posted
when does the 1st of the year purchases begin.Has anyone got the promised sale yet? It is Jan 22 and were still waiting.Is it no funds yet or is the WIFE or PARTNER still participating in decision making. I've heard this after the first of the year excuse for over 50 years,and who knows what will be next
-------------------- Bill Wood Bill Wood, Sign Artist 3628 Ogburn Ave., NE Winston-Salem, NC 27105-3752 336-682-5820 Posts: 397 | From: Winston-Salem, NC | Registered: May 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Bill..I have made several purchases since Jan 1, 2016!!11
Oh..You are referring to clients purchasing FROM you??? Give it time. Jobs will start turning up. Have faith.
Last sale I made was to some guy in Norway, I think his name was Stein Saether and the price was 2 free drinks when I arrive!!!
BOY, is he gonna be surprised when I show up to collect!!
Would love to haul along OP and Si for the trip, but I doubt they would be willing?
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
It might be time to up your marketing. This January has turned into one of our biggest yet.
I looked to see if you had a website but didn't see one. I seriously recommend getting one even if it is just a simple one page site.
I've eliminated most of my YP advertising. I've put together a tri-fold brochure and was mailing out about 10 per week until we got busy. My targets are manufacturers, service companies, trucking companies and restaurants.
posted
I've had my own business for 35 years, only one year, 1995, had business steady throughout the year. For what it's worth,this month, unless something huge comes in, will more than likely be the worst month in recent history. I expected my little online work to stop but the body shop repair work has been non existent too, kind of odd for winter time.
-------------------- George Perkins Millington,TN. goatwell@bigriver.net
"I started out with nothing and still have most of it left"
posted
in all my years in business......DEC 20TH- JAN 30... you may as well go on vacation. between the 20th and jan 1.......total non existant jobs. from the 2nd till jan 30th........is like ok lets get back to normal)))))usually by feb 2nd 3rd......i was scheduled out till middle of april))))
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity. — Charles Mingus Posts: 6712 | From: Mendocino, CA. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
quote:DEC 20TH- JAN 30... you may as well go on vacation.
That is what I discovered 20 years ago Joe. And that is exactly what we started doing. Why sit around anxiously waiting for work that isn't going to come in when you can be happily enjoying some vacation time.
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
Well...thought I was going to retire...and did for about 12 months...have had lots of fun floating the local rivers...playing with landscape painting in photoshop... and building rock paths and walls leading down to our cabin in the woods where we have retired...planted over 20 evergreen cypress trees and well over 100 shrubs and other plants to change the brown woodland floor around the cabin into a green space...we are really living our dream and remind ourselves daily so as not to take anything for granted...this mind set is particularly important given some medical issues that have come up as of late.
Now back to topic... after the first of the year I got a call from an old client who had not heard that I had retired...they asked if I would make 3 dimensional signs...2 single sided @ 7'... and 1 double sided @ 7' for their apartments...the total came to $13,000 and they install...probably not a lot of money for the high rollers in here but for me it will be a nice payday to augment my SSI.
posted
one job in tenn............last job i did was a left over from dec 15-16.....i ordered 15 t-shirts...and the guy said call me after the new year....ill get em done then......which i took care of......
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
Amazingly, the art gallery business has been strong for December and January. No idea why. We have had some 20% of the traffic since last August, but some good sales. Actually have next months expenses in the bank already.
The few sign people I have talked with who are not here on LTRVLLE say business has been so so with a few jobs. I think we should all head to Vegas and lay by the pool in our bikinis! Maybe roll some bones or spin the wheel. At least that would be better than complaining about the weather or listening to everyone gripe about lackobiz.
-------------------- Preston McCall 112 Rim Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 text: 5056607370 Posts: 1552 | From: Santa Fe, New Mexico | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
posted
its a different market. people buy art work as gifts......they dont buy signs for gifts.....except on AMERICAN PICKERS))))
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
| IP: Logged |
quote:the total came to $13,000 and they install...probably not a lot of money for the high rollers in here but for me it will be a nice payday to augment my SSI.
Good stuff Rusty!!! $13,000 is a nice number for anyone. Heck, for a $13K job, I might be persuaded to get my butt in gear too!!! (but it would have to be a "cash" job)
-------------------- Dave Grundy retired in Chelem,Yucatan,Mexico/Hensall,Ontario,Canada 1-519-262-3651 Canada 011-52-1-999-102-2923 Mexico cell 1-226-785-8957 Canada/Mexico home
posted
. . . I've noticed thru the years, on average February and March being slightly slower business-wise which I've always attributed to tax season . . . but mostly WEATHER . . .
For me, it's typically not lack of work, but lack of good weather which holds-over the job.
Perfect example: Had two quotes out in September for major exterior repaints (big sign cabinet, & parking lot striping) - despite follow-ups and gentle warnings about coming winter weather, both quotes were finally accepted, naturally in Decemeber right after the first cold set in.
The sign cabinet is on hold til Spring. I can't even consider painting all that metal with only 3 hours a day of peak 50o temps . . .
Finally got the parking lot done over 3 days of blessed sunshinewith good peak temps in January. (normally could'a done this in one long day in summer)
btw - when sign work got really slow here back in the 2008 economic crisis, I took on parking lot striping (small lots)
Since then, it has been great little 'side-work' addition to my income ... I also took on some interior house painting at that time too - but despise it so badly. When signs picked back up. I happily forwarded customers to my house painting buddies . . .
Fortunately, sign-biz picked back up around 2010 and has been gradually escalating back to the ol' days of 'Ya want it WHEN? Get in line!'
I'm just sayin' - think outside the box of your skills - and create work.
-------------------- Signs Sweet Home Alabama
oneshot on chat
"Look like a girl, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog" Posts: 5758 | From: "Sweet Home" Alabama | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Maybe its the wild winters here but little difference in January and every other month very steady.Booked out for Feb and first half of March already. No installs, all digital for either collection or delivered by courier
-------------------- Kevin Gaffney Artistik Signs Kinnegad County Westmeath Ireland 044-75187 kevingaffney@eircom.net Posts: 628 | From: Ireland | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
It's been rather slow around here too; but a bit of it has been on purpose.I'd planned last fall, to try and get everything done and caught up, so I could do some 'honey-do' projects, I'd been putting off. I also wanted to spend some time in my shop.....getting rid of "stuff" that had been accumulating for years....you know, the stuff that just accumulates....and gradually makes it so you have to work out in the parking lot.....
I also had a couple of long-term projects that didn't need to be done before Mar.-April; and a couple of plastic welding jobs to do, that involved overnite stays out-of-town.
So it hasn't been a huge winter, money-wise; but it did give me a chance to keep on the wife's good graces, by getting some home projects done (finally). It also gave me a nice clean area to work in, in the shop; and I can now see the floor. And it kept me relatively busy, so that the ever-increasing desire to take a nap, didn't take hold.
-------------------- Dale Feicke Grafix 714 East St. Mendenhall, MS 39114
"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Posts: 2963 | From: Mendenhall, MS | Registered: Apr 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Btw, Opie!!! People DO buy signs for gifts all the time - I typically have anywhere from 3 to 6 jobs from Nov to Dec 24 creating custom gift signs, or lettering something that is a Christmas gift ...
Here are some unique things I've made, or lettered as Christmas gifts ... and this is not counting things throughout the year for birthdays and anniversaries ..,
-Painted a simple map of property, a creek, a tractor, blue truck, and name of grandpa's land on an old wood plank - this was given by girlfriend bc the guy constantly talked about his grandfather, the creek, etc. I'm told he loved it, almost cried, and hung it prominently!
-Lettered a new riding lawn mower 'hood' one year - guy got it on after-season sale, had me paint 'Nana's Ride' - gave it his wife for Christmas bc she had been wanting one!
-Restored and repainted an extremely old rocking horse that belonged to a man's grandmother - the man gave it to his 1 year old granddaughter for Christmas.
Over the years I've customized and painted names on several golf carts, all kinds. of saw-blades, and children's toys - one was a miniature baby grand piano ...
People also love to name their properry, and I have made many fancy, sandblasted or decorative wrought iron signs like 'Oak Hill' for example, or 'The Jones' etc ...
There have been times thru the years, if it had not been for these gift jobs, I woulda had no Christmas income for my kids!
Just as an aside question. how many of y'all get this kind of gift work regularly?
![[Rolling On The Floor]](graemlins/rolf.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
(but it would have to be a "cash" job) ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic