How is business....

[Mikeifg]

how many of you are doing active marketing? what are you doing to market your business? it seems so many on here are passive marketing. wrong time wrong place. this post isnt meant to degrade but only to help.

why is your business slow? and what are you doing or not doing to counteract it?

I'm going to agree with you on this one. I'm stepping up my marketing because I had none in the past. I take it you must market alot since you seem to be pretty busy especially in your area where it's highly competetive. Our city just seems to be flat knowone ever wanting to spend money even in a good economy too many bargain shoppers who could care less about quality and what it looks like. It's alway's price first quality dead last. That's due in part to alot of Garage Hackers who letter their race cars and suddenly their experts in this biz.....

 

[imagep]

customers are fighting more to pay less all while I'm fighting to raise mine

Over the years I have had lots of existing repeat customers to call me and ask to setup a meeting with me, and these customers have given me the distinct impression that they wanted to talk price.

Anytime they do that or I get the feeling that they are going to try to negotiate on price, I always raise the issue first, telling them that "their work is really not very profitable to us at the price we are doing it and that we are going to have to raise our pricing in the near future". If I hit them up first with price issues it tends to take the wind out of their sails and they will just chitchat about the weather.

 

[OneUpTenn]

I am swamped!! I have been wanting to take some time off to get some personal things done.....but NOOOOOO!!! So for those of you who are slow, just pretend you want to take some time off and then you will get busier than ever.

 

[MachServTech]

(someone dropped off a check very late and I was not wearing pants!)

He He... what business are you in again?

 

[imagep]

I Cant believe how bad it is over here, Nobody is buying and when a job does come up the customer starts by telling you what he can get it for elsewhere.

I have always noticed that during our slow seasons most of our customers are price shoppers/complainers, but during our busy periods, people just want to know how fast it can be done - not how cheap.

 

[Air Art Girl]

I've stayed pretty business, especially with the garment side. I wish I had time to work a bit more on my other business but not going to complain. Over $5,000 this week so far, hope that trend continues. thought we would slow a bit when we moved the business but it hasn't.

 

[cajun312]

Very slow here for the last six weeks, I'm in south Louisiana and when the oilfield industry is slow it affects all of us. I have a few hospital and health care facilities as customers and they are spending nothing until they see what happens with the health care stuff in congress.

We have lot's of refineries and chemical plants around here and they are also just sitting tight, not spending, canceling projects, they are waiting to see what happens with the carbon tax bill in congress.

General feelings around here is that if that carbon tax passes, last one out of Louisiana turn out the lights.

 

[MachServTech]

The tech business is through the roof. Probably because people are trying to keep older machines running instead of buying new ones.

 

[animenick65]

We seem to be quoting a lot more jobs but many of them never come to fruition. We have spurts of being very busy then it becoming completely dead. Right now we are steady but certainly on the lower end of things. Aren't breaking any records here. Taking the extra time here and there to clean up, organize, streamline and generally prepare for when we do become busy again. Good luck to everyone.

 

[Mosh]

Busy, order something today and it will be three weeks until we can get to it.
I guess my pricing must be right.

 

[TheSnowman]

I guess my pricing must be right.

Yep...must be. Freakin' low baller. When will you quit bragging about killing the industry? Every thread to post in, you seem to throw this at us. Haven't you had enough attention YET!

 

[MachServTech]

Busy, order something today and it will be three weeks until we can get to it.
I guess my pricing must be right.

Mosh-es...please deliver us to the promised land!

 

[Mosh]

Seems like if I am busy I am helping the industry. It is a business and if YOU don't have work YOU are killing the industry!!!

 

[MachServTech]

Seems like if I am busy I am helping the industry. It is a business and if YOU don't have work YOU are killing the industry!!!

If you don't specify which of your flock you are speaking to...how do you expect us to give you the worship you deserve...Your Moshesness

 

[weaselboogie]

Seems like if I am busy I am helping the industry. It is a business and if YOU don't have work YOU are killing the industry!!!

Don't make this thread all about your low pricing .... again.

 

[Mosh]

All I said I was busy. Last you will hear from me on this thread, These two must have a crush on me, they reply to everything I post. LOL

 

[mark in tx]

I had a slow 2 weeks, then everything jumped back up this week and last.


Let me put on the swami hat and make some predictions and projections.

I always see a little slowdown mid November, I think that is people saving up for or starting to buy Christmas presents and stuff.

If gasoline prices keep shooting up it is going to screw up business for everybody.
I know the local wally world is not stocking as much holiday items and only hiring about half the usual seasonal workers.
Look for a bloodbath at traditional retailers this Christmas.
Almost past the time to start pushing POP displays, window displays, etc...
Trying to get a our piece of the holiday pie is a little tougher sell this year, but it can be had.

 

[animenick65]

Wow, this was a great informative thread.

 

[TheSnowman]

All I said I was busy. Last you will hear from me on this thread, These two must have a crush on me, they reply to everything I post. LOL

You must have forgotten about this part here that you seem to have lost memory of...

I guess my pricing must be right.

Don't get a love crush, and someone who thinks you are just a complete moron bragging about low balling confused.

 

[Mikeifg]

Yep...must be. Freakin' low baller. When will you quit bragging about killing the industry? Every thread to post in, you seem to throw this at us. Haven't you had enough attention YET!

Don't worry Kraig, A Tornado will come and suck up his trailer this spring.