# How is business for everyone?



## clovis (May 13, 2002)

Just curious how the economy is treating you.

We flea market and ebay:

May- Even though we were one of the top vendors at the flea market, sales were poor. I felt as if we got our clock cleaned.

June- Sales were fair. Not great, but not awful either.

July- We are off to a good start, even though the last two days have been super slow.

As a side note:

Gas prices. As gas goes up, we start to see a drop in our sales, and when gas drops, our sales seem to tick up. I think $4 gas and high grocery costs are eating into free cash that people have to spend.

What type of business are you in? How have your sales been?


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## lonelytree (Feb 28, 2008)

I grind stumps, landscape, drop trees etc..

May - Slow start but decent.

June - Sweet!

July - Slow start, salmon fishing always distracts people from worrying about their yards.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

My husband is a mechanic and owns his own shop. Business is slow right now. For our retail meat store, business is VERY slow compared to normal. The slowest in 3 years. 

Typically for this time of year, my husband would have a dozen vehicles in line and have so much work he could hardly breathe. This isn't normal.


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

I have my own website and I make, package and ship a very niche product. Typically sales dip a bit in May, June and July. But this year, it has been steadily on the increase.

As far as the farming, we've not had a problem with the "recession". I say "what recession?" lol 

I baled hay from one of the farms that we were going to let rest this year. I sold it faster than I could bale it. I'm looking to double our goat herd from 40 to 80. With the weather, lack of grass, lack of hay, a lot of people are selling their Boers cheap. Yeah.... it's been a good year for us, financially.


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## clovis (May 13, 2002)

Thank you for the replies!!!!

It is interesting to hear how everyone else is doing. 

Anyone else care to share?


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## Rollochrome (Apr 9, 2012)

I own a construction company.

It's been impossible to grow, but we have sustained.

We've been contract to contract for several years.

There is always another contractor that is willing to work for free, or cost minus, just to hope for a chance to bust a client wide open with a change order or to bait and switch materials. I can't compete with those guys. They're always way under my bid.

However.....the Lord has ordered our steps. We've never hit rock bottom. We've always had our head above water. We've never run completely out of work.. Business for the last three years has shown me how perfectly God meets our needs........

I'm thankful.....but I'm real ready for this economy to be part of our country's history....


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## happychick (Sep 20, 2010)

We sell on eBay & Etsy - June was the slowest month this year, but otherwise sales are steadily increasing!  

Interesting to read about what others are doing...


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

I'm a full-time Soapmaker. June was pretty steady. July has been pretty bad. Biz is down about 35% from last year.
I sell on a website, wholesale & farmer's Market.
The website is steady.
Farmer's Market isn't really worth the time to set up. When the weather gets hot...the people stay home in the AC. It really doesn't help that another soap vendor is selling bars at flea market pricing....people aren't bothering to look at the ingredient lists.

Wholesale has been a real downer. Customers are ordering about half of normal. I've had to chase after my money and then implement very strict payment policies. Up until now, things have flowed along smoothly.

If I could sell my Biz and get out...I just might.


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## foaly (Jan 14, 2008)

I work online as a medical transcriptionist/editor. Yes indeed, loads of folks need their gallbladder out, are having babies, or any of 100 other reasons for being in the hospital. Many thanks on my end. It keeps me in a job. 

<Okay, not that I am glad people are in the hospital, but you get my point, right?>


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## edcopp (Oct 9, 2004)

Plenty of work to do, but cash flow is down. It's a good year to prepare for next year.


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## thesedays (Feb 25, 2011)

foaly said:


> I work online as a medical transcriptionist/editor. Yes indeed, loads of folks need their gallbladder out, are having babies, or any of 100 other reasons for being in the hospital. Many thanks on my end. It keeps me in a job.
> 
> <Okay, not that I am glad people are in the hospital, but you get my point, right?>


I felt that way when I was a hospital pharmacist.

The more I hear, the more and more grateful I am that I left that line of work, at least for now. The thing is, with a degree like that, it's very difficult to find a job doing anything else.


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## Kazahleenah (Nov 3, 2004)

I do screenprinting...
I've been busier than a cat trying to cover poo on a marble floor lately.
But, this is my "busy season"....


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## Irish (Feb 10, 2012)

Even though the OP is from July, I thought I'd respond anyway. We have our little shop and it started out slow. However, we've revamped what we were selling and it's doing much better. I was told by a lady to go with the trends. So, I'm learning how to do that. Also, to have more 'tacky' items, that sells...sheesh. Bothers me to offer the stuff but it does sell. Heh...


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