Bob Kraemer
Senior Member
- Location
- Ohio
Getting Discouraged
- Thread starter jmellc
- Start date
- Status
Nationwide: Repo men, Pawn Shops for sure.
Here in CA Solar installers are doing fairly well. I can't speak for the rest of the country on this.
Residential rental properties, collection agencies, used atuo financing, pawn shops.
- Location
- Windsor, CO NEC: 2017
- Occupation
- Service Manager
Cameron, I'll come down there and show you how it's done.
Until I get there, just make sure the lettering on the cardboard sign is thick and black, and leave off shaving for a couple days. We'll get beers after.
Until I get there, just make sure the lettering on the cardboard sign is thick and black, and leave off shaving for a couple days. We'll get beers after.
electricmanscott
Senior Member
- Location
- Boston, MA
The economic experts have spoken! Can't wait 'till April 15!
MAK
Senior Member
- Location
- Massachusetts-Boston
mtfallsmikey
Senior Member
Yep...just like what us plumbers/HVAC types went thru in the 70's-80's. Lots of plumbing fixture mfr's. changed the traditional distribution pattern,started selling retail..."Waddya mean that Fluidmaster fill valve is $15, I can buy that at Homer's Depot for $8?...well, will they deliver it to you for that price?" I can almost guarantee anyone of this...go to your localbox store, pick out a faucet, bathtub, toilet, and you will be able to buy it there for less than what I pay at a wholesaler for...HVAC mfr's. are selling direct to box stores as well.
Some/most of repair and service contractors doing ok here up the road from you near Ground Zero. New equipment sales/real estate development is lagging tho.
Auctions
Auto aftermarket parts distributors/recyclers
We all need to get creative with new ideas ,way's to save on electricity usage for our customers, electrical maintenance check list,checking for loose connections in panels - disconnects and equipment.
Just shooting out some ideas guy's,I found over time if you bring up enough Ideas it leads to something.
Was at a lighting store the other day an saw a buisness card with the name
THE LAMP DOCTOR - all he does is repairs to lighting an chandelier cleaning.
Who knows what that could turn into for other work.
If we all posted some ideas you might have floating around in your mind we might come up with a few good things to do.
Just shooting out some ideas guy's,I found over time if you bring up enough Ideas it leads to something.
Was at a lighting store the other day an saw a buisness card with the name
THE LAMP DOCTOR - all he does is repairs to lighting an chandelier cleaning.
Who knows what that could turn into for other work.
If we all posted some ideas you might have floating around in your mind we might come up with a few good things to do.
Riograndeelectric
Senior Member
- Location
- Lakewood Colorado
Cameron, I'll come down there and show you how it's done.
Until I get there, just make sure the lettering on the cardboard sign is thick and black, and leave off shaving for a couple days. We'll get beers after.
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
rich9112
Member
- Location
- Southern Utah, USA
Know your market
Know your market
Think about those on the winning end of the market and market to them. When somebody is losing their home, somebody else is buying a smoking deal and wants all new fixtures, a new service or few circuits for higher end appliances. You can talk to real estate firms and agents to get your name out there. Many homes need some repairs for the loans to close. Remember that 1500.00 more sounds pretty cheap when buying a $400,000 home for $210,00.
Think about the winning end that can afford to pay for good work. Good luck guys.
Know your market
Think about those on the winning end of the market and market to them. When somebody is losing their home, somebody else is buying a smoking deal and wants all new fixtures, a new service or few circuits for higher end appliances. You can talk to real estate firms and agents to get your name out there. Many homes need some repairs for the loans to close. Remember that 1500.00 more sounds pretty cheap when buying a $400,000 home for $210,00.
Think about the winning end that can afford to pay for good work. Good luck guys.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
I've heard there are some guys out there, making pretty good money cleaning up / repairing bank repos.
hardworkingstiff
Senior Member
- Location
- Wilmington, NC
macmikeman
Senior Member
- Location
- Planet macmikeman
If you want to increase your sales, market to idiots. There is boatloads of idiots out there who will spend money on you if you market to them properly. Example ideas- put all your employee's in green t-shirts and have lots and lots of "green" references on your van wraps and your adverts. American people eat this up. Personally, I don't have the stomach for this myself, but I watch it working for those who go that route. It doesn't seem to matter at all if what you are producing for the customer has anything to do with "green", just the fact that you grab their attention does.
LawnGuyLandSparky
Senior Member
If you want to increase your sales, market to idiots. There is boatloads of idiots out there who will spend money on you if you market to them properly. Example ideas- put all your employee's in green t-shirts and have lots and lots of "green" references on your van wraps and your adverts. American people eat this up. Personally, I don't have the stomach for this myself, but I watch it working for those who go that route. It doesn't seem to matter at all if what you are producing for the customer has anything to do with "green", just the fact that you grab their attention does.
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...
hardworkingstiff
Senior Member
- Location
- Wilmington, NC
A bit harshly said, but I agree. There is not enough work to go around. So a relationship will get a better job (sales). If you are used to getting jobs on price, well, ........ bye.
Update on pool work, just had phone call from one pool maintenance guy and 3 faxes from another , over the next 5 days we have salt machine systems to install - time clocks - replace 3 lighting fixtures an some general pool electrical maintenance.
Contact some pool maintenance people or pool builders as soon as you can guy's,it can't hurt to try.
Contact some pool maintenance people or pool builders as soon as you can guy's,it can't hurt to try.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
A couple of my wife's relatives are in the construction trade and that's basically what they have been doing the last couple years, although most of the work they are doing is stuff that has not quite gotten to the foreclosure point just yet.
I would not say they are flush with cash, but they are doing OK, at least as far as they are concerned.
- Location
- Simi Valley, CA
Getting rich isn't always the bottom line, sometimes just eating and paying the rent is good enough.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
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.
gadfly56
Senior Member
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Professional Engineer, Fire & Life Safety
The OP's problem, of course, is hanging on until "someday".
- Status