How's business?

[elsignshop]

we ended December with being behind about 2 weeks of work, and now we are behind about 4 weeks of work. just have so much work. i thank god everyday for giving me the work we get.

 

[signswi]

Humans are collectively cyclical, managing that is the hardest part of any business. Helps if you're such high quality that they'll wait for an opening (and I know insignia and Colorado are). Good problems.

 

[Gino]

We just finished our preliminary taxes last night and with 2010 being our best year ever in business, we were just a little behind it for last year. So far this year we are booked out until September, with all kinds of things popping here and there. Knock on wood, but we are landing just about everything we bid on. Funny part about that is.... we just raised our prices.

Like Joe, our truck lettering has dropped off. We went from about 5 or 6 a week to maybe 2 a week, but we've surged way ahead with municipality work on Police cruisers and street vehicles for many of the municipalities around our area. It has increased dramatically.

Our focus though, is beyond just signs. We are helping people with our new slogan....... Branding should be about standing out, not fitting in.

Dan A.............. :Big Laugh​

 

[Farmboy]

Busy. Plan to put on at least one more person this year.

 

[FatCat]

Just like my fellow buckeyes (Circleville & Insignia) been extremely busy here. This January more than doubled January of 2011. February is going strong so far, and have lots in the pipes that will hopefully continue to materialize in the coming months. Can't complain...

 

[cdiesel]

_slammed_

Keep it comin'!

 

[visual800]

Slammed!

 

[Pro Image]

Jan. Slower that it has been in a few years.....Feb. is really looking great.....

 

[TyrantDesigner]

We do a lot of semi truck work. In a bad economy these guys seem to get hit hard early on. It makes sense right? Less goods to be transported around. They tighten their belts and that means they stop buying new trucks. With no new trucks, that means less truck work for us. We went from 4 or 5 trucks a week to about 2 trucks a month, if we were lucky.

We had to really focus on becoming more diverse and trying new things to survive. Our shop has survived a rough economy more than once and it looks as though it will survive this one too, because things are beginning to look good.... real good. Truck drivers are buying new trucks again. We just started a great business relationship with a nearby truck dealer. They say business is coming back strong for them too.

Just last week we had 2 really nice large jobs walk in that should keep us pretty busy this spring and summer, but for us the truck work is our bread and butter. As long as we have a nice steady supply of truck work, we'll do just fine.

January is our slow month, we mainly do rig work too ... our customers freak about taxes ... we have been slammed for 2 weeks now ... not a bad thing either ... definantly hit 3 weeks early though ... i thought mid feb. would cause us to be slammed ... i planned on giving the new guy a month or so of easy work ... wrong on that account i guess

 

[Malkin]

Like others have said, we have weathered poor economies many times before, though it can get tense sometimes.

2011 was up 20% but not quite up to pre-2008 levels

January was up a bit over last as well. We did hit a slow spot, but nearly as soon as we got caught up, we got hit with more decent sized jobs, so still going for now.

 

[Rooster]

I lost my biggest client to a buyout before christmas, but my second biggest client is undergoing a massive expansion and has been keeping me too busy to worry about it. The little stuff hasn't been coming in like it was before but I turned off my advertising program, so it's not a surprise.

Finding work has been easy. If you have a pulse and answer your phone it would seem there's plenty of work in my neck of the woods.

 

[Jack Knight1979]

Last quarter of 11 was horrible. scrapping by. Jan/Feb have been very busy. w00t
​

 

[anotherdog]

I too lost by biggest single client. Pushed our marketing a little, grew some new products and filled in the gap, So far at least 10% over last year. February is getting too busy and I know March April and May will also be very busy.

Im trying to keep my overheads down, but I might have to grow this year.

Curious all the work most people are doing, when you read the newspaper the sky is alway falling. I guess the world got tired of headlines and went back to work.

 

[Typestries]

Maniac-nice work you do and growing your biz. It would be cool to hear about your move and what it entails. We too are busting at the seams and a move is inevitable. Have not moved in 12 years and not looking forward to it. But, as Dan would say, that's not an excuse to perpetuate it.

 

[wildside]

newspaper the sky is alway falling. I guess the world got tired of headlines and went back to work.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

I stopped to a crawl Dec. & Jan. now Feb. it is back to normal it seems.
Many of my new customers comes from vinyl / print shops that just know how to punch buttons.

Like my tag line says ....Many make signs, 592sign creates advertising.

Just sold a job this last week at a higher bid then a vinyl / print shop because I created a advertisement not just a sign.

 

[allamericantrade]

I started the business in July 2011. January was my busiest month. I had to relocate to a new facility in December. Still haven't finished moving in and with things going at this rate will be moving out and into a bigger facility before fully unpacked. I thank god for all the work.

 

[Jillbeans]

Dead Dead Dead. Scary dead.
Been getting about a job a week. December I made about $400.
I think last year will be my worst ever.
Love....Jill

 

[MikePro]

mile-a-minute here. taking on projects faster than they can fly out the door!

can't wait for the ISA show! dying for a break, even if its only an extended weekend!

 

[2B]

we have seen a 216% increase so far this year and several new jobs in the works