How's Business?

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Sales are down 50%.

Expenses are only down 45%

Could be worse, could be better.

Seems like everyone and his brother is/are trying to jump on the solar bandwagon. Up on a roof is the last place you want to be in the AZ summer but.....?????
 
Peterd....we are not the most expensive....nor the cheapest EC around....

Range from $35 hr to $78 hr on T&M/service work around here....most are in the $62 to $70 hr range here so......And yes, there are German Baptist electricians working for $35 hr per man....they dont take much to live on....at all...I am on the lower of the $62 to $70 range.....and I KNOW MY COSTS>>>
 
i believe quality of work is going to carry a lot of weight in the times to come. i have been in the trade for 20 years and that is the one thing that always kept companies going. quality control has gone out the window in the manufacturing of retail products but it is what rules construction
 
JacksonburgFarmer said:
Peterd....we are not the most expensive....nor the cheapest EC around....

Range from $35 hr to $78 hr on T&M/service work around here....most are in the $62 to $70 hr range here so......And yes, there are German Baptist electricians working for $35 hr per man....they dont take much to live on....at all...I am on the lower of the $62 to $70 range.....and I KNOW MY COSTS>>>
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After reading your posting and others, I guess "cheap" is a meaningless relative term. :)
 
All the contractors who wanted their guys to supply all their own tools and truck are now finding these guys competing against them for a limited amount of work.
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We make the bed we lie in.

He who controls all the screwdrivers, controls all the work...
 
Last month sucked.I am taking part of today off and will have no time off for the next couple of weeks. Weather is finaly nice and I have been many miles away from my Harlely working my butt off.:mad:It sure beats sitting and waiting for the phone to ring though.
 
Here in SC, stimlus money for education has funded several medium ranged school projects unfortunately contractors from two states over are also pricing work. Apparently they have highly efficent work forces willing to work for $9 and hour, but I believe they are working from a damaged business principle of calling staying ahead of the pay application - it greatly ressembles the old check kiting scheme. Last week successful bidder took job for 960K next responsive bid was 1.2M, this same bidder backed out of a job for larger project as he was 500K below next responsive bidder who was at 2.5M - I figured on the 960K he had nearly same materials cost as I - I even cut my commoditity portion by 15% ended up with 620K
leaving 340K in labor or roughly $6,100.00 per week based on 52 week job - Absolutely nothing in job for equipment and I see no OH or profit in the numbers.

Design Build continues to be more lucrative and profitable. Open bid market leaves most EC's muttering.

Have a good day all!
 
Business

Business

We are 50% off from last year at this time. We do mostly service and I think there are so many guys laid off they can do this type of work out of their trunks. I did cancel my yellow page ad after I tracked it all last year. I was getting about 10 calls a month from a triple column ad, which cost me $1200 a month for 2 books. It was absolutely awful. I have been working on other advertising strategies, mailing, web, etc. The phone is still not ringing.
 
Rewire said:
All the contractors who wanted their guys to supply all their own tools and truck are now finding these guys competing against them for a limited amount of work.
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My last employer wanted me to supply all the tools, ladders, truck, some material, long distance gas expense...
At first, I couldn't believe the job requirements,
but then I got to thinking about the future.

Like you said,
with enough tools and a truck for two men,
what do you think I do?
I do some work on 1099 with several small electric shops.
It's enough to get by.

I also made friends with some latinos neighbors.
I do speak passable Spanish, and am learning about painting and sheetrock and carpentering, and some plumbing.

And I now have time enough to do some fishing,
tournement table tennis, weightlifting, bicycle riding.
I've thought about going back to college and finishing the E.E. program.
I wonder what retirement is like?
:smile:
 
After several months of basically twiddling my thumbs wondering why I was so naive to believe all the good work related relationships I built in the past 10 or so years would pay themselves forward and avoiding my own negative dark thoughts on the decision to venture out on my own, the last three weeks has brought some very positive prospective work.

I landed a few small jobs (1/2-3 dayers), a residential addition (maybe 2) and (quite ironically) just today I had two EC's I know contact me, one in regards to some sub work cause he is slammed, the other EC happens to be the father of 2 old friends I grew up with, I hadn't seen him in quite some time and his call was to inform me he is retiring & I have first crack at meeting with him to discuss any accounts or equipment I may want from him (this guy was big on commercial maintenance.)

To be quite honest, I really don't know how to approach this from a business standpoint and it was hard not to sound like a giddy school girl as he was talking to me today, if anyone has any tips or info in regards to this please pm me if you wish.

I am enjoying looking at all this with a very positive attitude due to the fact that this upswing in prospective business comes just 3 weeks after my father suffered two minor strokes, and not even a week after that my mother, who has been battling heart issues her entire life has learned she will need open heart surgery, again.

Be thankful for your health people, nothing is more important. Not your business, not your bank account, not your motorcycle, not your sportscar, not your hair plugs.....Nothing.
 
Mr.Sparkle said:
To be quite honest, I really don't know how to approach this from a business standpoint and it was hard not to sound like a giddy school girl as he was talking to me today, if anyone has any tips or info in regards to this please pm me if you wish.
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That sounds like a job for an accountant. I believe a good 1 should be able to tell you what the accounts are worth if there is good accounting. If there isn't, they aren't worth much as a business stand point. Only things that are trackable are worth money.
 
It's been slow for me in central NC. I had a good month in June, 1st good month since starting business in June, 2008. I've survived by my wife's salary, our savings and subbing a fair amount with 2 other small firms here. I'm contantly sending out flyers, some of them pay off. I have 2 different yellow page ads that so far have brought in little. Our region has usually weathered hard times well but it's different this time. Not much work going on for most people. I'm now looking for a pt job to live on while trying to generate business.
 
jmellc said:
It's been slow for me in central NC. I had a good month in June, 1st good month since starting business in June, 2008. I've survived by my wife's salary, our savings and subbing a fair amount with 2 other small firms here. I'm contantly sending out flyers, some of them pay off. I have 2 different yellow page ads that so far have brought in little. Our region has usually weathered hard times well but it's different this time. Not much work going on for most people. I'm now looking for a pt job to live on while trying to generate business.
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this is were the weeding out process begins those of us who survive will see unbelievable growth
 
Rewire said:
this is were the weeding out process begins those of us who survive will see unbelievable growth
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Your RIGHT, With the lack of work out there I just eat and eat. I bet I put on 20lbs just this year. I feel like I can grow more....
 
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