Economy woes...thoughts?

[zank]

double 'em first. live the life of a commision-based sales guy. :biggrin:

[Dazza]

Not necessarily. If you are good enough (and I am not just talking building frames) you will succeed. I've said a few times that all business owners, framebuilders in particular, should take some sales training. This suggestion has fallen on deaf ears in the past and I have even been criticized for it in private email responses. I think it is a wise investment.

:thumbs_up:
I agree,
if one has the skills and the will to toil and persevere
you will succeed
Learning to speak with possible clients is learned skill

and I think e Richie's best and greatest message to other builders is

fully understand who you are
and what you do
and then you will understand your message to others
and thus able to express it with some measure of success
Cheers Dazza

[Dave Kirk]

:thumbs_up:
I agree,
if one has the skills and the will to toil and persevere
you will succeed
Learning to speak with possible clients is learned skill

and I think e Richie's best and greatest message to other builders is

fully understand who you are
and what you do
and then you will understand your message to others
and thus able to express it with some measure of success
Cheers Dazza

I agree and will add that along with the ablity to sell and build you need to be able to play

- accountant
- cash flow forecaster
- inventory control
- time management
- customer service............etc.

In my view there are lots of folks that fail at this not because they can't stick the pipes to one another but because they don't manage their money and their time properly. In my view the building is the easy part. Business is as important as clean shore lines because if you don't get the biz part right then you won't get the opportunity to make many more clean shorelines. One skill enables the other.

Dave

[mschol17]

Some disappointing news...

http://jonnycycles.blogspot.com/2009...cycles-is.html

[Chauncey Matthews]

damn, and.......well, damn- I hate to see this, Jonny built great stuff.
I guess this discussion has moved beyond the academic, hasn't it?

[scrooge]

Recent blog post from Walt, of Waltworks...
http://waltworks.blogspot.com/2009/0...-industry.html

[Don Walker]

Some disappointing news...

http://jonnycycles.blogspot.com/2009...cycles-is.html

See, this is the stuff I was trying to ask about...

The way I see it, is we lost brethren.

I have established NAHBS to help framebuilders market themselves better, but how many more will disappear within this economy?

I shudder to think....

DW

[crumpton]

I shudder to think....

DW

if i were you, i'd be focusing on the positive and working on creating my own reality.

publicly shuttering thoughts about the future of the builders(which means future of NAHBS) doesnt help promote NAHBS or builders. keep it positive like i just didn't. DOH!

translation-- negativity breeds negativity

[Dave Kirk]

negativity breeds negativity

great..... now I'm having whiskey for breakfast.

dave

[rphetteplace]

great..... now I'm having whiskey for breakfast.

dave

thank GOD I'm not in the que today :)

[mike p]

Looks like Cris Kelly of Kelly bikes is jumping back in the game, hell of a time to get back in?

Mike

[steve garro]

Looks like Cris Kelly of Kelly bikes is jumping back in the game, hell of a time to get back in?

Mike

yeah, how 'bout dat. rumour is fat chance may be dug up & dusted off. not sure if chris is in on it, however. steve.

[sacha white]

if i were you, i'd be focusing on the positive and working on creating my own reality.

publicly shuttering thoughts about the future of the builders(which means future of NAHBS) doesnt help promote NAHBS or builders. keep it positive like i just didn't. DOH!

translation-- negativity breeds negativity

I agree.

If one takes the right approach this could be a great time to be a small business and a craftsperson in America.

Taking a doom and gloom outlook (especially publicly) is pretty short sited. And in Walt's case, calling out the rest of the handmade industry and saying it is bound for failure, but that he will survive is questionable at best.

As a balance to the negative predictions, I will offer that things have never been better for us (including the end of '08 and the beginning or '09)... and I know other builders who report the same... for what that's worth...

[Don Walker]

I agree.

If one takes the right approach this could be a great time to be a small business and a craftsperson in America.

Taking a doom and gloom outlook (especially publicly) is pretty short sited. And in Walt's case, calling out the rest of the handmade industry and saying it is bound for failure, but that he will survive is questionable at best.

As a balance to the negative predictions, I will offer that things have never been better for us (including the end of '08 and the beginning or '09)... and I know other builders who report the same... for what that's worth...

This is also the kind of feedback I am looking for...

I guess one mans prision is another mans castle, so-to-speak.

Thanks for the insight fella's.

DW

[steve garro]

I know other builders who report the same... for what that's worth...

:thumbs_up: one man's ceiling is another man's floor........steve.

[velocolour]

It seems to me that there has never been a better time to be part of the bicycle industry especially, as already said, if you have something special to offer. Things can only get better even if they get a little worse.
What I got from the Jonny Cycles letter was that he was resigned to the fact that closing up shop was okay. Sometimes it's nice to have someone else pay the bills. I do think there are ways to make it through if there are tough times.
The bicycle industry will progress as we collectively progress.