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Tim Bateson
12-30-2016, 3:20 PM
As of today, I will no longer be excepting new customers. In reality, it's been since Thanksgiving, but now officially a freeze. This mostly applies to one-off and small jobs type of work. I spend wayyyy too much time on that type of work. I have enough commercial/Industrial, and firearm work sources to keep me more busy than I would like.
I just can't handle working all day, having dinner and maybe an hour a day with the wife, then working to midnight 6-7 days a week.

You say Hire - Won't work - My shop is in my basement and I won't have "employees" in my house like that.
You say Store Front - Not my business model & not interested (yet) in that massive overhead.
You say Full-Time - That can't happen for another 16 months (I'm a couple years ahead of my 10 year business plan).
You say 2nd machine? Already have two. Long jobs it works, but short jobs are too difficult to manage more than 1 machine.

It's a gamble cutting back, but I have to think of my sanity and marriage too.

John Lifer
12-30-2016, 3:44 PM
Yep, makes perfect sense. I'd maybe not cut off business customers entirely, I know you don't shop for them, they appear, which is great.
I'd for sure stop one offs, and anything not really making you $. You have to fire customers sometimes :) I would make sure not to eliminate a potential big customer, just put them off for another year or so! Working two jobs for long period is hard. And eliminates the fun!

Scott Marquez
12-30-2016, 9:21 PM
Good for you Tim, my guess is that you will make more money in 2017 with less output of time and mental stress.
Enjoy, Scott

Jeff Body
12-30-2016, 9:38 PM
I've always wondered about a situation like this as my brother is in the same. He's got way more work then time. I've often told him it's time to raise his prices alittle.
My thought is why not let price help weed out customers. By the sound of it you're in high demand, wouldn't that call for a higher price????
With that you'll weed out the customer that don't value your skills and you'll gain the ones that do and are willing to pay the higher price for your expertise.
You'll also come out ahead because you're making more money for your time.

Time is a constant variable.
What other variables can you change that will help you to continue to grow?

Bruce Volden
12-30-2016, 11:01 PM
Tim,

Yep, been there done that! I however was fortunate enough to have kids @ home. I would create the files and they would "load" the machines.
My daughter was home schooled after 8th grade and caught on VERY quickly and she pretty much could do it all. She / they would run the machines 8 - 10 hours per day and when I got home from my "day job" I would take over for at least another 8!!!
HATED doing that, never any free time.
Oh, I was paying the the kids $10 / hr. and this was back in the mid-late 90's!

Bruce

Mike Null
12-31-2016, 7:44 AM
Tim

I began to make a similar move a couple of years back. I raised my minimum price to $25 which quickly started the "weed-out" process and then I began saying "we are not accepting new accounts at this time". Of course, if the job sounds interesting I may accept it but that is rare.

In the month of December I doubt that I had more than 6 retail customers and those were usually for $100 or more.

I'm also home based with my shop in the basement and I don't like visitors; I also don't like people who can't keep their appointments. Given my circumstances, I have no problem in being firm with these
retail customers. I make my living from commercial accounts and that's where I'm going to focus.

Kev Williams
12-31-2016, 1:48 PM
We've had strange people in and out of this house all day every day since my parents moved here in '69 (I was 14 years old). All but one of our immediate neighbors were here when we moved in, and the exception has been there over 10 years. This keeps the "I think the neighbor there is selling drugs!" calls to a minimum ;) ...that, and the fact we make the name badges for over half the Police Dept's in the area.

I'm now 62, planning on semi-retiring in 3 years, and am also getting weary of the 'Do you engrave?' phone calls. I've not needed 'street' work for nearly 10 years, but I just keep doing it. One reason is MOST of the time the inconvenience is minor, and on rare occasions (true story) a cold caller looking for a name badge for his nurse wife may work for an electrical contractor, and when he sees my shop (which always provokes a "Holy ***t!" response), he tells his boss, and his boss asks a few questions, and in short order I have a regular $600-$1000 a month customer making easy-peasy 1x3 nameplates--- which is exactly the type of work I want to have when I semi-retire!

I have been getting better at telling people 'sorry', but I'd feel better if I knew of somewhere to steer them to so they can get what they need done. Truth is, a lot of my 'competition' brings me their 'sorry' work (Like the big silver cup in the garage I have to engrave today). In my "I feel dumb" thread, I posted up about blabbing 'harmonicas' to the lady who brought them with one of the recipients standing with her. This order originated with grandpa all frantic because he couldn't find anyone who knew how to engrave a harmonica. "we can't engrave metal"... say What?? We're talking basic diamond etching that ANY engraver should be able to do, on a flat easy to hold part. Sheesh. I guess it's no wonder I have to work 17 hours a day to keep up. What I want to know is, if my peers can't engrave a simple harmonica, how are they making a living?

Anyway, it's hard for me to tell people no. But I always cringe after collecting a 10 and a 5 for the 45 minute's work I put in for their job when they say "I'll be sure to tell everyone I know about you!"

(fortunately, they usually don't) ;)

Happy New Year everyone!

Bill George
12-31-2016, 6:14 PM
I took my phone number off my website and they must contact via email. Established customers have my cell number. The do you engrave gets old after a while, and I charge $20 minimum for a job, unless they are a paying established customer who I make exceptions. My wife says I charge to much, but I worked for union shops all my life and if I want to make minimum wage I will get a job at Walmart.

paul cottingham
12-31-2016, 6:55 PM
In my business (retired now) once we got to where you are, we doubled our rates. Mind you, it was a different business (network admin.) rather than cutting our business, it doubled it. Due to the math, it really improved our bottom line, too (more than doubled it.) we were able to weed out the clients we no longer wanted.

Kev Williams
12-31-2016, 10:12 PM
I took my phone number off my website...
I did you one better, check my website, it's been this way for months- ;)
www.engraver1.com

-doesn't matter much, because everything about me comes up when anyone googles "engraver". I get an average of 3 cold calls a day, and about 1 in 5 is from across the country...
(http://www.engraver1.com)

Glen Monaghan
12-31-2016, 11:15 PM
everything about me comes up when anyone googles "engraver".
(http://www.engraver1.com)

hmmm... I didn't find your name or website in the first 5 pages of results...

Kev Williams
01-01-2017, 1:07 AM
Neither did I :) my computer was looking in Alabama (we have a kid there, that might have something to do with it)

Rodne Gold
01-01-2017, 1:44 AM
If you dont financially need the extra work..can it... whats the point of making money which cuts into the enjoyment of family and life?
I would apply the FOAD pricing model rather than refuse tho..

Matt McCoy
01-01-2017, 1:14 PM
If you dont financially need the extra work..can it... whats the point of making money which cuts into the enjoyment of family and life?
I would apply the FOAD pricing model rather than refuse tho..

I had to look up FOAD, but totally agree. The only option for growth without expanding (employees) is raising your prices. Now might be a good opportunity. As mentioned, time is the constant.

Congrats and Happy New Year.

Jacob John
01-01-2017, 3:52 PM
I did you one better, check my website, it's been this way for months- ;)
www.engraver1.com (http://www.engraver1.com)

-doesn't matter much, because everything about me comes up when anyone googles "engraver". I get an average of 3 cold calls a day, and about 1 in 5 is from across the country...
(http://www.engraver1.com)

I'd love to have this "problem" that many of you have. :)

Kev Williams
01-01-2017, 5:43 PM
There are worse problems to be sure, but--

We have a houseboat that I've been in the middle of fixing since Fathers day 2015. If I had full weekends off it would be an 8 weekend job. But after 18 months I'm not even half done yet. I have an old Goldwing and an older Sportster, I haven't ridden either one in 4 years. I have 3 ATV's I haven't ridden since 2005.

All work & no play does get old!

John Stevenson
01-01-2017, 6:28 PM
Tell them you have ordered a new Sourceforge and when it comes in you will be ready to take on more customers. :D

Art Anderson
01-01-2017, 11:47 PM
Rodney!
Great to hear from you!! I assume you've been as busy as always? Or have you finally started to gain some time for yourself?

Tim Bateson
01-02-2017, 3:27 PM
Funny thing is I did raise my minimum to $25 over a year ago and it's surprising how few customers it scares away. I told one guy, I was too busy & he couldn't afford me. I was wrong. Turns out when a big wad of cash is thrown at you, you suddenly become available & affordable.

Rodne Gold
01-02-2017, 9:15 PM
Hiya ART ..for the last 4-5 years I have stepped back from the business , I gave my right hand man 25% of the enterprise and he runs it ...

And thank goodness I did that .. as last year Sept , I had an open heart quad bypass and a month later a further stent..Had I been at the helm..the business would have gone south.

I now work from 9 am to 1 pm , sometimes less..the only reason I go in is for something to do ..staying at home can make you dilly...

My JAG got rear ended and written off 2 months ago.decided a car is a waste based on how much I drive so I no longer even drive ..I UBER

Im majorly involved in high end hifi .. have a dedicated room ..I spend a lot of time there doing what I like ... listening to music and fiddling with my gear.
I had a dread disease policy that paid out big , Im waiting for my new speakers..will be installed sometime in March ... spending some of the windfall with a sting in its tail as a survival present to myself.

YOLO ..


Here is a pic of my hifi room

350639

Mike Null
01-03-2017, 9:55 AM
Rodney

Good to see you're enjoying your hobby. I'm more impressed with the Persian rugs, of course I'm married to a Persian.

Jay Selway
01-03-2017, 10:32 AM
When we get too busy, we just refer them to the other guys around the corner. That way clients get what they need and we build goodwill with our competition.

Jeff Belany
01-05-2017, 2:12 PM
As a couple have mentioned, I would also like to have the 'problem' of too much business. I got a reply to a post in another laser forum today that the person ran their laser 15 hours a day, 7 days a week. I have too many days that the laser isn't even turned on. Frustrating when you've been in the same business for over 40 years (graphics in one way or another) and can't pay yourself minimum wage. And the local McD's starting wage is $8.50.

I'm sure many will assume I do crappy work but I can say that almost all my customers love the work I do. I just don't have enough customers and NO industrial/commercial ones.

So enjoy all the work you get and raise your prices so you don't get more -- and be thankful for what you have.

Jeff in northern Wisconsin

AL Ursich
01-05-2017, 3:31 PM
I too stopped talking new orders in September and have been telling everyone I will start again in February 2017... Just a one man shop and I do Fire Department FRP Tags in a business zoned low impact so no additional employees. I am fine with that. Still working on last year's work...

I have only had one serious taker on the Feb. start up... I send a PDF Price list. Others looked elsewhere but more likely due to price. I charge more than anyone else in the business but I am OK with that. I believe I am the best with $21K worth of happy in 2016. Enough for me.

AL

Bert Kemp
01-05-2017, 7:17 PM
Jeff I can't imagine theres a lot of call for laser cutting or engraving in your neck of the woods. Small towns in rural area's , with no major commercial or industrial business's close by, no big collages or lots of schools looking for awards, I can see why business would be slow.


As a couple have mentioned, I would also like to have the 'problem' of too much business. I got a reply to a post in another laser forum today that the person ran their laser 15 hours a day, 7 days a week. I have too many days that the laser isn't even turned on. Frustrating when you've been in the same business for over 40 years (graphics in one way or another) and can't pay yourself minimum wage. And the local McD's starting wage is $8.50.

I'm sure many will assume I do crappy work but I can say that almost all my customers love the work I do. I just don't have enough customers and NO industrial/commercial ones.

So enjoy all the work you get and raise your prices so you don't get more -- and be thankful for what you have.

Jeff in northern Wisconsin