remember anyone who "made it". I know one who turned into a cat lady. Met a guy in an airport who did well. Oddly, he was one of the bad guys. Anyways, he told me of one of the good girls whose brain matter shifted.

I did, over the years run into two or three of the cool jocks from high school. Oddly, they seemed to have peaked in high school. That was their 15 minutes of fame, as a kid. They couldn't transition it into adulthood.

The very rare and odd time I run into someone, they hold no interest for me. My world is eBay. Real sellers, on eBay, are an entirely different breed of person. eBay Live in Boston and Chicago were marvelous, hanging with 7,000 of my closest friends.