This whole building industry drop off. I scares the heck out of me. Did not affect me before but now that I have a family- man I’m scared. Am I being a baby? We do very good work and I hope it helps!!! Does anyone have any advice on keeping the flame going.
Thanks, Lou
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I really do hear what you're saying and yes, I'm scared but....
This is the best time to be creative, to revamp and turn this into your finest hour. This housing debacle will turn around and the recession will come to an end, but in the meantime you gotta bow your head into the wind and try to think of other things or ways to approach your income.
I'm taking classes in business & sales at the moment just to be on board for opportunities that will come. You gotta think of other ways to market what you have, and don't get stuck in the rut of 'nobody wants what I got'. You have to think beyond that.
A successful friend of mine once told me that you make more money with the pencil than you do with a hammer. Combine the two.
You're not a wus. Fear is a very underrated tool of motivation.
"Just around the corner,
there's a rainbow in the sky
so let's have another cup of coffee
and let's have another piece of pie."
Irving Berlin
All eggs in one basket?
After the dot carnage that took place in 01 & all my highrise jobs shut down is when I opened my own business as a GC doing insurance jobs. I got bribed out of that at the end of 03 as the highrises got back up & running.
Always have something to fall back onto. Try to live as "debt free" as possible.
I'm not scared, but I have atleast 2yrs of work lined up in highrises right now. Some say the recession won't last, funny thing is, were not in a recession.
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.†—Albert Einstein
I ain't particularly worried.
We're quoting a fair amount of work. Material prices are lower than they've been for a long time. Interest rates are pretty good.
I don't look for a record setting year, but I do think it will be a decent one.
You gotta quit listing to the media and their fear mongering.
loucarabasi,
If you survive this time you will be in an excellent position as the economy ramps up again which it is sure to do,, sooner or later.
Later could be a decade or more from now or it could slowly recover with the right stimulus package now.. (the one proposed isn't it)
The best way to survive is to have something unique and marketable to the high end home owners.. (If I knew that's what I'd be doing)
Otherwise grub and grind your way as well as you can.. be ruthless about employees.. if work slows down cut their throat!
I know I used that description but those could be your choices.. they survive or you do.. Don't carry anyone for one second longer than they make you money..
Take any job and if you aren't working be marketing!
A tiny bit of cash is needed to market if you do it well.. Don't fall for mass mailing schemes or buy someone advertizing programs.. direct face to face marketing is called for.. Join any group which will have you (and has modest membership dues) A lot of groups don't require membership for attendance so go to those..
You're there to market.. have cards and maybe a few wallet photos.. this has to be done skillfully or you will be dismissed and ignored.. when they ask what you do tell them.. if that group doesn't seem interested wander to another group and aoow yourself to be introduced to them... when they ask. etc..
Read the book "Who moved my cheese?". Then decide which rat you want to be.
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Scared? Heck no. I just lost my job today. I figure I have lots of free time now. Time off to spend with my wife and newborn son that now I can't support.
TBone
If you go on AOL you'll see that a lot of companies, name brand, big companies just announced they are going to close up stores or going completely out of business.
I suspect by this fall real talk of depression will occur by this fall.
Just curious...that's supposed to cheer me up how exactly?~TBone
Feeling much better now after 5 beers or so. Time to hit the whiskey.
Sorry to hear about the job thing - I hope it all works out for you..Ignore frenchy. There will always be trolls around BT, and you just have to learn to put up with 'em.
And the sea will grant each man new hope, as sleep brings dreams of home [Christopher Columbus]
TBone,
I'm sorry I'm not very cheerful myself. Next week I will have been unemployed for 6 months and thus far I haven't had a single face to face interview in spite of dailly applications and networking..
The only job related to my 17 years in construction equipment sales had over 1000 applicants, electronically they eliminated all but 240 and then reduced that down to 100 phone interviews.
I was number 80 and I could tell about 45 seconds I'd been eliminated.
When I applied for unemployment the counciler assigned to me told me that at that point the average hire was taking over 9 months. (that was 6 months ago) Considering my age and previous income levels he thought I should plan on well over a year..
Edited 2/27/2008 6:49 pm ET by frenchy
I'm curious if you are working on your house. When I was laid off (fired) I did not have any ambition to do anything on the homestead. Now, I don't have time, but thankfully am working. Unfortunately, I am not a high wage earner, and am still well under my previous earnings. But extremely happy to have something to do with my time.
MarkH
I tiny bit here and there.. It seems like my priority should be to get work instead of working on the house.. I spend hours upon hours networking seeing if any of my contacts know of anything or hear about anything. So many of them seem to want me to reassure them. Or have already lost their jobs and are asking the same of me..
I need help doing a few bits and without any money to hire someone It's getting postponed. Untill I get that done I can't move on.
I know that feeling well. Good luck with your job search.
when money is flush it allows business to be run poorly but still make money... law of big numbers... just hard to screw up... when things get tight those that were run poorly 1. don't know til too late 2. has bad service and poor products and not much than can do... tight times always thin the herd...
even well run profitable co's get top heavy in good time... you can only pass a paper clip so many times before someone say's.... ya know we don't need so many paper clip passers...
productive revenue producing people are usually the last to go...
but i do agree with you... it ain't pretty.... around here our county debt load is higher than the whole state... and 5x what ended a few CA politicians place in office... the stuff has to hit the fan at some point... just has to
p
What happened? Layoff? Fired? Quit? Lack of work? Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Much as I'd like to say fired because it makes me feel better because then I can be angry...Sheer lack of work. The bosses told us they were keeping 5 "core" guys (of 13) but the three big (300K-500K) jobs we were hoping to get to keep the rest of us employed didn't come through for some reason.Basically a temporary layoff so hopefully the company can keep its head above water and call us all back in 8-12 weeks saying there's plenty of work.Gonna hit the unemployment line first thing tomorrow or Friday and then hopefully convince some of my friends they really want to give me some side work.What really sucks is that my wife just turned in her resignation letter to her job to stay home with the little tyke and I just took my name out of consideration for another job which at the time would have been a huge paycut but now would have at least been a paycheck.~TBone
Be trying to look on the brightside.
I was canned when my firstborn was two weeks old. Fifth best day of my life since I have to count my wedding day and three births ahead of it. I started sleeping all night that very day. It may seem tough to handle now but it can end up being a really good thing in the long run. Enjoy a few weeks of rest and recharging your batteries and I hope the best for you and the others here that are looking for work.