Slower Than Normal Hioliday Season

[everfresh1]

I was wondering if any of you guys are having a slower than normal hoilday season? Normally I have two trucks booked solid this time of year. Now I barely have one booked I don't know if it's just here in the Detroit Area or not? We are in a depression here :roll: This is the slowest I've Been This time of year since I've been in Buisness.

 

[Mikey P]

people still live in Detroit?

 

[everfresh1]

people still live in Detroit?

Yea but they are moving out in droves

 

[everfresh1]

Well....at least your profile is completely filled out.

People who seek righteous change, Will always be attacked by lowlife cowards

 

[Bruce Humphrey]

I'm 2 hours north of you and it's not slow for us, it is slowing down from the last 4 months, half way through the month and we already matched last Decembers numbers.

 

[XTREME1]

I have turned away work. I am done right now they will not stop calling but qwhat I have started to is say you do not want this problem again lets set you up in jan and againe december next year

 

[hogjowl]

We are much slower than normal this December.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Down about 20% but a few of the newbies are dying here. Interested in what's left come April. Maybe they will move back to Atlanta.

 

[XTREME1]

Maybe the slow guys should evaluate what you are doing. I am just assigning times to people and they are adjusting there schedules if they want it done before christmas and the nasty part is I had a kid get strep so I am home today and had to reschedule 4 to 6 am and after 6pm thursday

 

[Gary Taylor]

I had a good November, and December has been very good. But next week is wide open. And I am not expecting much until after the first. I will be sending a reminder post card about the Holiday special I have going on that ends Jan. 31st. Hopefully that will jump start something.

 

[Doug Cox]

I slowed down a few weeks earlier than normal, but I'm set up for the winter moneywise , so I don't worry too much about it.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Demand is like a rubber band. A little month to month variation is typical, I've kept it on a graph in the office since 1979. It's the nature of the service biz. I have intentionally cut back a little, and handed off a lot of work to my sons. Schools start next week and will run almost three weeks. It all works out in the end.

It's funny how some enthusiastic newbies chastise us with their busy schedule, and then go belly up only months later.

It's a long term project.

 

[Lyman]

This december is twice as busy as last december. A lot of whole houses this year, yeh. 2 jobs this week said, do you have time to do the furniture. Well yes mam, music to my ears.

 

[DCS.LLC]

Residential is almost dead, but the commercial end of things is great. I'm actually running night and day a few days this week!

 

[XTREME1]

I didn't realize I was a newbie

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Yeah you are Greg...lol My sons are 28 to 37, with decades of experience, yet I call them newbies too.

It's an old man thing.

If you are very busy, good. Save acorns because you will need them soon enough.

Thanks,
Lee

 

[Gary Taylor]

You are right Lee. Ebb and flow.

 

[XTREME1]

Two things I have been doing before every winter each year
1. Stash $10-15,000 extra in reserve
2. going on a shopping spree before the first

and number 3 plan a vacation for january, February and March. This year Carlsbad Cali in January, Myrtle Beach feb and Disney in March and I decided to go to Ft Lauderdale this weekend

 

[Willy P]

Two things I have been doing before every winter each year
1. Stash $10-15,000 extra in reserve
2. going on a shopping spree before the first

and number 3 plan a vacation for january, February and March. This year Carlsbad Cali in January, Myrtle Beach feb and Disney in March and I decided to go to Ft Lauderdale this weekend

Your wife must have a good job.

Since I took over the other business, I'm over swamped. With the Olympics coming, I'm expecting a busy January and February, but after that, it could be DEAD.

 

[Mike Draper]

all in all were up for the year, however, this December is slower than last.

 

[Ken Snow]

Jamie - we have had a real solid second half of the year and were strong thorugh the last week. This week has slowed down a little with the cold spell but will end up ok. Next week starts the dreaded slow season, lights out till spring.

We will end up the year a couple % over last year, after starting our the first 6 months a little behind.

Ken

 

[Warren Wallace]

up close to 20 % this year however dec. has died, slowwww....

 

[tracywalker]

Same here. Great November, decent first half of Dec. Next 2 weeks I believe I will get to play a lot of Xbox lol.

 

[Art Kelley]

I'm looking forward to the slow down which comes the end of this week. Just a few jobs scheduled for the rest of this year. It has been very busy all year and a little R & R is overdue.

 

[Able 1]

Busy here. I can't wait to schedule my first(maybe only) job for the day at 10am... Well soon enough. I will be more then double maybe triple of Dec. last year. Usually my fourth 1/4 is the second worst 1/4, this year it will be the best. :?

 

[everfresh1]

Jamie - we have had a real solid second half of the year and were strong thorugh the last week. This week has slowed down a little with the cold spell but will end up ok. Next week starts the dreaded slow season, lights out till spring.

We will end up the year a couple % over last year, after starting our the first 6 months a little behind.

Ken

Ken how long have you guys had your prices were they are? Seems like you dropped them a bit. But you've got a lot of commercials running, I ran into one of your guys on an estimate last week, I didn't get his name but, We were at a walk through at the Detroit Water Dept. I don't think you guys would want that job anyway they don't want to pay much and since you guys have a lot more over head than guys like me i doubt you could match my price I had the account for 8 yrs but some idiot out bid me a couple of years ago can't see how that was possible becouse I wasn't making much money on it. But I guess he was doing a lousy job becouse they didn't give him an extension. I just liked it for the cash flow during the slow months.

 

[Mikey P]

Stockwell, do you really go out and clean carpet or do have a chimp who does the work while you hit on the house frau?


Crowley, wtf is in Carlsbad thats worth coming out here for?

 

[CleanEvo]

It's pretty slow here as well... although my year has been good... it would have been nice to finish with a bit more, but I can't complain...wouldn't help if I did.

 

[everfresh1]

I'm 2 hours north of you and it's not slow for us, it is slowing down from the last 4 months, half way through the month and we already matched last Decembers numbers.

Yea maybe its becouse I haven't done any advertising this year Just relied on my previous costumers to call. I sent out post cards in the spring, I haven't done that in a while. I'll have to step it up next year :mrgreen:

 

[everfresh1]

Two things I have been doing before every winter each year
1. Stash $10-15,000 extra in reserve
2. going on a shopping spree before the first

and number 3 plan a vacation for january, February and March. This year Carlsbad Cali in January, Myrtle Beach feb and Disney in March and I decided to go to Ft Lauderdale this weekend

Thats great! I normally do the same but since my wife has been out of work for OVER A YEAR ! I haven't been able to stash much. I hope I'll have enough to go to Mikey's Feast. :mrgreen: