Sign Business trends

[Rick]

Very busy, probably have 3 months of solid design work.

If I worked locally I would be dead, my town is depressing. But when I drive through portions of Orange County, and Los Angeles it does not look like a recession at all. I recently went to survey projects in Northern California and in Minneapolis, and the same thing, busy busy.

 

[Flame]

Summer was insane, not many big jobs but so many smaller/medium jobs that I don't remember most of summer. Was just a blur. Stayed that way until about a week ago. And it just 100% died off. No one walking in, no phone calls, a e-mail here and there. It's crazy, we're just sweeping floors and tinkering on cars right now. lol.

 

[skoodgy]

I've had a few competitors go under. I'm wondering if that's why we are so busy. But as I understand from my vendors, Seattle and Portland are real busy. I think City shops are faring better than rural shops and some regions are better than others. Aint no party like a West Coast Party.

 

[dsmskyline]

Ive been quite busy for the past 6 months. Doing a lot of trade show work.

Nice being busy, Im a one man show on the production side, been having to bug our EPP department for help on things.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Been a slow struggle most of 2010 and this year but lately the internet and my website have brought me new customers that want real signs that advertise.

 

[OhioSignShop]

I'm 100% corporate, retail marketing, health care and education and have always been busy.

 

[10sacer]

Ummm... don't speak for the whole state. I have industry colleagues in Greensboro, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Thomasville and here in Charlotte and every one of us is very busy. One of my golf buddies runs another wide format shop here and they are doing a $1.3 million job for Lowe's this month.

slow in nc also......all the other business' in our area are all saying the same thing....some of the worst months they have had ever!!......not good.

 

[omgsideburns]

Always busy, just at varying degrees.

 

[rushworks graphics]

Ummm... don't speak for the whole state. I have industry colleagues in Greensboro, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Thomasville and here in Charlotte and every one of us is very busy. One of my golf buddies runs another wide format shop here and they are doing a $1.3 million job for Lowe's this month.

consider yourself lucky then! from lawyers to dentists to finacial advisers...everyone of them are saying the same thing in our area...extremly slow.

 

[brush1]

Up to middle of September very busy......best year since 2009....then past 2 weeks is almost completly dead.
Very happy to have Congo African Grey Parrot with me. He is the only one I can talk with.....excluded telemarketers. They call less to!!!!

 

[Colin]

The last two weeks have been really quiet. Corellation is not causation, but there's been a lot of negative & gloomy talk in the media lately about the global economy, and it appears that this seems to possibly be a self-fullfilling prophesy, and everybody stops spending. Does anybody else find that to be the case?

 

[Jack Knight1979]

Curious how folks are doing.

October was really bad. Beginning of Nov wasn't great either.
It's picked up a little, but next week will be dead and the rest of Dec too.

I'll have at least three months of SLOW business. Until the beginning of the year.

On the books my business is still growing, but I wish I was doing a lot more work that's for sure. I'm in rural Maine and rely heavily on internet sales and work from around the state. It's just not happening right now.

 

[royster13]

When I am out making calls, I find quite a few businesses that have never seen a sign sales person.....Therefore, if you are out knocking on doors, you will make sales....You have to be pro-active in selling....

 

[JoshLoring]

Best year to date and booking out still. It's crazy around here. Can't wait for January! Usually our best months come then.

 

[10sacer]

When I am out making calls, I find quite a few businesses that have never seen a sign sales person.....Therefore, if you are out knocking on doors, you will make sales....You have to be pro-active in selling....

That would be my first question to everyone who says they aren't busy. Are they waiting for jobs to come in or going out and trying to find them and getting nowhere?

 

[Jack Knight1979]

the problem in my area is that there are no businesses to knock on doors.
Our car dealership is a John Deere dealership. haha. no kidding.

The locals know about me, but it's not a hopping area for signage, regretfully.

 

[Circleville Signs]

I am dead right now. Have spent at least 1 day a week the last month out knocking on doors (which is, bar none, my LEAST favorite activity ever) and have seen a grand total of about $200 in orders from the effort. We still are getting our walk in customers, and our existing clients who spend money are still spending it, but we are about as dead as possible from the standpoint of new work coming in.

 

[quicksigns]

I'm deader than Janet Reno's girdle so I had to get a real job 4 days a week.
This is my 26th year, and in the past I noticed a trend.
Jan: dead
Feb: slow to medium
March: balls-out busy
April: insanely busy
May:busy
June:starts out busy then goes to medium
July: slow
August: slow
Sept:medium
Oct: medium
Nov: slow
Dec: slow but for a few small "gift" type jobs
I've been utterly dead since July, I have bid on two jobs this month and got the $25 one.
hahaha
I did have one $790 job but that's corporate therefore I may get paid by Christmas.
Love....Jill

I think that's about right with us too, but I don't keep track until I go out on a wild spending spree and realize oh sh*t, this is a slow month. Im gonna use this chart for a reminder

 

[AnotherSignManiac]

extremely busy for the past few months, I got 7-8 rush order yesterday for today!!!

 

[FatCat]

Other than an unexpected wrap of a full size van which was approved yesterday, it's been pretty "meh". Can't complain as I had a good August/September/October.

 

[OldPaint]

nothing goin on here. just gives me more time to make pots))))))