Well what a few months its been - that snow nearly finished me off ill admit, I was worried!
This month is already on target to be my 4th best month in 2 years and next month is already booking up nicely so its looking like a trend rather than a blip. It was also the best month ive had since March last year.
Last time I wrote about this, it was all looking good. It was actually the snow that really caused me problems, but I did have concerns about whether things would ever pick up.
There is a strange pattern with my business - it goes bad month, average month, great month, in a cycle, perhaps because certain customers are not monthly and tend to group together on the same months. The average was dropping last year though which was a bit of a worry and by the end of last year, the good months were the previous years average ones.
Certainly staying small and working out the back of my car was the reason I stayed afloat - being small does give a huge dose of survivability and Im on target for 92% profit on my turnover which is the best ive ever had - the recession has driven me even harder to save money and economise where ever I can. Its worked and hopefully it will mean greater rewards when times are good.
I am now putting money aside for jan/feb next year though so I can ride out bad weather ( until this year it has never lasted long enough to hurt ).
Its all looking rather positive now, people are spending money again, customers are starting to order new cars - always a good sign. I know of a Range Rover, Jag convertible, Volvo XC90, Audi A6 and a BMW X5 that are all on order in the last few weeks, so cash is getting splashed again.
It all seems rather good - I wont be thanking Our Great Leader though!
|
You obviously know your business more than I do stu, but wouldn't you be better orf with a micro van
or even a car derived van, all nicely sign written.
|
Good news,stu. Congratulations! Hope business continues to improve. :-)
|
|
Micro vans are quite thirsty ( 35 mpg ) on fuel and have high road tax compared to my Charade, so its makes no sense as it doesnt affect business. Ive had them, but vans dont improve business at all, hence I gave them up. It also means you need a car in addition, which makes it very expensive running two vehicles.
|
|
By not having a van if it doesn't bring in business, you're cutting your overheads to a minimum without this being in any way short-term thinking. No wonder your business is successful.
|
8 years now :-) The one advantage in working for yourself alone is that you dont have whiny, inefficient employees who dont have the same drive to survive that you do if its your name above the door.
If you look at the number of plumbers, carpenters and even gardeners who work out the back of normal cars, its clear that you can make a business without being professional looking.
Once people know you can do a good job, you can turn up with pink hair and cowboy boots pulling your kit by carthorse and they will still use you.
One of my customers owns one of the great country houses of Northants, they appeared in the Times richlist, and yet they dont care that I turn up in a lilac Daihatsu - they were actually complimentary when I used to arrive in my Reliant Rialto because it was such a quirky british car.
What I say to anyone, is that if you want someone to turn up in a shiny van, its YOU that will be paying extra for that van - ask yourself how important that is to you that your tradesman has a nice van...
|
Valeting 2010 - business is waking up yay - Dog
