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View Full Version : every July the work load always drops off to nothing



huggytree
07-04-2009, 07:34 PM
June 09 was my 2nd busiest month EVER....definately the busiest this year...i probably made 20% of my yearly profit in 1 month...maybe 25%....10 hour work days and bidding every night for 2 more hours..

The day school let out (middle of June) my phone stopped ringing for new jobs...a few minor service calls, but nothing over $800.....I have 1 more week of work..then as of right now i have nothing....im going from 40-50 hours to 4 hours a week...this happened last July also....August picks up some...Then dramatically jumps Sept,Oct,Nov before dying again for the winter.....

Late Spring and Early Fall is when everyone wants home improvement projects done....

anyone else notice this trend? is it construction only?

Dan Furman
07-04-2009, 09:44 PM
usually, July is one of my slower months. People are on vacation, etc.

This is pretty common to many businesses, I think (well, not for vacation-type businesses.)

Steve B
07-04-2009, 10:08 PM
Your experience is the same as mine.

huggytree
07-05-2009, 08:52 AM
i may go on a 3 day vacation next week...take advantage of the lul instead of sitting at home worrying about the business falling apart. I know its just a cycle now

if i go on vacation this website will dramitically slow down w/o my new daily posts....will you guys be ok or should i buy a lap top to bring along?

Steve B
07-05-2009, 09:54 AM
Please bring a laptop.

I took a 3 day trip last week because my business slowed down a bit earlier than last summer. I gave my cell phone to one of my better employees and he even made me some money while I was gone.

Enjoy the break.

Patrysha
07-05-2009, 12:42 PM
The only business I know of that doesn't go through a July lull is my father in law's mudjacking business (concrete repair...goes in and lifts sagging concrete so it doesn't need to be replaced...a common thing from building in "swampy" places) -- He only works for 4 or 5 months a year so this is time to "make hay while the sun shines"

Enjoy your vacation huggytree!

KristineS
07-06-2009, 05:52 PM
I think most American businesses go through a Summer lull. It starts around the 4th of July and then things pick again about mid - August.

Definitely take a vacation. You've earned it.

phanio
07-09-2009, 05:53 AM
Slow in the summer months. Have you thought about other services you can offer during these slow times? Something either related to or not related to your current business?

huggytree
07-10-2009, 07:26 AM
Phanio...very smart idea

anyone have any idea's what a plumber could do to keep busy?

i guess you'd have to look at what IS popular in July/August....swimming pools...I could replace pool pumps and sell solar pool heaters...

any other idea's?

work is still busy...when it looks like ill be sitting around the whole next week..bam!...some work comes in....now ive booked next week....July will definately be profitable....it just shows how ive built up my network....i have 50 people actively passing out my name..maybe more...plus home owner referrals

Ad-Vice_Man
07-10-2009, 01:07 PM
You could sell lemonade on the corner of busy streets :)

Seriously I think the pools idea might be something... or installing hot tubs

Another idea.. while plumbing related... what about lawn irrigation systems? it's the summer when people need to water their lawns/flowers the most.

janiels
09-04-2009, 10:09 AM
you can offer your services to resorts as their maintenance crew, I'm sure a lot of them will need your help.

huggytree
09-06-2009, 08:12 PM
work actually picked up nicely the 2nd 1/2 of July & August..both months ended up being in my average hours range....amazing....i was one of the few plumbers in my area who was steady.

Patrysha
09-06-2009, 08:27 PM
Not so amazing, anyone who visits here can tell you work hard and care about the quality of your work...that may not be the fast way, but it's certainly the solid and dependable way.

I don't know about anyone else, but I do get a bit nervous when things appear to dip, but there's almost always something just around the corner to bring things back up and often past where I'd been before.

huggytree
09-07-2009, 09:27 AM
work for me seems to come in waves...its very strange...my 'to do' pile goes to nothing...i get worried.....a week later im bidding like crazy and it fills up again within 2 weeks.....i always seem to be doing roughs all at once and a few months later im doing all the finishes....its like homeowners decide to start major projects at 3 different times per year...late spring, mid summer, mid fall

i understand the mid Fall because they want to show it off the Christmas

there is definately a cycle to remodeling projects....

late winter, early summer, early fall are all completely dead times.

Spider
09-07-2009, 09:38 AM
What can you do to fill those gaps?

huggytree
09-07-2009, 11:26 AM
those gaps have been filling in somewhat from homeowner calls..small jobs...the homeowner jobs have improved by up tp 50% this year...word of mouth is working well finally...

problem is homeowners stop calling for 1 month when school lets out and now again for 2-3 weeks when school starts...funny how it goes from 5 calls a day to 2 calls a month.

when i look at my sales graphs on quick books its smoothed out alot in 2009...2008 was 1 month hot, 1 month cold....back and forth....2009 still goes up and down, but less dramatically....

i dont think i can do anything to get work during the down times...if everyone is on vacation it is what it is...

im going to just keep doing what im doing since things keep getting better and better..at this point i can only see it getting better...

I really think the coupon idea will improve my homeowner sales 10-20%...it gives them a reason to pass my card and also save it....its worth $20...its not just another card its a $20 bill...if the economy gets worse i wont mind losing $20 per job....if it improves ill have a 2 year expiration date to kill it off.....

Fredrick, you always say to try something new and see what it does....i think the $20 off idea is worth trying for 1000 business cards...if i see results ill keep it going....if i dont see a increase in homeowner sales and referrals ill kill it when i print the next batch of cards...

Ive been sending out those postcards we talked about inbetween the fliers...i see no results from them...im going to continue through 2009 and throw them out....w/o the handwritten addressing in an envelope they are obviously being thrown out...the message in them is good. im confident of that.

Spider
09-07-2009, 12:34 PM
Trying new things is good - as long as you give them enough time to work (or not work.) I think 1,000 cards will be a good test. Make sure you isolate the results so you can determine how well they work.

Re: the postcards - certainly, if they are not improving your results, drop the campaign when it has run its course (not before, though.) However, you have told us that your results have improved. You need to be certain that the postcards have not contributed to those improved results.

How might they have contributed to your improved results without it being obvious?

1. You have not had anyone say they are calling because of a postcard, but do you ask everyone who calls whether they receive your postcards? Maybe they see the cards but don't think to mention them when they call you.

2. As you send the postcards to the same people who receive the flyers, how can you be certain that the postcards are not contributing to the effectiveness of the flyers?

3. If your increased workload has come from contractors who are on your mailing list, the postcards may be responsible for that. How can you be certain they are not?

I'm not pushing for the postcards - I'm only asking you to make sure they are not working before you drop them. From what you have told us, I don't see any proof they are not benefiting you.

huggytree
09-07-2009, 02:35 PM
eive only gotten 3 new customers (builders) in the past 6 months.

1 was an old customer who came back (post cards could have done something..dunno) ..i called him several times asking him to come back.
1 was someone who i wrote to, but met at the builders association and it went from that meeting forward
1 was someone ive been bidding with for 1 year+...finally they sold something

ive got 3 more potential new customers who i may get if they sign the jobs..

yes the post cards could have done something....but all the contacts were made right after the mailers went out(within 2 weeks) or the contacts were made in person and they liked me.

every new builder is worth thousands to me..potentially 10's to 100's of thousands....so spending $300+ for the post cards each month could be a good investment if it gets me a few more of them.

its just very quiet the months i only send out the post cards

Spider
09-07-2009, 04:12 PM
From what you have said, Dave - ...only gotten 3 new builders in the past 6 months - sounds like the flyers are not working either!

Not working at getting you NEW builders that is. But your business has increased so, that says you are getting more business from existing clients.

Now, as it is quiet for the two months that postcards are sent, that tells me that the cards are not directly producing new customers nor are they directly producing more work from existing clients.

But you are sending them and you are getting more work. Are they INDIRECTLY improving your results? How can you find out?

huggytree
09-08-2009, 06:35 PM
i have gotten alot of new calls from the fliers...none turned out to be customers or have yet to become customers(too soon to tell)....i got around 6 responses from the last flier within that month...thats how i know it works...

yea the post card could be doing something...who knows

orion_joel
09-08-2009, 08:29 PM
I think that you will find the the times actually make sense. Mid fall as you say for showing off at christmas. Winter could be slow as you may find that people dont like to be inconvenienced at this time of year, especially if it is cold they dont want the house open for you to go in an out, they just want things working. While late winter they want things done they have been planning to get done, but been putting off over winter for this reason.

Early summer may be another similar point people want things working in the hot time of the year, nothing like being in the middle of summer getting hot and sweaty and not having a shower working for a day or two while some work is getting done.

Finally can also understand the 1 month after school is out, people go away on vacation or dont want work done when they have the kids home from school. Many different reasons.

Seeing that you are seeing a bit of a smoothing effect so far, it comes down to looking at ways to push this even further, to try and have a much more consistent and even increaseing level of work. While i also think that your idea for the $20 voucher may get you some smaller jobs. I think looking at other types of business may be an idea. Some examples i thought of
- Try and get in on doing work for local government bodies.
- Are you on the books at local estate agents, for maintenance on rental properties they have. I would expect these type of places don't go to the phone book when they need work they would have a list of people they use consistently.
- You mentioned not long ago on one of your problem's that you had to get someone to snake the pipe in a kitchen, a number of times. Even paying for one of them yourself. What would it cost you to get the equipment to do this yourself, and would it be worth your while, to add this to your services?
- How about working with other companies that require plumbing work for installing their product. Eg suppliers of commercial espresso machines, other electrical suppliers, (eg dishwasers).
- Finally how about adding other semi plumbing products to your product range, things like water filter systems, i am sure there are possibly others as well.

Some of these may not be plumbing solely, however things like the last idea, could potentially lead to a lot of work, especially if it is a under serviced market in your area.

huggytree
10-09-2009, 06:45 AM
1. gov work...ive always shy'd away from this because i assume most of it will be in Milwaukee (bad neighborhoods) and go to the lowest bidder...i should look into it more though
2. rental properties....they wont pay my prices...handymen is who they hire
3.snaking out my own drains....it maybe would get me 1 job a week to 1 a month...for a 1 hour job id get very dirty.....not interested at all!!!!....no one would pay my price when guys who do drain cleaning only are probably 1/2 of what id have to charge.yuck!!
4. machine installer....ive looked into fireplace installers for their gas lines....i should expand into this idea a bit...there may be something here for me
5. water filter systems...i do that already...there are guys out there who can install watersofteners for 33% less than me.....they are charging $600 to supply/install the unit while i pay $500 for the unit....i cant compete here at all...thats all they do and obviously they get a super price or their unit is junk....i also do iron filters and RO units...ive maybe done 4 water softeners, 1 iron filter, 2 RO units my whole career....id love to do more, but people hire a water specialist for these things and they arent licensed plumbers..

thanks for the idea's...you gave me 2 new one's to think about...

billbenson
10-11-2009, 02:48 AM
On the Gov't stuff huggy, bid high. Competing with low bidders won't make you any money. However, on large gov't projects, you may be such a small piece of the puzzle that they don't look for the low bidder, they just look for the first bidder. I've gotten quite a few orders that way. Just don't spend a lot of time doing the quote, just inflate it.

huggytree
10-11-2009, 09:31 AM
any suggestions on how to find the govt. work?

i found the stimulus obama work a while back...i didnt do anything they needed.

I also found some urban housing development work in milwaukee...replacing waterheaters...i assumed it meant going into the inner city (hell)......

all the govt. work seemed difficult to understand....it wasnt layed out to be easy to understand....simple & govt. are opposites....cant wait for govt.health care

therestaurantbiz
08-08-2010, 11:38 AM
We have found this in the 2 years that we have been running our small business. It scared us so much in year one however you need to keep the faith that the customers will return when they have finished their vacations!

Year 2 we have planned for this by reducing capacity & suggesting that everyone takes their holidays in July. Happy days all round :-)

prettyimpress
08-11-2010, 09:32 AM
The same thing happened to my friends company. I think this is the law of market. We have nothing to do but obey it.
In fact, we can do some other things during this period. For example, do some prepare job or just enjoy our lives.