Gone very quiet
Discussion
Mr Overheads said:
Finance Directors just aren’t back in the office yet, so can’t call them, and they don’t respond to email,
We're in a B2B field and talking to colleagues elsewhere in Europe and the US it seems customers in the UK are particularly bad for not responding to email, and mostly in other countries salesguys have their customers mobile numbers whereas in the UK it's fairly unusual that we have them.This makes generating new business (even with exisiting customers) impossible. Of course these same customers become your best mate if they're struggling to get hold of something - which is a massive issue right now in our field.
Edited by Sheepshanks on Monday 26th April 20:12
DSLiverpool said:
I have hundreds of assorted businesses of all sizes and sectors in the club and with only a few exceptions they report a huge drop off.
It’ll come back but the end of furlough in sept is expected to be a big chicane.
E-commerce: April always quiet for us, but we are also quieter than budgeted, probably 10-15% lower...still very substantially above run rates pre-CovidIt’ll come back but the end of furlough in sept is expected to be a big chicane.
Asset Management/Consulting: Busier than ever before...we will see which projects work, but some big opportunities out there
Home improvements. The year has been great for us, and April just gone was the best month on record. But, and I'm posting this because of the "but", May has gone quiet. Sales will be about 33% of April.
The sun has come out so people aren't in front of their PC, they are now able to spend elsewhere, and people are slowly getting back into the office I suppose.
The sun has come out so people aren't in front of their PC, they are now able to spend elsewhere, and people are slowly getting back into the office I suppose.
RegMolehusband said:
Home improvements. The year has been great for us, and April just gone was the best month on record..
You’ve had the perfect business for the last 15 months, I’m sure you’ve been pinching yourself. I’ve a tool / DIY D2C startup that will easily hit £1.3m year one but probably do less in year two as it’s had an abnormal first year. We are awash with government money via furlough + other work and bounce back loans etc etc plus indiscriminate scattergun government procurement has reached unimaginable places.
However I fear for the end of furlough and / or a third (fourth) wave of Covid. Both would be a perfect s
t storm.I am in engineering specialising in custom design and build for paper & plastics, we were very busy making machines for making PPE but that area has gone very quiet now and a lot of the machines we built for UK companies are now idle as the big contracts that were promised to our customers turned out to be only interim orders until the containers arrived from China.
We are still fairly busy on our normal range but order book is now in weeks rather than months.
Still struggling to get all supplies and prices are rocketing! It makes it difficult to plan ahead when we are quoting on contracts for delivery in 6 months or more.
We are still fairly busy on our normal range but order book is now in weeks rather than months.
Still struggling to get all supplies and prices are rocketing! It makes it difficult to plan ahead when we are quoting on contracts for delivery in 6 months or more.
EV charging and it is very quiet. I think that showrooms have been shut since Xmas and, although you can buy cars online, people moving to EVs want to drive and understand them before committing their money. As a result this is the worst case scenario for us right now as the cars being delivered now would have been ordered in the last few months.
We have also been approached by other companies in the sector asking us if we need them to help us.
We have also been approached by other companies in the sector asking us if we need them to help us.
I've just made up my books for 2020/21. After several years of steady growth - around 20% year on year - turnover and profit both fell by around 40% because of lockdown. I've not qualified for any government support so far, but I should get some help from the 4th round self-employment grants. I'll find out when I'm able to apply on the 29th.
Although I've been open and working throughout (work from home), the phone just stopped ringing during the hard lockdown periods, April and May last year I didn't get a single enquiry. This year has been pretty quiet, until 2 weeks ago when the shops were allowed to reopen.
Last Friday was my busiest day ever, getting 2 "normal" weeks worth of jobs in a single day!
Although I've been open and working throughout (work from home), the phone just stopped ringing during the hard lockdown periods, April and May last year I didn't get a single enquiry. This year has been pretty quiet, until 2 weeks ago when the shops were allowed to reopen.
Last Friday was my busiest day ever, getting 2 "normal" weeks worth of jobs in a single day!
Phooey said:
Thread revival!
How’s everyone doing? I’m really quiet atm. The last few weeks have seen a gradual decline, this weekend almost like the lights have been switched off. Never seen it so quiet. Online retail, Amazon.
That's interesting & makes me feel a little better! (sorry!). We were doing OK, then April 14th it was like a switch was flicked, it was/is so bad I've checked our web hosting server numerous times!How’s everyone doing? I’m really quiet atm. The last few weeks have seen a gradual decline, this weekend almost like the lights have been switched off. Never seen it so quiet. Online retail, Amazon.
The trouble with online these days is you don't know whether Google have spanked you (for whatever reason) or other things are in play!
I think we're in for a tough 2021, lock downs ending meaning people are going out rather than stuck in buying online.
What can you do other than ride it out?
Dave_ST220 said:
That's interesting & makes me feel a little better! (sorry!). We were doing OK, then April 14th it was like a switch was flicked, it was/is so bad I've checked our web hosting server numerous times!
The trouble with online these days is you don't know whether Google have spanked you (for whatever reason) or other things are in play!
I think we're in for a tough 2021, lock downs ending meaning people are going out rather than stuck in buying online.
What can you do other than ride it out?
My Royal Mail postie who collected my parcels just now said he's never known it so quiet this past few weeks for delivering parcels/packages. If they say it's quiet, then it must be across the board. But yes, shockingly bad day today for sales.The trouble with online these days is you don't know whether Google have spanked you (for whatever reason) or other things are in play!
I think we're in for a tough 2021, lock downs ending meaning people are going out rather than stuck in buying online.
What can you do other than ride it out?
Yep, we did that and stopped B2C. For the effort it's just not worth it, plus in a year or so it's going to be carnage as govt subsidies end, standards go out of the window and everyone wants the cheapest EV home charger. We're quite successful in B2B and so are focussing on that.
Oddly, as said above, it is quite comforting to hear we aren't the only ones to check their web stats every day wondering if we're missing something!
Oddly, as said above, it is quite comforting to hear we aren't the only ones to check their web stats every day wondering if we're missing something!
We're a swimming pool and spa retailer and wholesaler... We have a retail shop, but also sell online, and direct to the pool trade.
This is the sales tracker for one of my websites, month by month since 2014 when we launched it. We're on par with April last year, but massively up on what 'normality' should be.... my other websites have the same trend.
We've had many people 'self-building' pools and spas over the past year, so have seen a massive spike in sales of fittings (skimmers, drains etc), and also pipework and fittings. The problem we're facing now is supply chain issues, and physically getting hold of stock to meet demand.
Some customers aren't very understanding when it comes to explaining that there are stock shortages and extended lead times on some items.
Just not sure if this is the new normal, or if one day its all going to drop off a cliff.
This is the sales tracker for one of my websites, month by month since 2014 when we launched it. We're on par with April last year, but massively up on what 'normality' should be.... my other websites have the same trend.
We've had many people 'self-building' pools and spas over the past year, so have seen a massive spike in sales of fittings (skimmers, drains etc), and also pipework and fittings. The problem we're facing now is supply chain issues, and physically getting hold of stock to meet demand.
Some customers aren't very understanding when it comes to explaining that there are stock shortages and extended lead times on some items.
Just not sure if this is the new normal, or if one day its all going to drop off a cliff.
March was a little quieter for us but a number of the deals we were expecting to drop March / April seemed to get pushed back a little.
We're forecasting a very strong end to our 2nd financial year:
Just gearing up to move offices this weekend into a bigger space and we'll be a team of 7 next month (there was just my Wife and I this time last year)
We're forecasting a very strong end to our 2nd financial year:
Just gearing up to move offices this weekend into a bigger space and we'll be a team of 7 next month (there was just my Wife and I this time last year)
pmanson said:
March was a little quieter for us but a number of the deals we were expecting to drop March / April seemed to get pushed back a little.
We're forecasting a very strong end to our 2nd financial year:
Just gearing up to move offices this weekend into a bigger space and we'll be a team of 7 next month (there was just my Wife and I this time last year)
Great stuff, it’s been a bit like shooting fish in a barrel last 12 months but coping with the work demand is just as hard as generating it. We're forecasting a very strong end to our 2nd financial year:
Just gearing up to move offices this weekend into a bigger space and we'll be a team of 7 next month (there was just my Wife and I this time last year)
Keep on growing, give me a shout if needed.
Resurrecting this thread to say we have really seen a fall in online retail sales back to a relatively modest premium over pre-pandemic levels.
There seems to be alot of consumer nervousness out there given the panic over fuel etc.
What is everyone else seeing?
Edited to add business context
There seems to be alot of consumer nervousness out there given the panic over fuel etc.
What is everyone else seeing?
Edited to add business context
Edited by loafer123 on Tuesday 12th October 11:08
September ended marginally up on 2020, but this month our retail web saes have fallen off a cliff.
We're having massive supply chain issues - one of our most popular products that we sell around 4-500 of a year to consumers at around the £200 price point is now unavailable in the UK until the end of November - I've managed to find an alternative that I'm shipping in from Italy, but they're still a couple of weeks away. We're also pretty much out of stock of all domestic automatic pool cleaners.
Trade sales are still good though, invoiced a fair bit this month, just the websites are so quiet.
We're having massive supply chain issues - one of our most popular products that we sell around 4-500 of a year to consumers at around the £200 price point is now unavailable in the UK until the end of November - I've managed to find an alternative that I'm shipping in from Italy, but they're still a couple of weeks away. We're also pretty much out of stock of all domestic automatic pool cleaners.
Trade sales are still good though, invoiced a fair bit this month, just the websites are so quiet.
Just finished Q1.
Revenue was 3x up on the PY and 19% up on the previous quarter.
Biggest challenge for us in recruitment (although I made two job offers yesterday). Team has grown from 4 of us this time last year, to 13 people (soon to be 15).
I have to say though it's not a bad problem to have.
In just over two years we've grown from operating out of the bedroom at my house to being one of the largest dedicated email marketing agencies in the UK.
Revenue was 3x up on the PY and 19% up on the previous quarter.
Biggest challenge for us in recruitment (although I made two job offers yesterday). Team has grown from 4 of us this time last year, to 13 people (soon to be 15).
I have to say though it's not a bad problem to have.
In just over two years we've grown from operating out of the bedroom at my house to being one of the largest dedicated email marketing agencies in the UK.
pmanson said:
Just finished Q1.
Revenue was 3x up on the PY and 19% up on the previous quarter.
Biggest challenge for us in recruitment (although I made two job offers yesterday). Team has grown from 4 of us this time last year, to 13 people (soon to be 15).
I have to say though it's not a bad problem to have.
In just over two years we've grown from operating out of the bedroom at my house to being one of the largest dedicated email marketing agencies in the UK.
Brilliant stuff, it’s bloody hard selling hours and employing staff whilst maintaining quality. Revenue was 3x up on the PY and 19% up on the previous quarter.
Biggest challenge for us in recruitment (although I made two job offers yesterday). Team has grown from 4 of us this time last year, to 13 people (soon to be 15).
I have to say though it's not a bad problem to have.
In just over two years we've grown from operating out of the bedroom at my house to being one of the largest dedicated email marketing agencies in the UK.
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