How's Buisness

[bradyman1]

Hello everyone. I'm Jason and this is my first post. I just thought I would ask and see how everyone is doing buisness wise. Are you busy? Are you slow? What kind of work are you doing? How big is your company? I am with a 12 person shop in the St. Louis MO area and we are keeping pretty busy on the commercial end but the residential end is pretty flat. We do mostly strip malls, tenant finishes, and small office complexes. But we have also done a few hotels and some goverment work.

Jason

 

[barbeer]

I think right now what you describe in your post is a good representation of the state of the trade right now. Almost no resi, some comm. and a large hospital remodel....

Edit: welcome!

 

[Mule]

I am just a one man show with a part time apprentice, and have been contracting just a few months, and we've been pretty busy with a two to three week back log...but right now I'm about caught up and the calls have been slower, but got a house, and a duplex, and a large horse barn coming up out of the ground, as well as some service station work coming up........AND my fishing boat is calling me !!!

 

[480sparky]

I'm a one-man dog-and-pony show without the dog and pony.

I stay busy, though. Resi remodels right now. Some commercial. Lots of service call work.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[frizbeedog]

I'm a one-man dog-and-pony show without the dog and pony.

I'm the dog part along with the pony in someone else's show.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[brantmacga]

i keep thinking my work is about to dry up, but something always comes along. i'm starting to purposely slow myself down a little right now. i'm in the process of opening a new business so i'm not trying to take on anything big (to me) at the moment. i do mostly service work/remodels; was doing new-resi but have only done one job this year.

 

[bjp_ne_elec]

brantmacga - you mention new business - is it still EC related, or are you branching out of the EC area? Just curious if you don't mind me asking.

bradyman1 - welcome to the forum, I think you'll find this place very informative and full of a great bunch of people. My work is slow - mostly do resi and will take on small commercial projects were they can be done with my son and I. Also do some service work - but resi is the slowest.

 

[ptonsparky]

Welcome..
We do very little new residential so that slow up hasn't bothered us directly. Service work always seems to be plentiful & if I can keep busy until the end of August, I always have things to do during harvest. Phone call starts with "We put up a new bin this summer and the corn is going in today, can you get power to the fans?" After that I don't worry again until middle of January.

 

[iaov]

One man show also and I've been pretty busy. Mostly remodels. Have some bids out right now on some big high end houses for next year.Lots of service calls too lately.

 

[brantmacga]

brantmacga - you mention new business - is it still EC related, or are you branching out of the EC area? Just curious if you don't mind me asking.

Its not an electrical business; its just another source of income. However, there will be times when the use of my license is required. We just got a lease on a building, so it will be at least early october before the doors open.

 

[ohm]

I'm now a one man show, which means I win all the company arguments. The 08 code drove the last nail in a bad economy.

Well got to go...working on a lay-off plan.

 

[A1cbr]

Welcome to the forum.
I am a one man shop as well, most of my work is service calls, remodels, and its slow right now.

good luck on the new business venture brantmacga.

 

[Mule]

We just need a half price sale on gasoline for about 6 months, that would fix it.....:grin:

 

[ohm]

If every state had to supply their own energy needs the term "not in my backyard" would not exist.

Also(off topic), if a companies, cities and farms were required to locate their outfall upstream of their intake rivers would not be polluted.

 

[MikeBower]

Just started a one and a half man show. I had three residential new constructions slated for this summer but they were held up till this fall. Currently keeping busy with remodels. I've been fortunate that the buisiness is keeping up by word of mouth without any advertisement

 

[brantmacga]

. . . . . I've been fortunate that the buisiness is keeping up by word of mouth without any advertisement

That doesn't mean you shouldn't be advertising. Especially if you're doing small service jobs.

 

[Brady Electric]

How' Business

How' Business

Was slow, I mean by that, work comes in week by week and I'm used to being three months out.
Since last Friday I have got three service changes and a basement remodel,
its funny how work comes in. I had not done a service change in six months and now I have three to do.
Yesterday I set up a tarp before starting a service change out on a restaurant and everyone laughed at me then about twenty minuets it started raining and continues today. I was dry and happy, not to mention safe.
Semper Fi Buddy

 

[Podagrower]

I've noticed something different lately in my area. Several small companies are advertising hiring. I wonder if the wounded economy has made the smaller companies with lower overhead more competitive or are they "selling it at a loss and planning to make it up in volume":grin: . Anybody else noticing a trend???

 

[ohm]

Where? Where? Who's Hiring? :smile: :smile:

 

[Rewire]

I work six men and we are staying busy we target the small jobs but the abundance of low ballers is taking its toll the last few jobs I had to really sell to get them without dropping our rates.I have been told more than once that they can get it done cheaper.I was told that the other guy was at 50.00 an hour I just told them to keep my card so when they had problems theyt could call because the other guy would probably be out of business