Any Business Owners out there Suffering with Sales Slump??

[winekntrychicks]

It's almost as if our company has fallen off the face of the planet. We had two sales today

........Thanks goodness I have my chickens to take the mind off....Dh is going off the deep end so I brought Rosie (Cochin) and Eagle(EE) up to his office to cheer him up. He actually smiled

and came out to see them.....

 

[debilorrah]

I am fortunate enough that when the economy takes a down turn our business is up - I work for the local transit authority. However, I do know plenty of people, including most of my family and friends, that are hurting right now. Cut hours, cut pay, cut benefits, etc.... It is hard for everyone.

I am very proud to say that where I work, we always take our business to local mom and pop places.... Coffee service, water service, office supplies, paint jobs on the buses, uniforms, etc. We try VERY hard to keep our spent dollars local.

 

[winekntrychicks]

I hear you about "local" I buy local as often as I can.

 

[al6517]

Yes I too have been feeling the pinch, I am a construction contractor with my own company, and man are people battening down the hatches. I have not seen it this slow since the months following 9-11, to be honest I am more than a little worried. I mean what is a guy to do when you are responsible for your family, I am the only provider and have been for many many yrs. Everybody looks to you to save the day. Talk about presure, I am freaking out latley, I have a wonderful teen daughter who doesn't have a clue as too what her life may be like if things do not turn around quickly, and I prefer it that way.

AL

 

[debilorrah]

Al that is a lot of stress on you. My brother owns his own pool building business and supports his family, and this downturn has taken a toll on his health. It is hard to have that much weight on your shoulders.

Wine - it is realy important to spend local especially when you may live in a smaller area. We are just over 200k people in a HUGE area, so it is key that we stay in the community with our dollars.

 

[winekntrychicks]

Quote:
Hi Al, I know what you mean. I have never seen Dh this freaked out. He is so smart and so driven. It's almost as if he has lost his will. So not like him. We don't have kids, just us, however we have neices and a nephew and my sister is single and working part time so we try to help them when they need it. Dh is really scared. We have been watching sales steadily go down since Sept........
edited to say; I don't think Obama's speech yesterday helped matters.........

 

[al6517]

Deb, I agree about the local thing but my community is only about 100k, and it is not hard to do just that. My business phone is not ringing so I am catching up on chores here at the ranch, just trying to stay busy and occupy my mind. I need a prozac and a stiff belt LOL I just try to keep smiling.

AL

 

[debilorrah]

I know, Al. It's rough right now. The house we rent for $1200 a month - their payment is $1500 and she is glad to have us here!!!! It sat empty for about 18 months before we rented it. Graffiti on the walls, carpet ruined etc, from being a squatters house.... She was so grateful that we would do the clean up and just deduct supplies from our rent I thought she would cry. Her husband has been paid off for over a year now. It is really rough on everyone.

 

[winekntrychicks]

So Far I have been home to help with our business. I'm going to start searching for a job outside of our business. I have not been in the work force for about 4-5 years....

 

[al6517]

Quote:
And yes that will increasingly become more difficult as time goes by with jobs at a premium, What do you guy's do ? what type of business do you have ?.

AL