Slight price increase, but not enough to account for the increase in sales, bumping again for 2012.
The economy is depressed and the Seattle area is not immune to the trends. We might be better off than most the nation but it is not the glory days.
I know the quality of my work. Of my sales only 51% was repeat. Good number, but a little lower. I know of a number of clients whom have lost their homes, their jobs, or their marriages or all of the above.
I noticed more time between visits, and clients not getting as much done per visit.
Last year I saw a huge decrease in cleaning vacant homes between sales, or in prep to sell.
Our spring sucked, a record cold spring into summer. I'm sure that cost some business.
Saving grace for me this year was the work I did on my website and armature SEO. Last year I was not searchable on Google besides maybe places. Last Jan, Feb I spent some time rebuilding my website from scratch, then working the SEO. My knowledge is limited.
I'm very pleased with a pull of nearly 30% of my new business coming via the internet. ( not yelp angieslist or anything like that, just straight up Google searches.)
I am also very pleased with the new business via online review sites.
I also launched an aggressive yet passive referral program.
I do nearly all res work, rare SAT almost no SUN, 90% of my work is m-t 9-5 Friday 9-2 with ample days off to enjoy life.
As for past years.. Prior 5 years were good, and consistent, yet I started to see a slide or lack of growth. I ended 2010 fearing 2011. I knew or at least felt I needed to work a little hard to bring in new blood.
Now ending the year I'm pleased with my forecasting and efforts.
I've got a plan in the works to bump Jan, Feb. May was 25% less than March and April and 35% less than June- Sept. So I don't know if it is weather but I'd like for it to be higher than April.
Mike, sorry if this is TMI..
Those of you wanting to increase sales don't sit on your hands, don't sleep in and stop doing things that do not work.
Track everything you do, track every call that comes in.. Where did it come from?
Stop throwing money away.
Find something that works, increase the effort.
Dress sharp, remember customer service.
I know I could do a lot more.
I don't do newsletters, I don't have an email campaign, I don't send reminder cards, I'm sometimes horrible about returning phone calls, more so when busy or taking a few days off. In fact I do have a neg review on the net from someone trying to book with me, yet I never called back. Guess he tried twice. But is that a bad review when followed by 40 other solid reviews on my services?
Make 2012 a good year! No matter the economy!
I must be doing something wrong. :|
