Hi all, i just need some advice. i could probably ask this anywhere really but you will see why its relevent.

my uncle is a gardner & is around 58yrs old (so not long till he retires) i was speaking to him at the weekend about his work etc and he said he is really busy & knocking work back.

he has had a recent operation & is struggling a bit. he wont get extra help in as he cant be dealing with a young lad turning up late etc.

i did 2 years gardening work recently in australia and i would love to get back into it (im office based now).

i just dont know how to approach my uncle about maybe working with/for him?

any ideas about how i should approach this?

thanks.

On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:01:02 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2009-08-10 13:20:11 +0100, Nedder said:


Hi all, i just need some advice. i could probably ask this anywhere
really but you will see why its relevent.

my uncle is a gardner & is around 58yrs old (so not long till he
retires) i was speaking to him at the weekend about his work etc and he
said he is really busy & knocking work back.

he has had a recent operation & is struggling a bit. he wont get extra
help in as he cant be dealing with a young lad turning up late etc.

i did 2 years gardening work recently in australia and i would love to
get back into it (im office based now).

i just dont know how to approach my uncle about maybe working with/for
him?

any ideas about how i should approach this?

thanks.

I'd just ask him outright if he'd consider letting you come in as a
partner, sharing the expenses as well as the profits. You may have to
take a bit less until he does retire though. OTOH, he may be willing
for you to buy him out now by paying for the goodwill and taking on his
customers after you've worked alongside him for a few months and the
customers have got to know you as being honest and knowledgeable.

You might like to soften the blow for him by making it clear that he
is supplying all the knowledge and experience, and you are "only"
doing the heavy work.

"Fuschia" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:01:02 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2009-08-10 13:20:11 +0100, Nedder
said:


Hi all, i just need some advice. i could probably ask this anywhere
really but you will see why its relevent.

my uncle is a gardner & is around 58yrs old (so not long till he
retires) i was speaking to him at the weekend about his work etc and he
said he is really busy & knocking work back.

he has had a recent operation & is struggling a bit. he wont get extra
help in as he cant be dealing with a young lad turning up late etc.

i did 2 years gardening work recently in australia and i would love to
get back into it (im office based now).

i just dont know how to approach my uncle about maybe working with/for
him?

any ideas about how i should approach this?

thanks.

I'd just ask him outright if he'd consider letting you come in as a
partner, sharing the expenses as well as the profits. You may have to
take a bit less until he does retire though. OTOH, he may be willing
for you to buy him out now by paying for the goodwill and taking on his
customers after you've worked alongside him for a few months and the
customers have got to know you as being honest and knowledgeable.

You might like to soften the blow for him by making it clear that he
is supplying all the knowledge and experience, and you are "only"
doing the heavy work.

It depends of course what the operation was. I recently had Quadruple Heart
By-Pass and am still building my strength up. No way could I go out and dig
a field, but I will be giving an illustrated lecture to an Association
tonight whereby a friend will be helping me to unload the screen, projector
and all the paraphernalia out of the car, upstairs and then help me pack it
away again. It's great to have friends :-))

There is 'work' and there is 'work'

--
Mike

The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rneba.org.uk
Luxury Self Catering on the Isle of Wight?
www.shanklinmanormews.co.uk

"Nedder" wrote in message
...

Hi all, i just need some advice. i could probably ask this anywhere
really but you will see why its relevent.

my uncle is a gardner & is around 58yrs old (so not long till he
retires) i was speaking to him at the weekend about his work etc and he
said he is really busy & knocking work back.

he has had a recent operation & is struggling a bit. he wont get extra
help in as he cant be dealing with a young lad turning up late etc.

i did 2 years gardening work recently in australia and i would love to
get back into it (im office based now).

i just dont know how to approach my uncle about maybe working with/for
him?

any ideas about how i should approach this?

thanks.
--
Nedder

Why don't you just offer to work for him for a couple of years to see how
you both get on? If he takes to this idea, you could either a) immediately
suggest a partnership with a built-in probation period, or b) suggest a
partnership after you've worked together for a while and decided it's really
what you want to do.

It seems to me that if he's fighting taking someone on, he may not be able
to afford an employee (perhaps due to the recession), or he may simply not
want to share his business out of some form of misplaced possesiveness.

One way you could approach him without seeming to 'tread on his toes', would
be to tell him you're looking for a career change and to ask him for his
valued advice. It would give you a very gentle opening on the subject, from
which you could both retreat gracefully if it doesn't 'feel' right.

Spider