So following on from this morning’s effort, I had the sudden realisation that it was Apprentice Day and following on from this morning’s write-up I sat and watched the episode.

This week, the contestants were being asked to set up their own bargain basement styled shops, that we have seen in recent years.  In fact it is not all that much of a stretch to suggest that many are following a path of starting out on a market stall and graduating or taking the business into a shopping location where they can potentially continue into a full out business venture.

This is something that VARIES from region to region and in fact, some business communities and so on, make it far easier to carry out such things than others.  Hereford (for example) has been suggested to be to COSTLY to carry out such shop creation.

Yes we can go along the high street and see Business Unit “TO LET” SIGNS, though more often than not, they come with costs that are too HIGH for your average entrepreneur or START-UP.

We saw Lord Sugar speaking on Wholesalers (for example) suggesting that they operate with LOW OVERHEADS, and whilst Hereford does have some such wholesalers, most who want to FIND something differing to sell in the area are likely to be disappointed in where they believe they can make money, once the COST of the BUSINESS UNIT is taken into the accounting.

That perhaps part of the SCALES rational, whereby some smaller cities, in order to have the NEW BUSINESS UNITS built and so on, based the PRICING STRUCTURES on long term FORECASTS & MODELS, where few new retailers or entrepreneurs perhaps have the ability to think of things in those terms or indeed the underlying MONEY to soak up such costs.

So Apprentice contestants were given a £500 Float to start up and a FREE BUSINESS UNIt within a major shopping mall, that would costs your average joe blogs on the street, money to also finance, in terms of rent-a-space and power costs and staffing costs etc.

So the episode was fairly bland to my mind after some of the things that have gone before, though it was a straight forward “keep it simple stupid” task.

Both groups discussed such outlets, and both carried out some TRIAL’S to see if what they wanted to sell, would sell, prior to then setting up shop.

One groups males opted for low cost high margin electrical goods, ear phones and power extensions upsetting the females in the group who would not walk in to buy such things, whilst the other group went with towels and candles and gift like appearance typical market stall fair, that does attract the female trade.

The Group with the Electricals won, simply through the greater margins and whilst again the show was edited, there does exist some research in the sense that you go into such shops either on your own or with a partner and find yourself standing around not finding anything you want, because only one MINDSET is being CATERED.

The BORING electrical stuff, might be ugly and unappealing, though many a DIY store demonstrates such sale tactics, how many a couple think to go to some DIY place on the weekend just in case of some FUTURE DECORATING, and at the very least walk out with a power cable or some “HANDY” little thing that you have been meaning to purchase when you have a spare opportunity.

So again we saw that both teams were “FEELING PRESSURE” though it again did appear that particular characters or traits were seen among those taking part.

So one team tripled what they were given in terms of ASSETS going from £500 to just short of £1500 whilst the other group doubled what they were given in asset terms just short of £1000.

Clearly I being somewhat VAGUE as to the numbers, though were it my own money and business I would be all over it.

What else, well from what was seen in the episode, I did think that the wrong person was returned to the Boardroom in terms of Brett, he had a run-in with the chap who was leader of the team, and on this episode it did appear that it would have been more appropriate for Selina (I think the name is) to have been there. (She did graft for Brett the previous week, whilst the guy leading this week had some GRANDIOSE impossible vision in that episode).

So you lose a task, and get to select who returns to the boardroom, do you go with VENDETTA (as this appeared) or FACTS, clearly when you are in a given task or environment, it can be DIFFICULT when among it all to separate the wood from the tree’s, though I do genuinely think that Lord Sugar had little choice as to sacking Sam from those that were present.

Had Selina been present, I still think Sam would have gone, though a more appropriate line-up would have been seen.

So TIMELINES are all up in the AIR at PRESENT.  What HOW?

Well we are seeing reports as to SUSPECTS wanted in connection with Libyan Embassy Siege many years ago (early 80’s) and indeed around that time period (or a little later) we had MARILLION (I think) with the song Keyleigh.

Keyleigh the name of a missing youngster in Leicestershire, and I mention that because recent school time investigations, led myself to uncovering that Aylestone as a NAME is also strong linked with Leicestershire.

I also investigated BARNEY only to have to correct myself, yes I completely NEGLECTED the more recently popular PURPLE DINOSAUR who has friends, and it is also a village NAME in NORFOLK, if research materials can be validated (something I have not checked or verified (CROSS REFERENCED).

Though overall the American Barney Theme is far stronger, than any Britain might claim, in fact even the AUSSIES have a stronger claim to Barney than Britain does.

Something else I failed to write about recently was GARGOYLES, I mentioned passing CATHEDRAL and on a most recent visit found myself not only thinking “ONE OF OUR GARGOYLES IS MISSING” though pretty much all of them.

In fact I know some churches, cathedrals have pedestals that such stone creatures are placed upon at various times and removed at others, so I could just be having a Dave Version of a SENIOR MOMENT, though did stare long and hard as to “What is WRONG with this image”.

We have all perhaps carried out those “SPOT THE DIFFERENCE” in magazines and so on, and in fact such a COMPARE can be done of course within the MIND, though again, depending on advancement, I would suggest it is EASIER after long practiced MEDITATION than otherwise.

Why? well whether you work days or nights or other strange hours in between, you do find that REPETITION of TASK can cause a kind of BLINDNESS as to reporting of daily events or happenings.

What?

Well I know from EXPERIENCE and HISTORY that I have sworn blind (on occasion) WRONGLY that some event happened on 1 day when it was in fact another, and I also KNOW that multiple long term COLLEAGUES including MANAGERS have had the same ISSUE.

So repetition memories can BLUR and MERGE and create CONFLICT & CONFUSION, when some simple documentation (such as a DIARY or BLOG) if hopefully noted can settle some DISPUTES.

I was going to write upon the war of the Bongo’s, this is taking 2 peoples with same name for example, and then comparing how they run a team (for example) I have some experience as to this, and it is interesting as to how INTERPRETATION of ALLEGEDLY the same FUNCTIONS or INSTRUCTIONS differ from person to person, and indeed the MINDSET utilised by differing peoples, whether they use a global strategy or person by person strategy, or consider team member to be “one of their own” or otherwise.

IMAGINE having time of (for illness (for example)) and someone else covers you and when you return you now have those who remain from the team you built and those newcomers, who are a group taken on by your replacement.

Can differences in CHARACTERS & BEHAVIOURAL TRAITS be seen, the answer is YES to both, questions, though again deciding on the BEST BLEND is again opinion and a DISTRACTION from the actual WORK or TASK FUNCTION in Hand.

I have of course spoken on this idea of HEAD to TOE and that again works well for assisted meditators and not so well for non-meditators because one group has the mindset to be all head, and another over obsesses with toe and so on.

CEILINGS FLOORS & WALLS are strangely coming to the foreground, and whilst in my work I tend to have a BALANCE between job requirements for each, it is interesting how some whole heartedly opt for one over the other, as though both is somehow unachievable when often all it boils down to, is what is being high-lighted and who is doing the high-lighting and-or indeed TRAINING.

Thank you for reading, God Bless and Be Well 😉