I was on Facebook the other day and an owner I friended /followed of a large pest control company put out a tweet. Or is that a poke, or a like, or just a status update? I don’t know, I just usually just hang in my closed little group pestcemetery.com. You should come and ask to join. Since it’s a closed group, potty language is encouraged. Anyway, they made mention that their fiscal year was looking GREAT and their sales force was killing it! That reminded me, I’ve forgotten to do my 1/2 year assessment. I think I poked her back, “Good job.”
Now, I’m not a mega company nor am I real fancy. So I don’t really have a ‘fiscal’ year per se but I do do a “check up from the neck up” around June each year. I was really pleased with my numbers and if the next 1/2 of the year keeps going like this…well let’s just say ‘mama will be happy,’ and if mama’s happy,,,,,well, you get it.
However, I look at more than just numbers coming in as I think any owner should. Expenses, where my work is coming from, cancellation trends (if any) and a whole list of things. This led me to a few observations that well, I just don’t know exactly what they mean.
So I thought I’d just put em out there for all to see. If you have any insight, I’d love to here it!
Odd Observations Of 2013
#1. Raised my prices this year &…..
Didn’t get near the negative feedback I thought we would and we did it without any prior notification. (usually we send out a small note ahead of time)
I really don’t think it added a dime. ie; it just barely kept up with my costs that have gone up 🙁 (and it wasn’t a small increase)
#2. 2008 must have been a bad year for Fords. Omg, if I spend one more dime on those trucks I may just start looking at getting a horse.
#3. I have worked more holidays and Saturdays this year already than I have in the last 3 or 4 years combined.
#4. I have never been more disappointed in ‘big time’ distributors…..
We had to convert all our termite bait customers to liquid because our provider thought that raising their prices to the tune of “5 x’s” higher was a great business strategy. For them, maybe. For us, ugh….. That conversion is still stinging.
I know I’m not a big fish in this pond but it doesn’t seem some of the big boys want my business. I have one vendor in town that I like but I had to get quite a bit of product from ordering online.
#5. I hit all my goals, plus some and yet I’m just not gonna follow through with my plan of expanding. Something just isn’t sitting well with me & I don’t know what it is. Call me a conspiracy nut or a doom and gloomer but I just don’t think this economy is on solid ground. (more Saturdays I guess)
#6. I’ve lost more big work (Thank’s wonderful big mega uncaring greedy termite bait supplier company) this year than in a long time but I’m somehow still ahead.
#7. My biggest client has been with me since 1990 and is still going strong today. Wow, that’s humbling.
#8. I had my personal best month for production (work done) of over 25k and I’m far and above leading at the 1/2 way point. Shouldn’t the boss be sort of sitting at a desk, or a BBQ joint most the time? Wait I take that back–I personally did do over 36k one month about 10 years ago. It was a big termite baiting job which THANKS to big mega bait supplier charging over $500 bucks for a box of wood!!!!! That job recently cancelled. Bye Bye really nice renewal check…Thanks mega bait now wanting to dominate the world with your little Viking man distributor. You’re just peachy!
#9. And the oddest observation of all. Is after quite a bit of adversity, lots of hard work and numbers that really shouldn’t add up to the best year I’ve had….somehow, it is.
Well that is if nothing stranger pops up along the way. How’s your year been?
