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Looking at the portfolio page it seems there's lots of work being done.... This has to be the busiest fall I've ever had, plenty of work to keep 6 people hopping, and plenty more coming in....Looking at all the hand painting being done it kinda makes me jealous... but the vinyl is my bread and butter, and I do get to enjoy the Airbrush during the winter...and the stipers as well.
So How are all the rest of you doing?
-------------------- "Keep Positive"
SIGNS1st. Neil Butler Paradise, NF Posts: 6277 | From: St. John's NF Canada | Registered: Mar 1999
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We're absolutely dead out here on the west coast....at least where I work. I'm pretty much laid off for the moment going in only when needed which has only been a couple days a week lately. Not sure if its because of the local economy, too many shops going after the shrinking pie or just bad management by my employer.
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I just finished my BIG event for my year. I'm up 25% over last year, had 3 "be backs" and two up grades. The high end work made the difference. I did see a lot of pain out there tho.
I'll be busy at least until April.
Joe,
Makin Chip$ and Havin Fun!
-------------------- Joe Cieslowski Connecticut Woodcarvers Gallery P.O.Box 368 East Canaan CT 06024 jcieslowski@snet.net 860-824-0883 Posts: 2345 | From: East Canaan CT 06024 | Registered: Nov 2001
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I have had a steady and productive year, but things slowed down in the hot weather in August, so I did go out and shake a bunch of hands and passed out fresh cards. Boom! October is off to the races! September finsihed stronger than ever. Whenever I see a slow down, I always get that niggling feeling like I should be doing something and nothings seems to beat going out there and seeing custiomers in the flesh. Hard as it is to do, a shoeshine and a smile always seem to work best.
-------------------- Preston McCall 112 Rim Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 text: 5056607370 Posts: 1561 | From: Santa Fe, New Mexico | Registered: Nov 1998
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I've been working on a lot of projects in the SF Bay area and N. California. Some of them are fun and some are mind-numbing corporate & government detail work. A couple of upscale shopping malls, gas station rebrands, some BART station wayfinding signs along with the misc. bottom feeders & cheapskates wanting something for nothing. I just designed some new signs for a music venue in San Rafael with an Art Deco look (we need to check that place out Sonny).
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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For a guy that been doing business on a bicycle, I'm doing good still. Last year it dry up in beginning of Oct till about March and has been on a steady up hill sales since, most of my work is call backs and internet sales for new customers, to get out of the woods I still need alot more work but I see the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak.
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"I just designed some new signs for a music venue in San Rafael with an Art Deco look". Brent, why wd the San Raphael people go all the way to Reno for art work? Not everybody in SF is a loony, you know.
-------------------- dennis kiernan independent artist san francisco, calif, usa Posts: 913 | From: san francisco, ca usa | Registered: Feb 2010
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It seems that the problem here is the same as described by Lawrence..."bad management by the employer" (which happens to be me).
After a dreadful year, it seemed to be turning around during the late Spring and we were able to get some nice jobs and were actually able to keep the utilities paid but in the past few months the faucet has been turned off again.
Yesterday, there was a young man came in the studio looking for a job as a fabricator. He had just been let go by another local sign shop due to lack of work. Another shop just a short distance from me is considering laying off his only employee due to not having enough work to keep them both busy.
Our area has not been as badly hit by the economy as the rest of the country, but lots of folks here are struggling.
There is a lot more that I could do to bring in the work, but a lot of that passion from years past is gone. As Joey reminds us, we make the choices of where we be, and he is correct.
Over the years this business has always been a roller coaster ride, with lots of ups and downs. It just a part of this profession. Right now we have dropped off that high point and our stomachs feel a little strange and fear makes us want to scream, but soon we will begin to rise again.
-------------------- Chapman Sign Studio Temple, Texas chapmanstudio@sbcglobal.net Posts: 6306 | From: Temple, Texas, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Overall, it's been off. Like Ray pointed out, it's always been a roller coaster ride, but for years now the peaks haven't been as high. We had a nice decent month last month, this month stinks. I could type half a day explaining all the reasons, but to sum it up, people just aren't spending money like they used to. We do a lot of weekend events and attendance at them has been way off this year. All the vendors have been singing the same song. Houses sit unsold, car lots are filled with unsold cars....it's not just us.
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
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We had been tipping along nice and steady for the past couple of years. At last, all the jobs I priced for the last few months have come to fruition. Have enouh really good work on the books that will keep us going till mid JAnuary. I do some trade work though and two local guys I work for have nothing on. Guess I've just hit a lucky spot. Long may it continue
-------------------- Kevin Gaffney Artistik Signs Kinnegad County Westmeath Ireland 044-75187 kevingaffney@eircom.net Posts: 628 | From: Ireland | Registered: Oct 2003
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The spigot turned off for us nineteen months ago but it's been cracked open a bit. I've got a couple of dimensional signs in the works right now, another for the same client should come next week. Some of my apartment customers are at least talking of doing what they pulled off the table over a year and a half ago.
On the other hand the medical profession here has had an awesome year, however, it's slowed for them so far this month.
-------------------- David Harding A Sign of Excellence Carrollton, TX Posts: 5101 | From: Carrollton, TX, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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We have had the worst year, business wise, since we started in 1992-- so bad I went from 2 full-time jobs, up to 3 just to make ends meet, and just interviewed for job number 4 ( a part time graphic position at the local university marketing department)- I didn't get it , but I did get some freelance work out of the interview.
The really sad thing is that about 50 people applied for a part time, no benefits or perks, strictly hourly job that will end the middle of Dec. a few years ago you couldn't have given a job like that away- but things are so bad, people are willing to take just about anything just to get some income, even for a short time.
I really hate the fact that it now takes so much just to survive- my son and I are now looking at a part time night job helping the janitor at our school, who has to work 3 jobs as well.
-------------------- Michael Clanton Clanton Graphics/ Blackberry 19 Studio 1933 Blackberry Conway AR 72034 501-505-6794 clantongraphics@yahoo.com Posts: 1736 | From: Conway Arkansas | Registered: Oct 2001
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Things here have slowed also. I was fortunate enough this spring to get to do a 1500 sq ft mural in the center of town. We just put the last of the clear coat on today. It kept me busy from June 1st until Oct 16. Paid the bills for the summer. Thank goodness for that because we were not getting many jobs up to that point. Everyone knew I was busy at the mural so they said they didn't want to take me away from that...but I did get a coup[le of nice projects done. Now that I am finished, we have a couple of sandblasted urethane foam signs to do, a couple of MDO signs and repair a billboard.
Dianne and I are getting social security now and I have applied for my Vietnam disability. I have 10 % now, but trying to get it up to 50%. If that happens we can semi-retire and I can take on some jobs that will provide us with some spending cash. I am hoping we can stay busy for the winter because next spring this area will start to really jump with the removal of the 2 dams on the Elwha River just west of us. The government is pumping several millions into the economy for the next 5 years so the sign business will get a piece of that. The local economy will also do well. I am so fortunate to still be functionally healthy....because I still enjoy being able to stay creative.
We shall see what happens in the next couple of years on the planet, but I think we are due for a drastic shake-up....which hopefully will be for the better, because we should know that the way we are doing things isn't working. Time for something new.
Hope you all do well and your health stays good and your heart stays in the light.
Jackson
-------------------- Jackson Smart Jackson's Signs Port Angeles, WA ...."The Straits of Juan De Fuca in my front yard and Olympic National Park in my backyard...
"Living on Earth is expensive...but it does include a free trip around the Sun" Posts: 1000 | From: Port Angeles, Washington | Registered: Jan 1999
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