If you had to make a tough decision this year due to the economy (lay-offs, selling equipment, getting back on the roof, etc.), do you see this decision benefitting your company in the long run also?

Just getting through this period will be a victory in itself.

I have never experienced so many people who call contractors for an estimate, but do not follow through with having the project done by anyone.

Yes, if our company makes it through this period, we will be the stronger for it, but at the same time, the mental exhaustion takes it's toll.

I have been roofing for over 31 years and owned my own company for 25 + years now and with the head-aches of trying to collect a substantial sum through the court system and also keep things running, it takes a lot of the wind out of the sail.

What I attempt to do, is find something positive to stay focused on and build my mental energy from there.

This leaner times period just shows me how important the old, "Planning For A Rainy Day" adage is and I got caught with not as many reserves that were liquid at the time that I need them to be. Property used to be an excellent resource and I have a lot of that, but it is not the type of green that pays the bills.

In the future, more money will be alloted for the Rainy Day Account.

I am stuck with the business suicidal option that Terry mentioned. Either lower my profit margin or offer a lesser quality product, just so that my proposals can compete. The higher value premium service proposals are being chosen much more rarely now, which was my bread and butter.

But, as long as I keep the goals in mind and continue to work and persevere, things will work out and make me a shrewder businessman for it.

Ed

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Our sales are actually up this year which is kind of a surprise. We have put two of our major competitors out of business so I'm sure that helps our volume numbers. We're advertising more which comes right off the top and getting more "tire kickers" instead of buyers but all in all we're fine. As long as the rain comes daily, which it does here in FL from June to November, there will be leaky roofs. I've always said that buying a new roof was like going to the dentist, you never do it until you have to.

JET>>>

Right now we have 3 guys laid off. If yesterdays mail had not brought in 2 jobs, 2 more were going to be laid off. Even with the new contractor registration here in PA, we are still running into unlicensed, uninsured jacklegs that are bidding bare bones. Several have been convincing people that it is SOP to put a second or third layer of shingles over a crumbly roof. "Better Insulation", they say. We have cut our profit margin down (yes I know that is suicide) and have branched out into areas other than roofing. Fortunately we have 2 excellent carpenters who have been building porches and decks and we have service contracts that are helping us keep afloat.

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Tough times foster ingenuity, and every angle of necessity that we analyze and implement in these times is only going the survivors stronger. So far we've managed to hold on with no lay-offs or fire sales, but it's definitely made us look at ways to become more competitive.>>>