Are things getting better?
I can hardly believe it’s been about three weeks since my last post. I’ve been busy at work and at home, and away from home. We’ve been renting out the downstairs at my house, and tenants have been coming and going. Things have had to be cleaned and maintained and repaired and it’s an all around headache. This covers almost our entire house payment, so it helps us as we work on getting rid of all our debt.
Cindi and I went to EPCOT in Orlando last weekend. We took three days, so I was off Monday. It was Cindi’s birthday, and we had a great time. She was even drafted by some street performers to play a role in their skit. They got more than they bargained for because she is such a ham.
But, you all want to know how business is in this terrible recession. I gotta tell you, it is really bad for a lot of folks here in Florida. We have one of the higher unemployment rates in the nation, and there are so many for sale and for rent signs every where we look. More seem to be added to their number every week. It’s one of the reasons I am so happy we have full occupancy. The competition for renters is fierce.
Our business is on the upswing. It’s really good right now, but this is the busy season for us. It’s started a little earlier than usual, and we had a pretty good summer. So I am fairly optimistic. My customers who have put us off for awhile are getting done. This is the phenomenon called “pent-up demand”. People who were used to getting a certain service are now going without it, and they feel deprived. So, we are now on their list.
We are also continuing to pick up new clients. Most of this is just word of mouth momentum. I have passed out few fliers lately, but people are still giving my name out. And power washing is a good advertising medium: it’s noisy! People hear the machine and want to see who their neighbor has hired. Then they ask for a quote and then a date.
What is the prognosis for the future? This is hard to say because our economy is in such bad shape and, in my opinion, the current administration seems to want to increase the level of fiscal malpractice from the last administration. Our best hope for most Americans is that in 2010 the Obama White House will be neutered by a massive replacement of the present Congress. For me, I will just keep trying to reduce my obligations to a level that can be sustained in an even worse economic situation.
I also want to forecast that there will be a lot more people like us selling our services to those who can afford them. A couple of young guys sold my wife some car detailing yesterday. They were canvassing our neighborhood and caught her at a point of pent-up demand and made a sale. I was surprised, since we are so miserly lately, but it just goes to prove that there are sales than can be made in many markets.
Speaking of my neighborhood, while I was walking my dog I came upon a yard sale at my neighbor’s house. She told me she has been unemployed for awhile because teaching jobs are hard to come by. She asked how my business was. When I told her it was great, she and her two customers stopped to ask why that was. Now they all want to get into the window cleaning business. This is just what I need.
I also get a lot of calls from people around the country who leave messages asking for a quick consultation on the phone. Some even ask if they can come and clean for me for a day or so for free, so they can learn the business. I am so busy I cannot begin to even return these calls, so please stop! One of the reasons I put all this free info on the web was to stop the calls. It seems to have backfired. And my customers would not appreciate a steady stream of out-of-town “apprentices” in their homes; not to mention that training people is work. And it’s work I will not engage in for people who are leaving.
I have more “pent-up information” to share, so I will post again soon!
