Anyone busy?

Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by MattChip, Mar 4, 2008.

  1. Punter

    Punter New Member

    "think coca-cola may disagree with you there"

    Ah, but, Coca-Cola have a virtually infinite amount of cans to shift, and a joiner doesn't have an infinite amount of time to fill!

    Do you still advertise when your diary's full for the foreseeable future?
     
  2. audi-evo

    audi-evo Active Member

    coke do it for "brand awareness"
    you are your own brand, yep i advertise 50 weeks a year no matter what.
    If i get too much work (is there such a thing) i just employ more staff!
     
  3. chip off the block

    chip off the block New Member

    im a good joiner and i am having a quite patch at the moment. Just because you are good its does not mean you are always busy. Part of this is my fault for turning jobs down when busy then didnt have owt when that work ended doh
     
  4. handymanforhire

    handymanforhire New Member

    Do you still advertise when your diary's full for the
    foreseeable future?

    Like a lot of people on here most of my work comes from regulars or recommendations but I do advertise just to top up the client base and keep my name in peoples minds. I rarely do any short-term advertising, only annual or bi-annual, so it's out there whether I'm busy or not.

    Think about it; if you only ever advertise when you're quiet, then you'll always be repeating that stop-start cycle, whereas a constant/consistent ad. in (say) a trade directory (you have to find what works for you) is a once or twice a year thing, and it's done - and it usually costs less overall as well.

    I've found that as a general rule, people are happy to hear that you're busy, and usually have no problem waiting for me to become available provided I can give them a date to work with. Sometimes I need to juggle things around a bit, sometimes not.

    And for what it's worth, right now I'm busier than a one-legged man in an @rse kicking contest...

    Cheers, Pete.
     
  5. blueassedfly!

    blueassedfly! New Member

    i advertise all year round YELLOW PAGES, local shops and take aways and am booking work for MAY atm, but you never know whats round the corner someone may have to cancel for whatever reason, and if you cant bring booked work forward you will end up with spare time and thats a no-no (cos the wife will get me to do the gardening).
    so allways advertise, even if you have to turn it away at first they may come back to you, because your busy!
     
  6. Punter

    Punter New Member

    Ok, so I believe you all, even good joiners advertise, and I see the business reasons why you do it. But how many people that reply to ads ask to see work you've done, and if they do, can you be bothered to show them?
     
  7. lamello

    lamello New Member

    I would have no hesitation in showing prospective customers my previous work, better than that I get free advertising on the bbc, I've been on watchdog,rogue traders, whistleblower, carpenters from hell on itv too. I just enclose a dvd of my greatest hits with every quote. Seriously though my customers can see my work whenever they want. I have no issue with it.
     
  8. blueassedfly!

    blueassedfly! New Member

    i give prospective clients, numbers of people ive done work for and they arrange a viewing amongst themselves, like 1 big happy family:) that way i get the work and keep working in the meantime.
     
  9. the screwer

    the screwer New Member

    agree with handymanforhire i advertize whether i am busy or not, somtimes a small job from an advert can develop into larger work later, build up a trust between you and your customers. I adverize in Tomson local also the smaller parish mags. Get in with a letting agent / residential home, smaller jobs but regular and see you through the quiet times when the public is skint
     
  10. parana

    parana New Member


    i predict a quiet,
    i predict a quiet!



    would have to agree with Audi. 4 out of 5 calls coming in are carpenters asking for work (south wales)! and when you do submit a reasonable estimate its undercut by the "do as you likeys" hopefully spring will perk up, do not like the thought of working for someone else......
     
  11. audi-evo

    audi-evo Active Member

    I get deliveries from lots of suppliers every day.
    Say a delivery from one firm delivering laminate to me would be 3pm and the waggon would be quarter full.
    Now i am getting the same delivery at 11am and the waggon is almost empty.
    Where before i was getting a landlord telling me to replace a full flat of carpet they are now saying, what can you salvage, could we just get away with replacing the lounge and main bed?
    The buy to let brigade are also cutting corners in the same vain.
    I don't think people are skint, just worried about the forecasts of house prices falling and up here in the north have had a bit of a shock off northern rock.
    So a bit of a "feel bad factor" and i think we will have to try harder to keep busy.
     
  12. prince

    prince New Member

    Its pretty quiet here too. I had 2 cancellations last week, but luckily a couple of days work came in for this week. Then i am booked up till June, couple of oustide jobs, then a loft conversion, with the possibility of another one in July/August.

    I think its going to be a quiet 12 months from now tho.
     
  13. dunc

    dunc New Member

    I had been on a reasonably good run since September. The phone stopped ringing about 2 weeks ago.

    I think the credit crunch has hit a lot of domestic customers. They just don't have the flexibility in their finances anymore.

    Or it might be that time of year, when it does calm down a bit.

    So its off to the allotments then...............
     
  14. prince

    prince New Member

    dunc

    I think its a mix of the 2 tbh. Its generally quieter this time of year, and also we had an early easter. A couple of my mates are stacked out with work, and a load of others are working from day to day.

    If I remember correctly, back in 2001, it went like this for a few months about this time of year, when the US markets wobbled a bit, then it went mental again.. Oh well off to the local supermarket to stack shelves nights then I guess..;0)
     
  15. !!

    !! Active Member

    I am as busy as I like 3-4 weeks work with a few high end jobs spread out until septmeber.

    Rain as stopped play again today but thats my fault for starting a deck job in the british spring time
     
  16. RK Joiner

    RK Joiner New Member

    I got work dribbling in but although I get about 90% repeat custom these satisfied customers seam a little lax when it comes to recomending though and I'm finding that the small job work customers that kept me afloat during the first 2 years now think I'm to busy to do their wee jobs but the big job cusotmers think I'm not busy enough to do their work... In an ideal world it'd be good to have an equal minded business partner but unfortunately most joiners or other trades my age (mid 20's) hav'nt got the scope to run their own shifts!
     
  17. audi-evo

    audi-evo Active Member

    you need a catchy hook rk,
    how about,
    no job to big or small ;)
     
  18. RK Joiner

    RK Joiner New Member

    exactly audi.... one of my best customers first phoned me to "hang a couple of pictures" Was still 1/2 working for my uncle at the time and he said I was mad to go do it... I went, did it, must have had a couple of g's off them in easy no hassle jobs in last 3 years but no calls in ages... could it have been the flustered red face last time i was there and running off to another job without a cuppa and a chit chat? time for a flyer post to existing customers I think!
     
  19. Trog

    Trog New Member

    I was speaking to a bench joiner the other day and he says it's the quietest he's been in 30 years. I'm scratching at the moment as well. In fact I've been offered a job paye as working foreman which I'm tempted to take at the moment just to tide me over 'till my own stuff picks up again. Money isn't as good on paye by any means but with mouths to feed and bills to pay it'll have to do.
     
  20. yorkshireboy

    yorkshireboy Member

    I,m quieter than I,ve been for a long time.
    People don,t seem to have any spare money.The problem with this sort of situation is you end up pricing cheaper which makes things even harder.I foresee hard times ahead.
     

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