Anybody else going out broke?

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zog said:
I am guessing they are In Dubai
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When they say raise your rates, they are usually not usually addressing the real problem, which is the problem of having all your overhead and operating expenses covered in your base rates, your earnings are another issue they can and are usually adjusted to the market conditions, but many guys have their base operating rates low, so when tough times hit they have no place to cut.

Over the years, In the past market downs, the small one man shops that survived, were the owners that took part time work in other fields, to help take off the edge, others just gave up and found full time employment in other areas.
 
bullheimer said:
my phone has not rung in two months.

this sucks!!!! my paper ad, , now says i will meet or beat any other bonafide bid by anybody.
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electricmanscott said:
:D

I got my ass whipped here over the last year and a half for promoting working for less than you normally would or would want to just to stay busy.
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Scott it really doesn't look like the idea of lowering prices is doing all that much good for that many people.

In the end I think we will be able to blame the entire recession on you because you were the first guy to suggest lowering prices and thus bringing down the whole house of cards that was the construction industry. If everyone had just kept prices as they were and acted as if nothing were wrong this whole mess could have been avoided. :D

Scott this is just a bit of gallows humor.
 
If things are slow, Is your ad money invested in proven producers, like yellow pages, and community based publications.

Is your business focus narrow, open it up with offering more services, construction alone will usually not support a small shop, you may need to offer service calls, remodel work, and the big money area ongoing maint.
 
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satcom said:
If things are slow, Is your ad money invested in proven producers, like yellow pages, and community based publications.

Is your business focus narrow, open it up with offering more services, construction alone will usually not support a small shop, you may need to offer service calls, remodel work, and the big money area ongoing maint.
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not to say ad money does not work for you.... but in my circles i hear more horror stories about the potential windfall promised that never materializes....they end up with bills and no results....my point is that when times are bad the ad salesman will have you thinking this is a "solve all" and a knee jerk reaction could have you wasting more money....
 
read the last couple pages, promise i will read them all but have to jet right now. dont want to wait till later cause i might get eye strain reading another 5 pages. sheeesh! anyway. as for rates there is only one guy i know who charges less: $65/hr. i doubt he is buried with work. also there are a few who wire houses for less than $3/ft. not much less tho. i will match that. but it doesnt matter what i do if the phone dont ring. the thing i wanted to say about rates and as someone said what your time is worth: i will answer that by saying it is the same answer as when someone askes about what their car (usually a hotrod) is worth: "it's only worth what someone will pay for it". cant argue with that.
 
George Stolz said:
LMAO

Edit: To the OP:

Well, if my story is any indication, if you have no business sense your company will die. Know when to say when, don't sink your family out of stupid pride.

Fortunately, some of the big boys are well entrenched, and I managed to get my old job back bending pipe, for which I am indelibly grateful.
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Congradulations George!!!:)
 
electricmanscott said:
Where are all the guys saying "raise your rates" and "I don't start my truck for less than $150.00" and "Don't cut your price just to stay busy" and blah blah blah... :roll:
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My apprentice got 54 hours last week. I'm trying to get my ducks in a row because I'm heading out Friday night for West Palm Beach for an over night to do a dive at Phil Foster Park high tide Saturday morning. Driving to my parents house in Ocala Saturday afternoon to hang out a couple days and play a round of golf with my son, girlfriend and Aunt and Uncle. Tuesday is my Mother's birthday and taking her to Emeril's in Orlando Tuesday evening and will hang in Orlando area till Saturday then fly back.


Some around here are busy and others have no work. When I get slow I try to come up with low cost high impact ways of marketing. I've posted some of those ways here in the past.

It is difficult to get away right now and it was difficult getting to the beach for a 3 day weekend a few weeks ago for a 9 guy weekend of poker and golf at a friends.

Not everyone will go belly up. There are segments where people are working for wages and segments where people are making enought to get by and able to pay down some debt. Look for where people are spending money and market to them. If you keep looking contacts will come to you.

I'm not really making enough to play jet setter and act fat, but I'm doing better than paying the bills.

Blaming a George or a Muslim will not help. Hard work on your part will.
 
You could be doing everything right and still not get any business.

I'm sure there are areas of the country where there is just no work, period.

Some may be doing great by virtue of their customer base and no other reason.

I heard a guy the other day blaming former President Clinton for the current economic situation, what???
 
Chamuit said:
I heard a guy the other day blaming former President Clinton for the current economic situation, what???
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Well he's got that all wrong!



























It was Reagan's fault, he's the one that started all of that deficit spending to kick-start the economy. It worked. Now all the other President's want to do the same thing. Carter tried to be responsible and start an energy plan that took us away from oil, but............ the cost was too much for us to take .......... and is it still?
 
IrishRugger said:
I am happy things worked out for you but there is nothing wrong with expecting to be paid what you are truly worth.
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That is the problem, what are you worth? Do you determine that, or does the market determine that, or.......... does the market and you determine that?

I think it's the market and you. Scott saw a depressed market and went to the level it took to get work. It's supply and demand. The supply of ECs had become high compared to the work the market needed performed. You can adjust to the market or sit home. Scott adjusted. I sat at home a lot (and I didn't mind at all, in fact I welcomed the 2-year break).

It's not a matter of whose right, it's a matter of who survives.
 
electricmanscott said:
Where are all the guys saying "raise your rates" and "I don't start my truck for less than $150.00" and "Don't cut your price just to stay busy" and blah blah blah... :roll:
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We are all too busy to post on Mike Holt. when we arn't busting it to keep up with the demand we are trying to catch up with family.
 
I am surprised to see this thread. We are absolutely slammed with work right now and have been for several months with no end in sight. We pay between 45K-65K for good electricians and can't seem to find good people (seem to hear this alot from other contractors).
 
Ohmy said:
I am surprised to see this thread. We are absolutely slammed with work right now and have been for several months with no end in sight. We pay between 45K-65K for good electricians and can't seem to find good people (seem to hear this alot from other contractors).
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I feel very fortunate to say the same. We never ran completely out of work. We slowed from 7 days a week down to 5. And that was a welcomed change that only lasted about 3 months. I've been back up to 7 days a week now for 3 months straight, and I'm still behind at the moment. I HONESTLY, don't think it has anything to do with prices, as I am not cheap, certainly not the cheapest around. I think alot of it is pure luck. There are probably people that have tried TWICE as much as me to attract business, and spent TWICE as much on advertising, and they still might have less business. As sad as that is, I honestly believe it.
 
hardworkingstiff said:
Carter tried to be responsible and start an energy plan that took us away from oil, but............ the cost was too much for us to take .......... and is it still?
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Absolutely.

(And mods - this isn't politics - its settled history and economics)

Until the American people are interested in an energy policy then any president that trys to seriously implement such a policy, from whatever party, will "do a Carter".

The frustrating thing is that there is a massive golden opportunity for someone to lead the world into an energy efficient future, and as energy becomes harder to come by (a geologic certaintly) they will profit hansomely from it. Any nation could do it, but none will.

Until America wakes up, and does a "we can get to the moon this decade" project.

Verging on political, so dont look if you are a voter: Jon Stewart had something to say on the subject recently, a historic view on what has been said, and its silly funny, as you would expect: An energy indpendent future

Edited to remove some could-be-interpreted-as-political-even-though-its-history stuff
 
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