Getting Discouraged

[hardworkingstiff]

Getting rich isn't always the bottom line, sometimes just eating and paying the rent is good enough.

A lot of people are in that sometimes realm.

 

[GUNNING]

Yea, though I walk through the shadow of death ...

Yea, though I walk through the shadow of death ...

New wave of opportunity is coming. There are a lot of people dropping out and shrinking the pool of qualified contractors. Means more work less fish.
Had a customer today looking for a contractor to do a renovation and everyone she called out of the yellow pages, the phone had been disconnected (she said). They were remodeling there kitchen themselves. Ive never seen so much butchered black granite tile stuck to the wall with chewing gum before. Husbands an electrical engineer in south Florida. Some people you just cant save from themselves.

New world order is a coming. The heard is thinning out.

Yea though I walk through the shadow of death I shall fear no evil cause when I get to the mail box there will be a check. (paraphrased)

Gota have faith.

 

[brantmacga]

Look...

Housing starts are 90% less than 1 year ago. Banks are folding, and commercial projects can't get financing.

In a nutshell, there is less work. Some contractors are going to fold and die. Get used to it. Deal with it. Marketing will not solve this, that is a real-estate bubble solution that doesn't apply now.

Let capatilism do it's thing - the strong, established smart ingrained shops go on and the fly-by-nights riding the coattails and excesses of the construction industry go away...

no, that doesn't quite make sense.

with less work available, now more than ever one needs to be marketing to get what few customers are out there calling your business.

 

[LawnGuyLandSparky]

no, that doesn't quite make sense.

with less work available, now more than ever one needs to be marketing to get what few customers are out there calling your business.

It makes perfect sense. Yesterday: 1000 jobs, 100 contractors, 10 jobs each. Today: 100 jobs 100 contractors, phones get disconnected. Marketing does not create work, it only increases your possible marketshare.

This is like a game of musical chairs, only there are 20 contractors circleing the 3 jobs available.

 

[jmellc]

apparently, according to OP - leaf rakers, painters and handymen who "also do electrical work".

If I am too expensive for the customer chances are I don't want to work for them anyway even during slow times.

Someday you will get a call to fix something that leaf rakers, painters or handymen who "also do electrical work" installed and you will get your payback from that customer. They may find out doing it right the first time may have cost less than doing it twice.

I have gotten 1 loyal customer out of that, I fixed a lot of junk the handyman/painter installed, then got a service change from it. In that case the jackleg got some switches wrong; combo sp/3w sw did funky things to lights & space heater tripped ckt. Part of that trouble is that the jackleg can usually get it right enough that the switch operates the light as needed. Doesn't matter about the open splices in the wall or ceiling,or that he tapped a hot and neutral from the dryer or AC outlet for a 14/2 NM cable. It works, that's what the customer sees and cares about; until something goes wrong.

 

[PetrosA]

Just an idea which may or may not work for you depending on how large a company you have is subbing for other contractors. A lot of guys have let workers go to lower costs, and when a job comes up they may be understaffed. If you can be there for them, you're in. Maybe not the greatest source of pride, but if it's a question of eating or not...

 

[ElectricianJeff]

Someday you will get a call to fix something that leaf rakers, painters or handymen who "also do electrical work" installed and you will get your payback from that customer. They may find out doing it right the first time may have cost less than doing it twice.

Thought it worth mentioning that when that "someday" comes, and it will. In grain the story and repeat it to each and every potential customer.

 

[readydave8]

Thanks George. LOL. I needed little humor this morning.
I am interviewing with Lowe's today. I will keep you posted on the outcome. Got to be able to eat and have my coffee tired of starving

I think a regular paycheck is a big plus, even a smaller one than you're used to.

I think a person could learn a lot working at Lowe's, get a feel for what they have done to become so sucessful. I complain about Lowe's but they must be doing something right. Our local Lowe's spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a turning lane, if they had waited 6 months the city would have put it in for free. How much profit must they make for this to be a good decision?

Keep food on the table, learn, and come back with a vengance. Or work your way up at Lowe's.

 

[jaylectricity]

Hire a painter/leaf-blower to install some electrical wiring for real cheap and have him do it wrong.

Of course, I'm joking.

I agree with the thinning of the herd talk. On one hand you have guys like me that have solid relationships with customers that keep coming back to me year after year. Also on that hand are large companies who can suck it up through the bad times.

But on the other hand are companies that are too young to survive a drought. Companies that can only operate at full speed. When those companies can't compete, their owners turn their attentions to different endeavors. Once they lay off their guys, sure, some of them enter the pool, but almost none of them can get their name out there like their old bosses could.

Either hang in there, or get out and leave the work for the rest of us.