If your not growing, your dying.

[anotherdog]

You are dying at any size. The bigger you get the more your overheads eat at you.
I have run big shops and small (small now), I like small to be honest, but I sure miss two week vacations.

I wonder on the thoughts of preparing for retirement... Does anyone now have any hope of retiring before they make it to a pine box (or cardboard box if you are really tapped out).

 

[Techman]

it does very little to enlighten us on how to avoid those issues.

Then you missed the message.

The book talks heavily about systems. He says to systemize the bizz so it can run itself. Then you can do your visionary stuff.

I been studying and passing along this book and his system since the book was called The E-myth. That was aroudn 1990 or so..

 

[Mosh]

I went from 1 person in 1988 to 12 persons in 1995 to 3 persons in 2001 to 18 in 2007 to 5 today. Just goes with the economy. Honestley I like a smaller shop, but you get busy and add on and slow down and lay off. As far as equipment we have never sold anything off, we know the economy is always going to come around, and all of our stuff is paid for anyway. We do have alot of outdated machines sitting around, just my nature not to sell stuff I guess my ol' lady thinks I am a "horder".

 

[SignManiac]

I'm with Mosh. I've been up and down over the years and you take the good with the bad, the ups and downs, highs and lows, shyte with the escargot....

 

[Patrick46]

it does very little to enlighten us on how to avoid those issues.

This may be true to some extent, but by simply becoming AWARE of problems within your business, you now have at least a starting point to where you can formulate a plan to correct these problems, and follow them through to completion.

It certaintly opened my eyes to the many (MANY) things I was handling wrong in my own shop. I still may have a long way to go in correcting these shortcomings, but I do know now that there IS a way to handle these issues, and a way to see them get resolved...and, a way to track the results as well!!!

The future of my business is, for once, in MY hands. (sure, it always waz)...but I feel as though I now have a much better grasp of what it's really gonna take to see results...and maybe someday actually retire comfortably. 30 years in business...you'd think I'd learned something by now.

 

[Jon Aston]

 

[Wes Phifer]

I owned a small shop for ten years. I had as many as six. Most of the time I had two and me. I felt just like you Farmboy. I was treading water. Not satisfied. I sold out. I turned my hobby(drag racing) into a job. I bought a drag strip. That was 2006. I was plauged with bad weather and was broke by 2009. I am now starting back in the sign business. A little differently this time. I am out of my house only buying what I can pay cash for. Right now about six months in I made about as much this month as I ever did with the old shop. I don't have rent, 3 crane/bucket trucks, workers comp, etc. I work less and make the same. I like it so far. The problem is am getting busier. Do I hire grow or just charge more. I haven't decided yet. Good luck all.

 

[Farmboy]

Some really good post here! Jon, super good stuff as always. Patrick, I have the same thoughts. You'd think at close to 10 years I'd have learned by now. Seems to never end. Knock on wood, most of our "bigger" customers have been with us for years and it is surprising to see just how many people we've made shirts or signs for go out of business. Wes, stick it out as long as you can! Right now we are busier than we've ever been at this time of year. I just have 2 working with me and that's it. I don't care how busy we get. I'm not putting more on. They came in over the weekend (sat & sun) to help me print a large order to ship out mon. As soon as things slow alittle (by the looks of it maybe 3 weeks) I'm taking them out to lunch at a damn nice restaurant. At this point I believe I'm "growing" our customers trust in us.

 

[Patrick46]

Damn...it's nice to hear that not EVERYBODY is on the brink of going out of business!

I'm still struggling my way outta this winter's slow season, but if things continue on the way they've been going recently (and it looks good that they will...) this may be may busiest and most profitable year yet! (knock on wood!!!) Woo-Hoo!