Adapting your business in the coming year

[Team Valhalla]

Last year about this time, someone posted a thread asking a question something along the line of what you were going to do in the coming year to expand or streamline your business.

Does that ring a bell with anyone? I've searched for it off and on, but haven't ran across it.

I'm curious if any of the goals were met by ones that posted.

SP

 

[Si Allen]

Yup!


I am now 90% retired!

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

I don't remember what my goals were, but knows I'm in better shape then last cause in 2009 Oct it just shut down for me it took till March to start picking up from then to get everything back in some sort of order for me but I'm getting more work easier now and hopes as Jan goes forward I get to finish what I wanted to have complete by Dec.

But knows my goals for 2011 are to back myself up which really is quite general but it is just that in all aspects, making use of what talent and what I have to do what I can.

 

[iSign]

I searched for keyword 2010 in post titles but struck out...
I think there probably was a good thread like that & hope someone finds it & posts it here...


Going forward, I plan to make a few changes.
The main one I'm willing to speak of is possible downsizing.
I expanded in 2008 & it took me all year to finish that phase of business growth, and in reality I should have been worried about the costs & the timing before I even finished... but instead I was in denial & thought I was operating in the red because my own energy was on the expansion & believed I would become profitable as soon as I focused on sales & production again..

Anyway, expanding at the wrong time was an expensive mistake, but being in denail about it was even more expensive... and worst of all, in 2009 when i saw the writing on the wall, I still didn't have the fortitude to make dramatic cuts, changes or corrections...

..by this time last year I had begun to face the need for serious restructuring, and in fact I have done a lot to make changes around here

in 2011, I may sublease half of the first warehouse space I've occupied for 14 years. it was 750 sq. ft. with 24' ceilings, but it's now 3 floors, nicely remodeled (on my dime) and I've cleared out 1000 sq. ft. I could live without.

Additionally I was speaking to Jon Aston about my cost cutting efforts & he applauded them but cautioned me on my statement of going back through with a fine tooth comb looking for any other little savings opportunities...

Having done a good job with the obvious cuts, there is little benefit scouring an already clean biz plan for some small benefit... INSTEAD, he reminded me I have remained somewhat stuck in a decade old habit of showing up, answering the phone & doing whatever work walks in the door, AT THE EXPENSE OF not really going after the better work, or the bigger work that I know I could handle if I could get it...

so, in 2011, I'm going to market myself like never before!

 

[cartoad]

Last year had a lot of plans for many different areas of the business, but was unable to implement most of them. So have scrapped that plan as too much in two many directions for me to accomplish.

For 2011 the primary plan is an increase in marketing activity, some of which has already began. To accomplish this a rather detailed plan is being worked on that includes the stepped up study of marketing books and tapes and implementation of items that I can, working on sales scrips for the incomming calls, that we all will follow (tougher than I thought on that one),
Tracking the marketing efforts results and marketing having the auctual buget $ for the year so I know what has been spendt on each part of it and what the return was.

And hope to have a new employee hired in two weeks that can learn and progress to auctually do the work and free me up to do more of the marketing activities I have set up for myself to accomplish. (put in the ad we drug test and reduced the number of resumes to look thru by a bunch!)

 

[john1]

And hope to have a new employee hired in two weeks that can learn and progress to auctually do the work and free me up to do more of the marketing activities I have set up for myself to accomplish. (put in the ad we drug test and reduced the number of resumes to look thru by a bunch!)

*EDIT*

I think drug testing is a great thing to start doing for a sign company position. It should sort out the kinds you don't want working for you.

 

[Mosh]

I plan on taking more time off to build a new house. Not sure if I plan on keeping the shop open full time.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

That sounds really great, I know alot of sign guys around here are alcoholics and or druggies. I'm not sure why this industry tends to have these but these also seem to be alot of the home based people too from what I've seen. I on the other hand am not either so hopefully i will rise above them.

L

Considering I am home based, I don't know where this feeling of hostility comes from. I try to do the best work i can for all my customers that they will like and last as long as it possible can given the materials used.

Putting me in group along the lines of alcoholics and hop heads isn't a good thing, but that's me.

 

[john1]

I stated FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, meaning in my area.

Did i say everyone? No i did not. Why feel offended if your not any of those?

I was just agreeing with how great him doing drug testing was in my mind.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

I stated FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN, meaning in my area.

Did i say everyone? No i did not. Why feel offended if your not any of those?

I was just agreeing with how great him doing drug testing was in my mind.

Given the pervasive thought that most people on this board have had towards that same way of thinking has made me a little touchy on that, because some people are broad in their assessment.

I saw this:

I'm not sure why this industry tends to have these but these also seem to be alot of the home based people too from what I've seen.

and then:

I on the other hand am not either so hopefully i will rise above them

That just didn't go well with me. I do apologize for jumping the gun. I just strive to do the best that I can for my customers whether I'm home based or not and don't want to be equated with being the devil based on whether I have a true store front or not.

 

[Team Valhalla]

iSign... your business comments are exactly what I was looking for. Hope the coming year is a good one for you!

As I recall, the comments and points that people were making were good ones that not only pertained to the graphic and sign industry, but business in general.

I spent some more time looking for the thread today. I even scrolled back all the way to January of 2010 and then looked at each posting in the month... no luck. I've got to look on another computer, I'm wondering if I marked it in my favorites.

SP

 

[artbot]

need to get marketing materials (portfolios, chip samples of different printing techniques). get those to maybe two more reps in completely different cities (dallas, and somewhere else drivable for delivery from houston).

i've been doing way too many projects being done that i'd rather pass on in order to keep the months slammed. need to diversify so i can turn away the projects occasionally.

on the behavioral side of things, that will probably make my current reps be a bit more selective when pitching me at architectural meetings.

also need way more spec's stock (non-custom) toolpaths/molds/templates/filework so that i can get more quick money orders.

 

[CES020]

I'm planning on trying to put 2 local sign companies out of business (it's the least I can do, as they come to work every day trying to take my business away from me!)

 

[tintguy31794]

That post was made by zolo distributing if i'm not mistaking... I remember it was made by the guy that showed you how to use the hard card sharpener... I could be dead wrong and thinking of a completely different forum. I'm too lazy to search right now.

 

[Team Valhalla]

Couldn't find anything under Zolo Distributing.

Hand card sharpener?

SP

 

[iSign]

Given the pervasive thought that most people on this board have had towards that same way of thinking has made me a little touchy on that...

so, don't you see it?

now YOU are doing the same damn thing...

I'm NOT home based, but I AM on this board... I don't have that thought toward home based sign people...

so who's to decide what "the pervasive thought that most people on this board have" is??

You?

...and just how many people are you know discussing, and how many are innocent, and how few really have given you this insecure feeling causing you to make damning generalizations??

..so am I feeling insecure now too? No, I am just making a point!

Happy New Year!!!.

.. look for the good in people... shrug off the bad... there will be far more good then bad if you really look, instead of letting fear based perceptions rise to the top...

 

[WildWestDesigns]

so who's to decide what "the pervasive thought that most people on this board have" is??

You?

All you have to do is see what the general thought(majority thought towards, which only has to be at least 51% of the general attitude towards) is towards people that are home based or that start off as doing this as a hobby.

I've seen quite a few people greated with less then a warm welcome when they mention that they are just starting out of their home doing whatever and I'm not talking about the usual "hazing" of a new poster to see if they are legit or just trying to stir up trouble.

I remember a couple of posts where people were saying that a home based business wasn't a true business because it didn't have to deal with overhead that a business with a shop front had to deal with.

I remember one poster putting a list of some things that also included the fact of home based business and those people still living in their momma's basement stuff like that. Can't remember the exact thread, if I recall correctly it was a multipage thread because I think y'all were hazing a new poster at the time. Now that list did get a lot of banter from y'all that leads one to believe that some of that y'all do believe at least in part about what was said about home based businesses.

I see more then one post about: the "evils" of the home business with their cheap prices horning in on our profit. We are equated with the scrap bookers with their cricuts making stickers and selling them.

Are there some that do that sure, I won't deny that, but not all. I like to think I work my butt off just as much as each one of you do, trying to get the word out on what I can do and to give my customers the best service and product that I can.

This post is probably not the best way to establish my bona fides with y'all as I still have a relatively low post count as I came here to learn and maybe do something for my fellow members if they need/want me to do something. Probably still trying to figure out if I'm a legit user or just a sh**kicker. Unfortunately, when I see things like that and that could be thought of the same way with me, it rattles me.

I do apologize to the OP and to those that contributed to this thread as they wanted. That was my moment of weakness.

 

[iSign]

I remember a couple of posts where people were saying that a home based business wasn't a true business because it didn't have to deal with overhead that a business with a shop front had to deal with...

...I see more then one post about: the "evils" of the home business with their cheap prices horning in on our profit. We are equated with the scrap bookers with their cricuts making stickers and selling them.

WOW!!! a "couple of posts"... well damn, that explains the insecurity... no wonder... and you even go on to say "more then one" .

..well this is serious!!!

I agree, it just ain't fair that you should have to defend yourself against this kind of universal bigotry...

still, I guess the 17,000 members here shouldn't all have to defend against arbitrary generalizations that lump the majority of them into guilt for those "couple of posts" either.. right?

I do apologize to the OP and to those that contributed to this thread as they wanted. That was my moment of weakness.

well, I think I have a moment of forgiveness in me too... but I do like to make a point now and then.. so your posts seemed to invite one...

 

[Rick]

gorsh, I'm home based and I'm not offended. And could give a crap what anyone thinks of it... I would preferably be working around other creative people.

I think I remember saying working with my oldest kid more and doing more poster and print work....

Well, my son took off to live the psychobilly lifestyle, my wife's illness took it's toll and I adjusted to making money any way I could... most was code signage. I had a few fun jobs, but could not invest in the time to develop relationships that I am used to doing in getting the poster and print work, will be working on that more this year.

This year may be getting out of the house.... either employment, or office...

 

[heyskull]

I am going to charge more........
I'm not going to change anything else this year as I always start the year with a list of goals and I haven't seen me meet any of them by the end.
I've put of the increasing cost of supplies and with the impending VAT increase in the UK from tomorrow things are going to get very difficult over here.

I wish I could work from home but it has just got way to big now. They ar lucky people that can.

SC