How's business?

[Vroomer]

A guy on another thread is convinced falling prices of Bugatti Veyrons (!!!!) is an early indicator of a looming double-dip recession.

How's everybody else finding things?

Are we on the up, or on the edge of a cliff just waiting for the Government October Spending Review?

[groak]

Vroomer said:

A guy on another thread is convinced falling prices of Bugatti Veyrons (!!!!) is an early indicator of a looming double-dip recession.

How's everybody else finding things?

Are we on the up, or on the edge of a cliff just waiting for the Government October Spending Review?

Both

[davidjpowell]

Business is fine. Getting paid for it is a bd right now.

[markcoznottz]

Logic would say its okkkk at best maybe a bit worse but who really knows? only the owners of the businesses concerned and thier accountants.

[robsco]

Car sales here, and haven't noticed a drop in sales or enquiries over the past year or so, things have been steady away.

[bga]

My FTSE 100 clients are ramping up projects as all of them have increased IT security budgets for next year. Mid-tier clients are holding back on spending.

What that means for the economy is beyond me. We have more work than we can do between now and Christmas which is a great place to be but am not banking on it continuing in the new year.

[ShadownINja]

Ah, the well-known BVPI (Bugatti Veyron Price Index) announced by Ben Bernanke every Friday at 1pm.

Edited by ShadownINja on Saturday 18th September 11:34

[Jasper Gilder]

Everyone is running scared due to irresponsible behavior by Senior Public Sector staff. They're using the media as their battleground with the Treasury by claiming all sorts of dreadful stuff - No Police in Northumbria, 5000 NHS beds to go in Cottage Hospital etc and everyone is running scared

Listen carefully- Osborne wants 25% over a 4 year period that's about 6% PA and they all know how to do it - they just don't want to

My money is on everyone saying on 20 Oct - What was all the fuss about

( Just call me a cynical old curmudgeon!)

[ShadownINja]

Actually, wasn't it the LEEPI (Luxury Easter Egg Price Index) that was the one big industry was watching carefully? Or so some PHer would have us believe.

[Simpo Two]

Seems to me that if you can double spending and have no discernible improvement, then you can halve spending and have no discernible loss.

[mc_blue]

We are involved in the motor industry (vehicle rescue, logistics and maintenance) and are currently up in terms of sales on 2008 and 2009. The main reason we have experienced growth is taking up work our competitors cannot handle (one closing down and another we bought out).

The recession has helped us in this respect but we have seen a fall in general servicing and repair work, as our customers have started spending less and less on maintaining their cars. In addition, the general propensity to break down has also fallen given that total road miles consumed have fallen as a result of less business taking place/increase in price of fuel and lack of recreational driving.

The most important thing to do in these market conditions is not to stop spending on advertising (if it is cost-effective) and to diversify into other areas if possible to ensure a return IMO.

[Deva Link]

mc_blue said:

In addition, the general propensity to break down has also fallen given that total road miles consumed have fallen as a result of less business taking place/increase in price of fuel and lack of recreational driving.

I thought the roads have been noticeably quieter all through this year, but they really seemed to have picked up again with a vengeance since the summer holidays ended.

[mc_blue]

Yes that's true, you do get the usual fluctuations. However compared to a few years ago there appears to be far less traffic overall. I've no data to support this just our own anecdotal opinions.

[Andrew[MG]]

Deva Link said:

mc_blue said:

In addition, the general propensity to break down has also fallen given that total road miles consumed have fallen as a result of less business taking place/increase in price of fuel and lack of recreational driving.

I thought the roads have been noticeably quieter all through this year, but they really seemed to have picked up again with a vengeance since the summer holidays ended.

Traffic is back to being bonkers busy between Glasgow and Edinburgh!

[Stevenj214]

Vroomer said:

Are we on the up, or on the edge of a cliff just waiting for the Government October Spending Review?

The company I worked for until this morning just slipped over that cliff.

[richyb]

I do a lot of local authority work in a fairly specialist areas and they are not so much tightening their belts but tourniquet-ing them! Luckily I do something else as well so I'll struggle on but that part of the business is soon to be shelved till better times return (hopefully!).

[mondeoman]

Flat with no sign of an imminent increase: if it wasn't for loyal customers it would've been really painful!

[DonnyMac]

Stevenj214 said:

Vroomer said:

Are we on the up, or on the edge of a cliff just waiting for the Government October Spending Review?

The company I worked for until this morning just slipped over that cliff.

Sorry to hear that Steven - did the business go pop or did you have enough of being told to do things badly

[M3333]

2009 was a write off frankly.

This year is back to normal.

2009 cost me a lot in bad debts, lesson learnt not to be repeated. As a small business even the big boys get put on stop now if they do not pay invoices on agreed terms.

[Stevenj214]

DonnyMac said:

Stevenj214 said:

Vroomer said:

Are we on the up, or on the edge of a cliff just waiting for the Government October Spending Review?

The company I worked for until this morning just slipped over that cliff.

Sorry to hear that Steven - did the business go pop or did you have enough of being told to do things badly

The business went pop Don. Apologies if you have any unpaid invoices there. The worst of it is that it could have been avoided if decisive action had been taken early enough.