Slow this time of year for everyone else?

[ponderosatree]

I know this is typically a slow season given that tax time is around the corner but it seems unusually slow. Is anyone else experiencing slower than normal sales?

 

[John464]

tax time = homeowners spending their tax returns for tree work = swamped

 

[begleytree]

tax time = homeowners spending their tax returns for tree work = swamped

quickly and steadily getting there too.
-Ralph

 

[Climb020]

Really picking up hear. Even the small guys that were slow with almost no work last month are getting busy.

 

[Timberhauler]

I know this is typically a slow season given that tax time is around the corner but it seems unusually slow. Is anyone else experiencing slower than normal sales?

This time last year,I was having to sub out jobs...But this year it's coming in waves..It seems like we're busting it for a week,then it slows,then we're humping again..It hasn't become very steady yet like it normally is for this time of year...I just got done looking at my overall figures for March of 06',and this past March wasn't even close.

 

[beowulf343]

I know this is typically a slow season given that tax time is around the corner but it seems unusually slow. Is anyone else experiencing slower than normal sales?

No.

 

[woodchux]

We've been full tilt for 4-5 weeks

 

[Sunrise Guy]

In Austin I am getting as much business as I can handle, and then some. It's much busier than last year.

 

[ponderosatree]

I think I spoke too soon. I'm getting overwhelmed with phone calls all of a sudden.

 

[l2edneck]

finally stopped callin myself to make sure phone was workin

 

[HurricaneHunter]

Dec. , Jan. , & Feb. are normally slow in the Atlanta area. These past 4 months were unusually slow. Home foreclosures were supposedly up 42% from this time last year in metro Atlanta. I think that has something to do with the slowdown. When folks can't make their mortgage payments, they probably aren't going to be contracting for tree care.
Calls have picked up lately. Storms blowing trees around and tax money coming available has helped,I guess. Tree business is funny. Feast or famine.

(P.S.) Been lurking around this forum for awhile and thought I'd jump in.

 

[PowersTree]

Im in Michigan..........its gonna be a rough year I think. Although it is starting to come around.

 

[diltree]

Its defiantly abnormally slow in our area for private work, we are eating up the work as we bid it....thank god I lined up a few municipal contracts!

 

[yooper]

Im in Michigan..........its gonna be a rough year I think. Although it is starting to come around.

It may come around if the snow stops. It almost all melted here a couple week ago. Just in time to get about 30 inches last week! Should'nt last long. hopefully summer is just around the corner...... If so I hope it lands on a weekend this year here, would love to take the family out for a picnic.

 

[ropensaddle]

yeah

Then presto booked pretty solid now was unusually slow in March it will come and go hang in there!

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Still slow here, though the weather has been pretty wierd. All of my clients are grumbling about no backlog.

 

[bigtreeguy]

I was just telling the wife that I might have to get an unlisted phone number so I'll have some free time for golf. No, but seriously, here in Colorado we had snow on the ground for three months. It finally melted in early March, and the phone has been ringing ever since.

 

[ponderosatree]

I think I spoke too soon. I'm getting overwhelmed with phone calls all of a sudden.

I don't get it. Business has recently dried up again. Berkeley business is the worst I've seen it in years. Calls just aren't coming in. I don't get it. Very frustrating. I'm hoping for a rebound after May 1st. Looking at my bids last year we were doing at least 5 a day. Now it's like 1 a day. When I posted the above quote we had a surge and it looked like business was back to normal and then WHAM nothing again.

Frustrating.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

I know this is typically a slow season given that tax time is around the corner but it seems unusually slow. Is anyone else experiencing slower than normal sales?

It depends on how you look at it.

Most people who can hire our services, don't figure out their tax stuff on April 15 or 17.

Remember, April 15th is not the tax filing "date". Its the deadline.

Many people start their tax prep back in January, possibly storing the papers to mail if they owe a payment. So April 15 may amount to no more than a 15 minute errand for them.

Sometimes its a distraction.

I think its a bit slow here, but the weather cooled-off significantly too, for almost 2 weeks. So its hard to pin-point the reason sometimes.

Bad news on the TV distracts people too.

Holidays - even St. Valentine's day, or school vacations - are quite noticeable.

 

[HurricaneHunter]

This may have something to do with it

Excerpts From Clark's Shows: foreclosures


Apr 17, 2007 -- Foreclosures up 200%; more in California
The state of California’s foreclosure rate is up 800 percent compared to a year ago, according to the LA Times. And, that’s only the average. In Ventura County, for instance, foreclosures are up 1,100%; Riverside County is up 900%; Orange County, LA and many southern California areas are up 700%. The rest of the country is not as bad, but foreclosures have increased tremendous amounts compared to past years. The foreclosure rate throughout the country is up 200 percent. Many of these homes were speculative buys, especially in Nevada, Arizona, California and Florida. No one ever intended to live in these places. They were just hoping to flip them for more money. What if you’re not a spec buyer? You own your house and you can’t make payments. Clark has been recommending that you talk to your lender and try to work something out. He’s gotten some feedback on this from folks who say their lender won’t work with them. That may be the case in rare circumstances. But, for the most part, your lender wants to work with you. They may offer you a 40-year loan instead of 30-year loan to help you keep your home. It will reduce your payment about 5 percent, which isn’t much. But if you’ve called before and gotten the blow off, give it another try.