What bugs me...

[Boggert]

The lady in our village post office is always complaining about how poor trade is and how if you buy your tax on like you are putting them out of business. She goes on abot supporting the local businesses etc....

Well my wife runs the local mothers and toddlers group who are crippled by the rent they have to pay for the use of the hall so every year they run a fundraising day... you know the thing, cake stalls, raffle, tombola, bouncy castle... well they have got sponsorship from all the village businesses except the post office!

She claimed she couldn't do anything and had nothing to give... despite a shop full of things. but what bugs me most of all she employs someone to run the post office for her. She wouldn't even donate a cake to the cake stall... sorry she has lost all my business..

ok rant over!

[Stormin]

That's why she can afford to pay some-one to run the PO for her. She won't donate/give things. Tight wad.  :roll:

[thermidorthelobster]

Before they retired, our 2 post office staff were as rude as.  Miserable I can understand, but there's no reason for them to be downright rude.  I was tempted to send them a certificate to put on the wall.

So was I gutted when they closed it?  Well, it was a PITA to have to go 15 miles to pick up a parcel, but at least I didn't have to put up with abuse from the grumpy old gits!

[Lozza]

What your wife should do is advertise all the businesses who have helped - just a short programme or letter saying thanks.  Then it will be obvious to all the locals who hasnt helped.

Good luck with the event - the results will be worth all the hard work

[Llanigraham]

I'm not going to defend them, but, it can be very difficult in a small town/village when asked to sponsor/give prizes/etc.
I speak from experience, as we run a small pet food and garden supply shop here in Llanidloes. We employ no-one but are just keeping our heads above water.
Every year I used to get asked to supply something for raffles or prizes at:

Llani primary school, junior school, and high school, who all hold seperate fetes.
3 local village schools.
Garden Society Show.
Carnival.
Xmas Street market.
St John Amb.
Church and Chapel Fayre's.
Christmas Lights Appeal.
Local Old Peoples Home
Save Llanidloes Hospital Fund
(plus others)

plus being asked to sponsor customer's and their children on various fundraising events.

We decided that it was easier if we didn't do any, because you cannot favour one over another, so have to do them all. We therefore politely explain that we don't do any now and why. Most people will accept this but I have had the few sarcastic comments made.

[welshlaner]

I'm not going to defend them, but, it can be very difficult in a small town/village when asked to sponsor/give prizes/etc.
I speak from experience, as we run a small pet food and garden supply shop here in Llanidloes. We employ no-one but are just keeping our heads above water. .

Not just shops, my employers have about 20-30 begging letters a day from school kids wanting sponership to churchs asking for dosh to repair broken gates.

The company has a policy of no internal "begging" nor charty collections within work, it was just getting out of hand, instead a few off the "works commitee" will noninate a chosen local chartity for a year and any organised events we do the money goes to them.

Any outside parties who keep asking get told this, some get quite nasty

[Boggert]

I have no issues with her saying no. Its the fact she keeps complaining about there being no "Community Spirit" and "The village is letting her business down"

How about support ing the village her self.

If thats how she feels she should close the thing and stop complaining.

I ran a bike shop and we use to have a budget for this sort of thing.

[Llanigraham]

Boggert,
it would be lovely to be able to do that, I wish I could, but last year my wife and I jointly didn't earn enough to pay tax, and we still have to pay all the bills on the house, etc.
It is very difficult when you are your own boss to say no, but sometimes you have to!

[Boggert]

I guess... maybe i'm being hard on her. I'm just bored of her complaining.

[Silvery Thing]

I guess... maybe i'm being hard on her. I'm just bored of her complaining.

Sadly life is full of people that can only view things from their own position.... put yourself above them and ignore them  :)

[Range Rover Blues]

What goes around comes around, if they expect a small community to support their business then their business should support the community, it's called good will and I believe is tax deductable.

As for post offices, well I tax my car online if I remeber in time becasue it saves the grief I always get when they refuse to tax my car, insurance cert runs out the week after the tax is due/MOT centre stamp not clear enough/tester's handwriting not clear enough, this is not a proper MOT certificate (remeber last year when they introduced them?).