-
I want to thank all the members that have upgraded your accounts. I truly appreciate your support of the site monetarily. Supporting the site keeps this site up and running as a lot of work daily goes on behind the scenes. Click to Support Signs101 ...
Does Business Slowing Down?
- Thread starter bovegas
- Start date
Craig Sjoquist
New Member
Been at a dead stop here ever since end of June can't even count on one hand how many jobs. ouch
Gino
Premium Subscriber
This question tends to come up quite a bit.
Most business has it's high and low times, so you need to plan accordingly. Over the years we've cultivated customers who buy at certain times of the years more than other times. Once you have a base going, you try to fill in your low times with more. If you have lots of semi's in the beginning of the year, look for organizations or businesses which seem to thrive in late summer and fall. That could be schools, municipalities, certain contractors and so on.
Right now, we're making it all work and we're still putting in many hours a week. However, someone in the shop is moving this weekend, so most of the guys are gonna help her out a bit. I'll come in a little and next week we'll just fire everything up again. Nice to have a 3 day weekend from time to time. Other than that, we're booked til the end of the year with quite a bit already scheduled next year.
Most business has it's high and low times, so you need to plan accordingly. Over the years we've cultivated customers who buy at certain times of the years more than other times. Once you have a base going, you try to fill in your low times with more. If you have lots of semi's in the beginning of the year, look for organizations or businesses which seem to thrive in late summer and fall. That could be schools, municipalities, certain contractors and so on.
Right now, we're making it all work and we're still putting in many hours a week. However, someone in the shop is moving this weekend, so most of the guys are gonna help her out a bit. I'll come in a little and next week we'll just fire everything up again. Nice to have a 3 day weekend from time to time. Other than that, we're booked til the end of the year with quite a bit already scheduled next year.
J
john1
Guest
Never thought i would say this but things are rolling along well here.
Picked up a nice ford transit job today from a good customer of mine and am doing a direct mailer Monday of about 700 pieces to potential customers. Have to keep it rolling.
If you guys don't have a website, or if you do and have zero SEO on it, Learn it the best you can and ask questions even on here. It has literally brought my business back from the dead when people can search and find you online.
Keep your head up guys, Keep on keep'n on!
Picked up a nice ford transit job today from a good customer of mine and am doing a direct mailer Monday of about 700 pieces to potential customers. Have to keep it rolling.
If you guys don't have a website, or if you do and have zero SEO on it, Learn it the best you can and ask questions even on here. It has literally brought my business back from the dead when people can search and find you online.
Keep your head up guys, Keep on keep'n on!
gabagoo
New Member
The last 3 weeks were somewhat slower than usual, and it is normal at this time of year, but the last few years we were very busy during the summer.
Got the call yesterday that I have to do about 30 school buses and an assortment sprinters and caravans, so that should keep us busy for a few weeks.... the phones came alive in the last 2 days, so the stress of being slow is replaced by the stress of not having enough time to do things right..... strange business for sure
Got the call yesterday that I have to do about 30 school buses and an assortment sprinters and caravans, so that should keep us busy for a few weeks.... the phones came alive in the last 2 days, so the stress of being slow is replaced by the stress of not having enough time to do things right..... strange business for sure
Gino
Premium Subscriber
One person or 92 people.... try to find customers to fill in the voids.
Ask yourself this.....
- How many years have you been in business ??
- What are your normal busy times vs. slow times ??
- What kind of business creates most of your busy time work ??
- What other kind of signs or lettering can you make to please still more customers ??
- Are there possible clients all around you getting signs, but not from you ??
- Could or would you want to service them and get their money instead of someone else getting it ??
- What are you waiting for ??
OlsonSigns601
New Member
Number of Jobs for me has slowed down, but I've got 4 high profile jobs going on. Most I've ever had....
I'm flat broke in the red maxed out everycard I have to get it done with the hopes of at least 1 payday coming tomorrow.
August will be my slowest but most profitable month.
I'm flat broke in the red maxed out everycard I have to get it done with the hopes of at least 1 payday coming tomorrow.
August will be my slowest but most profitable month.
Gino
Premium Subscriber
Why aren't you getting deposits to hold you over and pay for things upfront ?? Afterall, they are only financing their own job by giving a deposit, instead of using you for a bank and paying out finance charges.
we've been unusually busy for the past 12-14 months (knock on wood) up about 10-12% over last year consistantly every month. this month had a little lull, but i just got married 2 weeks ago, and had been telling the regular customers about it, and tried to get jobs done before, or asked them to wait until a week or two afterwards (which all were OK with)
we did send out some emails to past customers that we haven't heard from in a while, and did a little house cleaning, and found some extra (new) banners stands, etc and decided to do a little sale on them. we also recently started offering business cards & postcards, and those have been selling VERY well. perhaps adding something simple to your lineup (such as the biz cards or postcards) is something you could promote year-round.
also, if you know every july is slow, start some sort of "advertising" in mid june to help boost sales the following month. or just get in touch with old customers, and make a sale!! take a few fridays off and drive around and check in on those customers and see how they are doing. more often than not, you'll catch a sale!
good luck!!
we did send out some emails to past customers that we haven't heard from in a while, and did a little house cleaning, and found some extra (new) banners stands, etc and decided to do a little sale on them. we also recently started offering business cards & postcards, and those have been selling VERY well. perhaps adding something simple to your lineup (such as the biz cards or postcards) is something you could promote year-round.
also, if you know every july is slow, start some sort of "advertising" in mid june to help boost sales the following month. or just get in touch with old customers, and make a sale!! take a few fridays off and drive around and check in on those customers and see how they are doing. more often than not, you'll catch a sale!
good luck!!
TheSnowman
New Member
I was just looking today because I had a slow down, but I'm still up about 25% over last year, so no complaints. I seem to be landing a lot of big jobs that I can't do in house, so they're good profit, and all I have to do is a lot of coordinating.
baxter gamble
New Member
We are in Alaska and business is very good. Better than I had expected considering the way the economy is these days. We are very lucky and I am very grateful for what we have.
James Burke
Being a grandpa is more fun than working
So far, so good. We usually slow down in late October.
JB
JB
Locals Find!
New Member
Haven't been on in a while. I am slammed. I have had more work than I can keep up with. Albeit not on the same level as many of you, but really doesn't matter. Money is flowing nicely. I am not lowballing jobs either.
My postcard sales are up, my business cards are up, and sign sales are up. I even have a lead on a couple of New builders as Real Estate inventory is low and we only have about 60 days worth right now. So builders are back to building new homes & condos again to supply the demand. Which means site signs, yard signs, and even getting calls for vehicle wraps (something I just refer out and get a commission off of.)
Also, got a Hurricane headed this way which will mean even more work replacing real estate signs that are going to get blown away.
My postcard sales are up, my business cards are up, and sign sales are up. I even have a lead on a couple of New builders as Real Estate inventory is low and we only have about 60 days worth right now. So builders are back to building new homes & condos again to supply the demand. Which means site signs, yard signs, and even getting calls for vehicle wraps (something I just refer out and get a commission off of.)
Also, got a Hurricane headed this way which will mean even more work replacing real estate signs that are going to get blown away.
