We need a leader......

[Swampy]

Where is the state of the industry? Or even the economy itself?

My personal business is grown 150% from this date since last year. But it feels like no ground has been gained. Anybody else feeling this same way?

[Frizzle Fry]

Same here - the "growth" is here but not for everybody and it's all uphill.

My theory? Small businesses have a growing customer base - "big businesses" are perceived to be evil, so a lot of people choose small instead. All the people who have been hiring illegals and fly-by-nights because they're too broke (or too thrifty) have suffered the consequences of having shady people do poor work for cheap and need reliable workers and lasting quality. It doesn't "stimulate" because people still aren't spending as much as they should, they're just not spending where they used to.

All these ineffective and invasive band-aid bills need to get chucked, and we need to incentivize the return of production to the US, and the hiring of full time employees with benefits rather than a fleet of broke part time wage-slaves. Regulation changes in the form of tax breaks that business leaders LIKE, rather than restrictions that send them running for south east asia, a punchcard system, and a few dozen offshore accounts.

Don't let the "low" unemployment number fool ya, kids, they take into account only the people still being paid not to work... not the ones who have stopped "looking for work" or are precluded from continuing to collect under the terms of the 2012 extension. The extension of benefits is an economic sinker, and the fact that baby boomers are retiring in force this year (specifically in the last month or two) creates a sort of blip in the radar, the likes of which we'll see every spring for the next ten years or so... Just wait 'til school gets out and we'll see where that 0.1% goes.

/rant

[Swampy]

Same here - the "growth" is here but not for everybody and it's all uphill.

My theory? Small businesses have a growing customer base - "big businesses" are perceived to be evil, so a lot of people choose small instead. All the people who have been hiring illegals and fly-by-nights because they're too broke (or too thrifty) have suffered the consequences of having shady people do poor work for cheap and need reliable workers and lasting quality. It doesn't "stimulate" because people still aren't spending as much as they should, they're just not spending where they used to.

All these ineffective and invasive band-aid bills need to get chucked, and we need to incentivize the return of production to the US, and the hiring of full time employees with benefits rather than a fleet of broke part time wage-slaves. Regulation changes in the form of tax breaks that business leaders LIKE, rather than restrictions that send them running for south east asia, a punchcard system, and a few dozen offshore accounts.

Don't let the "low" unemployment number fool ya, kids, they take into account only the people still being paid not to work... not the ones who have stopped "looking for work" or are precluded from continuing to collect under the terms of the 2012 extension. The extension of benefits is an economic sinker, and the fact that baby boomers are retiring in force this year (specifically in the last month or two) creates a sort of blip in the radar, the likes of which we'll see every spring for the next ten years or so... Just wait 'til school gets out and we'll see where that 0.1% goes.

/rant

Coming from the Landscape Industry, I get that alot. But let me tell you how hard it is to find good employee's. I emplaced a strict policy with "new hire" candiates. After the interview, background check, and a drug test. Theft from employeer is a automatic no go in my book, granted someone might have done it once in the past, and I've dealt with it to mostly with gasoline (caught them dumping 5 gallon gas cans into their car). Or asking someone to take a drug test and the response you get is "I don't want to do that" or they are a no show for their appointment. All this leads me to use H2B or migrate workers. Before I get flamed, I don't make a killing of them nor do I pay them under mininum wage, they make 10/hr. I give them a incentive as well, if they become a citizen, and learn the english language fairly well I bump them into my pay schedule starting at 11.75/hr. I can't even get college kids to come mow grass for 10/hr, which is the easiest job in the world.

All the numbers point to up hill, To me it doesn't, its like I got a leech on my fiancials, but I am coming off a bad year for snow. I don't count on it, actually prepare myself not to, its just extra to me. But I guess its that tranistion "blues" period from seasons.

And to all that where loving this winter, yeah weather was great but when you get acustomed to making triple digits "pushing" snow around to low doubles, that just sucks!

I'm confused and fustrated. This what a few of my friends have told me is being stagnant. Not really growing and not losing. I'm feeling like a mindless drone, every morning I open the door for business and look upon the shop I just want to vomit, and that tingling feeling in my arm comes back. I really want to shut the lights off and lock that door up and just go home. The fiance wonders why I smoke a pack a day.

Sorry for the rant and mindless babbling just needed to unload, and drink a beer.

[Frizzle Fry]

Sorry for the rant and mindless babbling just needed to unload, and drink a beer.

If I was in Wisconsin I'd join ya for one. I've been feeling a bit like I'm just a gerbil on a wheel myself lately.

[sjrtk]

I know the feeling Swamp, I plow after the "real" job during the winter. About 6 g's of up front cost to get going. With snow in October looked like it could have been another good season. New plow blade rebuild the pumps and next thing you know no snow and a big credit card bill.

[OPBN]

Business is horrendous in my industry right now as well. I am coming off of the two worst months I have had in probably 10 years. Early on in the year last year, we were kicking ass and taking names and then about June it started to die off and now it is just freaking terrible. Most of my business has come from offshore over the past decade and there just seems to be little if anything going on.

Problem is, I don't know if anyone truly has a clue on how to get things fixed. I've been reading some articles about China lately and there is really some doom and gloom about how bad the situation worldwide could get if/when the Chinese run out of money and stop artificially driving their economy.

I feel for the guys that rely on plowing for extra income. With as warm as it was over the Winter, it makes me wonder how flipping hot it will be this summer. Probably should have been putting aside all the money we saved this winter in heating costs to pay for the AC costs that are going to shoot through the roof over the next few months.

[psunitro]

Im lucky to be at a company that is growing by leaps and bounds,it a medical divice maker.
But knowing a lot of guys in the machining industry, that is stagnant around here. We still have a few big industries around, but so many have dried up in the past 10 years.Biggest employers are the hospital,Walmart, and Schools.
I lived out in western Pa when the steel mills were going away, and the area still hasnt recovered.

LOL I dont know how much I saved this year with heating oil being so warm. Since I had to pay $500+ for 150 gallons, stupid summer/winter system. I REALLY need to save up and switch to nat gas.

[Swampy]

If I was in Wisconsin I'd join ya for one. I've been feeling a bit like I'm just a gerbil on a wheel myself lately.

I'll hold you to that, who knows the Army might send me out that way for a school or something.

sjrtk: Costs are costs, no escaping it. Plowing is shortens the life of equipment dramatically. All my trucks have spare parts sitting on the shelf waiting for that time when your out pushing snow and have a breakdown, all the auto parts/dealers are closed up for the night. Now your sitting there with pants around your ankles waist deep in snow freezing your junk cause you you got 6 hours worth left for plowing but have 3 hours to finish. Not to compare apples but I had the engine go out of the skid loader, cracked the head and threw a rod. My New Holland dealer Kelbe Bros. wanted 7 grand for a new engine. Luckly I got a mechanic on staff and sourced me a comparable Cummins engine for less. That and my F5fixme is back in the shop....... again.

I was lumped in with the rest of the small business contractors in 2008. To be honest the fridage started to get pretty bare. That was scary, I've never taken a hand out willingly, but I was thinking I'd have to hit up the food pantry just to eat. But when banks are calling about were their loan payment is, your selling off equipment below market value, laying off good loyal employees and looking them in the to tell them your going to have find work else where also hinting at them to go cash their pay check immediately. It brings a tear to eye almost, to see everything you worked for and built get thrown in the crapper. But you rebuild, restructure, and it makes you stronger and smarter.

I don't know much of China, it's not a big business concern for me, as I don't think the chinese are going to come over here to cut grass. But what I can relate towards it, I tend not to buy chinese produced products, they tend to cheap out on materials and they break. Not saying that American, Mexican, European products are better either. I research alot before I purchase something, mostly talking to contractors that run/use that product.

I've got a meeting next week with a marketing agent, to sit down and talk about I can do to drum up some more business. Been thinking of bringing in a consultant as well to get some ideas flowing.

[Soopa Villain17]

Where is the state of the industry? Or even the economy itself?

My personal business is grown 150% from this date since last year. But it feels like no ground has been gained. Anybody else feeling this same way?

Do you grow and sell marijuana ? that seems to be the only business thriving.