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3 ft. of sonw on the ground and -10 below forcasted for tonight this Minnesota winter is about to take its toll on me. I can't remember the last time its been this slow, I call some of my best customers and they don't even want to talk to me about signs, I get the big brush off, its to cold, or call me in the spring. I don't want to sound like I am whinning but is anybody else in the same situation? After three mild winters this one is normal, and business has come almost to a stand still.
P.S. March forecast is for colder than normal.
thanks
Jerry
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Posts: 21 | From: ANOKA, MN. USA | Registered: Dec 2000
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Ah Jerry.....I feel for you. I was born in Minnesota.(Ada) They get some nasty winters there. I live in Seattle now....and as you have heard I'm sure....we usually get lots of rain. (except this year) But spring is on it's way......and things will shape up for you. If we get sun tomorrow I will send some your way.
posted
Hi Jerry. Sorry to hear that you've got a touch of that cabin fever thing. By the sound of your post, it would seem that you are not alone, and that a good many of your customers are also experiencing some as well.
What you might do, is to plan for a winter carnival for next year, just about this time. Things like dogsled racing, hockey tournaments, snow fort building, cross country skiing, ice sculpturing etc. could get everybody out & active in your community, plus generate some business for both yourself and your customers too. Heck, make it a real community event, and you'd probably draw other neighboring communities in as well. You could probably even sell yellow sno-cones to the tourists....just kidding, but think of the possibilities.
Right about now, everybody's thinking of all that snow as a liability, but it COULD be turned into ann asset. Small communities have accomplished great things when everyone gets committed to a good idea. If you're handed a lemon...make lemonade.
Hope this helps you see your situation in a more positive light.
------------------ Ken Henry Henry & Henry Signs London, Ontario Canada (519) 439-1881 e-mail kjmlhenry@home.
Some days you get to be the dog....other days, you get to be the fire hydrant.
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Hey... I TOTALLY understand where you're at!!
St. Paul already has a Winter Carnival, complete with ice castle and black-faced vulcans!
My folks just sent me a pic taken on Sunday of all the snow in their yard in Golden Valley. I laughed at it, while sitting here in Niagara Falls with NO snow and rainy and dreary and cloudy and yucky and... hey...
Yea, snow sucks and the cold weather sucks, but one thing I noticed since I moved here Thanksgiving weekend...
The fresh layer of snow covers the yucky ground and all the dog doo-doo from the whole winter. And usually when it's cold in Minnesota, the SUN IS SHINING!!! Man, I miss that. It doesn't get below zero here much, I'm told, but I would take below zero and SUNSHINE over 20s-30s and drizzly cloudy grey and dreary.
Lived in Minnesota my whole life, so I hear ya buddy!! But right now I have cabin fever AND being homesick . So HANG IN THERE!! It HAS TO get better!!! I keep telling myself that anyways...
Get some free signfoam II samples from your supplier and start making some "model" signs.
Use the signfoam to make little posts, carve the woodgrain into them and then add some rocks and bushes around the base. (model railroad landscapeing material)
Make about 5 different ones. You will have a great deal of fun, and when customers start coming in next month you will be all set to sell some landscape signs!
Trust me...this will keep you from going crazy!
Here is one of several I am currently making. This is for an article we are writing for SBI magazine, and I think it would be O.K. to sneak pre-view this one for all of you to see!
------------------ Draper The Signmaker Bloomington Illinois USA Be Sure to Check Out My Next Article On "Sign Shop Photography" in the March Issue of Sign Builder Illustrated! 309-828-7110 signman@davesworld.net Raptorman or Draper_Dave on mIRC chat
[This message has been edited by Dave Draper (edited February 28, 2001).]
Posts: 2883 | From: Bloomington Illinois USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Rockford, Illinois made the national news last month for a snow sculpting contest. The contestants are from all over the world and each team had a theme. One of the groups were wearing Scottish Kilts! (or maybe I am just dreaming.) It draws thousands of people each time and one thing is for sure: they were very thankful for the amount of the snow and the consistent deep temperatures. (A lot of my artistic cravings started with playing in the winter wonderlands of northern Illinois and southern Wisc.) (you can't count on the weather in central Ohio, not one bit! The weather is infamously incorrect except for the consistent rain on the Muirfield Golf Tournament every year with no fail!!!!! Just go with the flow! Stock up on samples! Sounds good to me! (send some of that snow here so we can play!) Deb
------------------ Deb Creative Signs
Posts: 5373 | From: Loves Park, Illinois | Registered: Aug 1999
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jerry i can relate...but i live in north fla. it was a bad winter here ....got down to 24-25 degrees a few days and hasnt been in the 60's for a while..hehehehehe....but it finally broke here, grass is growin, trees buddin and people callin me to make signs....so ya see the old simon and garfunkel song...."for every season, turn turn turn".....
------------------ joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-944-5060 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND
Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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. So HANG IN THERE!! It HAS TO get better!!! I keep telling myself that anyways... 
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