How's Business

Your not alone! We are normally getting 3-4 calls per day for estimates, repeats and such and we are down to 4-7 calls per week.. I've been calling previous customers and gotten only a small handfull. Been putting out door hangers and getting in touch with pm's and H/O assosiations that I've done work for and they all seem to be wanting to put everything on the back burner. I network with alot of Painters, landscapers and Pool Cleaning companies etc...and they are all very slow and many have lost accounts. As far as the light at the end of the tunnel all I can say is Chooo! Chooo! I sure hope things change soon! I hate being and feeling negative but things don't look to promising right now. :(
 
It has been slow for me also. the weather hasnt helped either hopefully it warms up quickly.
 
Our phones are ringing off the hook, everyone just says they want to wait....We've only got 2 jobs scheduled for this week, and 1 for next week right now. Good thing is, one of them this week is the condo complex roof cleaning.

I think everyones hurting JC. Thats why I am glad I got this job when I did. My uncle is a recruiter for Halliburton and said that over the last few months their applications have gone from 300/month to over 700/week!!
 
Russ Spence said:
we lost 46 shopping centers and 4 fast foods this week but we got 16 centers back yesterday so things are looking up ! haha

This really happened by the way
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Sounds like you got the same phone call I did. I don't have anywhere near the number of centers you have but the ones I have just lost hurt big time.

On the residential end it seems everyone here is price shopping. I really have to try and sell my service because I am not the lowest priced guy in town and I don't intend to be.
 
Jan, Feb and March were slower than last year but more than the year before. Some has to do with the economy, some has to do with scheduling, some of the jobs I do are 18 months, so jobs I did last Feb & March arent due for another 5-6 months. There is more competition now also I have never seen so many guys with 2-3 gpm machines bidding on 20, 30, 40 buildings or shopping center, ill equipped, unedicated contractors are popping up and bidding on stuff they have NO idea how to do. I am turning down giving help to guys in my area that call and want to know how to price or even worse how to do the damn job. Learn your trade before you take on something I am telling them.

Now April, May & June I have completly booked, slam, packed, stuffed with work and still getting calls every other day or so. So I am not complaining, I have stepped up my target marketing. Will I do more $$ than last year liike I have every year before? Time will only tell, but I am confident I will still have a good year, just maybe not a banner year. BUT I still am fighting for growth over last years numbers

This funky economy, just makes me work harder. The UAMCC stuff I am involved in also is taking up some of my marketing time, but when we launch I am going to use my UAMCC membership in my marketing. I am going to push on the charity stuff and push it to PM's in my sales pitch. I have an article that will be coming out in a PM mag, that I will use in my marketing and my involvement in NCE RT's I will also use in my marketing.

I will not sit on my hands and wait for work. I am going after it, expanding my market area, whatever it takes to keep JL growing through 2009 and into 2010.
 
Business was really slow in Jan and Feb. Then I stopped paying attention to all news sources, period. I don't watch it on TV, newspaper, internet or even listen to people talk about it. Miraculously - business has been up ever since.

Hearing all the bad news has an effect on you, whether you like it or not. Tune all that crap out. Go sell yourself and you'll be amazed how much better things seem.
 
Scott D. said:
Our phones are ringing off the hook, everyone just says they want to wait....We've only got 2 jobs scheduled for this week, and 1 for next week right now. Good thing is, one of them this week is the condo complex roof cleaning.

I think everyones hurting JC. Thats why I am glad I got this job when I did. My uncle is a recruiter for Halliburton and said that over the last few months their applications have gone from 300/month to over 700/week!!
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Who is you uncle, I work for Halliburton currently in cement..


And yeah business is real slow at halliburton lay-off here we come...lol


John
 
PressureWashE said:
Who is you uncle, I work for Halliburton currently in cement..


And yeah business is real slow at halliburton lay-off here we come...lol


John
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Jerry Kostman. He recruits electricians and power gen guys for the LOGCAP project. I am currently working on the LOGCAPIII with KBR.
 
my season is not far off and i have gotten a few calls already but mainly from previous customers. a few house washes and a couple of roof cleanings are booked but i am waiting on the weather to co-operate. i have a full time job with goodyear tire but my hours there have also been reduced. i use my side business as extra income but if things do not pick up at goodyear then i may just have to expand a little more and really push the business.

good luck all,

rando
 
The media will get you down, i guess all we can do is keep on keepin on!! I have been thru a few down turns in my life as a buisness owner over the years, but i never saw anything as bad as this.

This time it will affect everyone, and that trickel down affect can be seen everyday in our communities, as buisness close the doors because of No Consumer Confidence !!
 
Mike Cooke said:
Things are good for now Feb. was a good month March is looking good April, May and June are booked. I'm like Jeff I have no desire to help someone new in my area that would later be my competition!!
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I'm with you guy's, honestly i think we have hurt ourselves buy giving out every bit of info about our buisnesses.

We made it easy for anyone to gain good knowlege of how to make money in this field, and now we have to compete with them...Doooohh!!!:eek:
 
ckingclean said:
Business was really slow in Jan and Feb. Then I stopped paying attention to all news sources, period. I don't watch it on TV, newspaper, internet or even listen to people talk about it. Miraculously - business has been up ever since.

Hearing all the bad news has an effect on you, whether you like it or not. Tune all that crap out. Go sell yourself and you'll be amazed how much better things seem.
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You are exactly right! I stopped watching the news a long time ago. I worked along side the news media for a while and I was amazed to see how they put their little spin on things. They would take something simple, and blow it out of porportion..sometimes even creating hysteria amongst citizens. I was just sick them not reporting on anything positive.

So I agree with you-tune it out and concentrate on the positive!

Now back to the topic :).
Business for us so far this year has been good. We do keep hearing the same thing from PM's...they want to hold off on cleanings for now.
Residential work is slower than we anticipated but it is only March!
We are concentrating on several different aspects of the business right now and we will see how the home show helps us out. After that...its full speed ahead into Spring!! Then Summer....I cant wait!

Even with the economy the way it is there are still folks out there that need stuff cleaned and we will be right there when they need us!
Keep your chins up guys!!!

~Jen
 
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