Give Me Home Repairs Any Day

30 November 1999

This week I have learned the value of backing up files...I am the first to admit I am not very technical. I mean, give me a reciprocating saw, a current meter or even a calculator and whole load of variables and I am your man. But ask me to create a website or drop and drag some files and you have me flummoxed!

So this weekend when my computer decided to turn off and not turn back on again, I pretty much thought my life was over. All I could think about was all those files, the invoices, contacts and everything which make a small business run properly. Yes, I have learnt enough over the years to write the odd invoice and keep my finances more or less on the straight and narrow, but backing these files up...? No one told me I had to do that!

So it was off to PC World with my hard drive under my arm and £200 later I had all my files back and practically a new computer (so the 17 year old behind the counter told me). Turned out you have to vacuum the insides of your computer once in a while or it overheats and everything goes kaput.

So this weekend – being Easter – I took the time to book myself into a course. I am not one to admit when I am beaten, but the computer has just about beaten me. I am just not the right generation for this sort of thing and when my 4 year old daughter can play games on the PC better than me then something is wrong. I am determined am never again shelling out that sort of money for something I should be able to do myself.

So it is back to college for me. Evening course in Computing 101. I thought I had better get ahead of the game before I start running a bigger and more challenging business. Long gone are the days when a simple practical talent was all you needed to make a decent living. But I am certainly one for taking the bull by the horns and I fully expect I will be an expert before the end of the year – well stranger things have happened.

I have started this week on the house for Chris, the developer. I have been given 20% to get started and have bought close to everything I need. I have drawings done and plans sorted. I just need to get going on the practical stuff. You know the stuff us builders love getting stuck into. He wants it to be quite low in specifications as it will be a rental, but still to be hard wearing. That's a fine line to keep to and only time will tell if I have worked out my figures right. I don't want to end up working for nothing.

Oh and one small thing to remember if you are a builder – never, and I mean never, go to the DIY store on an Easter weekend...made that mistake this weekend and I will regret it forever. I thought I would make a good start by getting some of the stuff I need to start a fresh week and headed there on Monday morning. Well, the car park was enough to scare the life out of me and once inside, the queues stretched into the aisles and I promptly walked out again. Took 20 minutes just to get out of the car park. Recession? My arse!!