Have you survived the great Recession?

[plainpainter 217]

It would be wise for many to plan for a lean year next year.

I had a 'lean' year this year, I am use to it now. I think the way I will plan for it, will be to roll out 10x the amount of marketing I did this year. Like I said about learning valuable lessons - I learned that effective marketing isn't necessarily expensive and expensive marketing is necessarily effective.

I am actually looking forward to having a harder time getting leads - because now I have faith I can go and get leads, it will make it that much more harder for my competition to survive.

And I have learned many financial lessons as well. The top 10% of household incomes do 50% of the all the domestic purchasing, which in turn makes up 70% of GDP. This is equivalent to household salaries of 125k and up. I also learned that the stock market is under pressure of forces outside the realm of our borders. If chinese manufacturing stocks do well, which are listed on the NYSE - the dow will go up. If the dollar tanks, the dow will go up. The dow will go up for lots of reasons that have no bearing to whether or not the bottom 20% of households are employed or not. So armed with this information, if folks confront me about how the economy isn't doing great. I will politely recite some of this information - so they will know that I know that they aren't doing badly. Sorry ma'am - your household income is over 250k, which puts you in the top 1.5% of household income in our great nation - you can afford me. Then I'll walk if I have to. Of course I won't quite say it that way to folks, but that will be my attitude.

[Jeff 232]

We have survived, this year we will be 10K up or down from last year, which was our best year ever. But it will be the year we didn't really grow like we have every other year. I have to say its been a grind. I didn't do as much target marketing as I have in the past. I was busy with ***** stuff, not complaining I enjoy working on the *****, but it did take time away from my business

The thing that is really driving me crazy in this economy is what we are having to deal with in our competition. There are start up companies, that are jumping right into cleaning of complexes, many just dont even have aclue how to do the work and sure don't know how to price the work, we are seeing bids 30% to 80% less than our bids, yes as much as 80% less. That was fine before the economy went bad, it was one or two companies, now its many companies or so called companies. Guys right on these BB's and many others. Some know how to wash, some don't, I am seeing all kinds of damage. But mostly they are just bringing down pricing, its been ridiculous. We even have established companies, that get slow and start to drop prices. I have had to negotiate pricing more and more and its a PITA. I have about half of my managers that just use us, but at times the HOA's now are requiring looking at other bids

I wish the economy would turn around faster so some of these guys would go back to work working for someone else

I have a good plan for 2010 and I know growth will be happening in 2010 for JL, but man this economy sure has played some games on most of us

Best of luck to all in 2010

Life is GOOD, just got to work at it a little harder this year

Edited November 1, 2009 by Jeff

[Mathew Johnson 123]

I had a 'lean' year this year, I am use to it now. I think the way I will plan for it, will be to roll out 10x the amount of marketing I did this year. Like I said about learning valuable lessons - I learned that effective marketing isn't necessarily expensive and expensive marketing is necessarily effective.

I am actually looking forward to having a harder time getting leads - because now I have faith I can go and get leads, it will make it that much more harder for my competition to survive.

And I have learned many financial lessons as well. The top 10% of household incomes do 50% of the all the domestic purchasing, which in turn makes up 70% of GDP. This is equivalent to household salaries of 125k and up. I also learned that the stock market is under pressure of forces outside the realm of our borders. If chinese manufacturing stocks do well, which are listed on the NYSE - the dow will go up. If the dollar tanks, the dow will go up. The dow will go up for lots of reasons that have no bearing to whether or not the bottom 20% of households are employed or not. So armed with this information, if folks confront me about how the economy isn't doing great. I will politely recite some of this information - so they will know that I know that they aren't doing badly. Sorry ma'am - your household income is over 250k, which puts you in the top 1.5% of household income in our great nation - you can afford me. Then I'll walk if I have to. Of course I won't quite say it that way to folks, but that will be my attitude.

Dan,

Kudos to you.... I have to say I am impressed :-). You have put much more analytical thought into this than I am even capable of. Nice! I did not increase my budget this year; actually cut some capital expenses (skid purchase for one and 12X20 storage building also). We had a pretty decent year and added both back into the budget last month.

2010 - We are going to run with 2008's budget. By doing this in 2009, we were able to blow by our break even point and the net profit percentage actually increased. When we submit our third quarter figures to the accountant he generates a P&L statement and advised me on end of year purchases for Tax Benefits. FUEL cost had a huge positive budget impact this year

I still think it is appropriate to be conservative with sales projections. I think the economy remains a bit labile and will have its ups and down for the next year!

[PressurePros 248]

Jeff, that is one of the caveats of you sharing so much good information on these bulletin boards. Lots of leaches with no experience and no selling skills. "So I call, write, and fax, throw some bleach and Dawn together and that's all there is to it? If Jeff is getting $8,000 for a four day job, I only need to charge $3K. I don't have Jeff's overhead." I feel your pain.

[plainpainter 217]

Jeff, that is one of the caveats of you sharing so much good information on these bulletin boards. Lots of leaches with no experience and no selling skills. "So I call, write, and fax, throw some bleach and Dawn together and that's all there is to it? If Jeff is getting $8,000 for a four day job, I only need to charge $3K. I don't have Jeff's overhead." I feel your pain.

This me thinks why the majority of guys are going to hold off more and more sharing information on these boards. I talked about this before and got lambasted for suggesting this idea. But in an economic 'contraction' period the free-flow of information hurts more than it helps in my opinion. The right demographic of guys are no longer on these boards to help, now it's just a bunch of bottom feeders looking to undercut to get work.

[Scott Stone 604]

Really, no one liked my milkman joke? :)

Uhm, I used to be a milk man.

[Jeff 232]

Jeff, that is one of the caveats of you sharing so much good information on these bulletin boards. Lots of leaches with no experience and no selling skills. "So I call, write, and fax, throw some bleach and Dawn together and that's all there is to it? If Jeff is getting $8,000 for a four day job, I only need to charge $3K. I don't have Jeff's overhead." I feel your pain.

I hear you Ken, 2010 I am going a little stealth, many good things in the works. Its funny they come & they go, but its definitly different the past 2 years, I am seeing some real chit pricing. This recent pricing lends me to believe these contractors just have no clue,more than ever. I use to lose some by 10, 20 even 25% but now WOW.

Although they dont last much more than a year in the multi unit work. I have gotten over one dozen jobs back this year that I lost last year. Always the Managers are saying, that the HOA's didnt like the guy last year.

I actually like when a property says the other guy is almost half my price, then I can explain that they obvoiusly have no clue at all and probably shouldnt even be bidding, when they are close to my price, I can't say much, but that low, even the HOA's know the hack has no clue. Most HOA's throw out the real low crap, not all, but many. JL is going to kick some a*s in 2010 & 2011 and they won't even see it coming. I am selling on experience and quality, 2 things hacks can't sell on

Rock on, I love PWing and my Xjet too!!!!!!!

[Ron Musgraves 240]

Never saw a slow down, paying might be a different story. BK's every other week in the commercial market. Only got a little sting on two that went back to back, one for 23 and the other for 54.

I'm lucky that I have no debt and we bounced back and continued service right through bk court.

I watched a few guys say F U to these larger companies and they are wishing now they had worked with them.

The funny thing after all said and done we are going to close as much as 1.2 in the next 45 days....

Not bragging or boasting but i gotta tell you that just like 911 we kept hitting the pavement.

I owe alot to tootsie rolls and stencils.......

2010 will be a crazy year,

If my sales Staff see this thanks TIM, Julie, Susan, Lauren , Derek & a new guy we are hiring from the BBS Mike. Yes a guy Mike we are hiring that we found right here on TGS.

Mike is going to be a great Addition to our North PHX and northern Az staff. Mike has posted here before and is from Cali. His Father owns a large janitorial operation in LA.

Glad to have Mike to Staff and Plan on hiring one more person before the year ends to help assist the sales coming in after budget closes and we do the turn on the ones after feb and march.