Gone very quiet
Discussion
skwdenyer said:
DSLiverpool said:
This is because of the huge amount of mainly Turkish Barbers that have proliferated over the last 2/3 years - one on every block by me.
Is their Turkishness a part of why you think they're out-competing the others?they're great shavers and massagers taboot
Always hunt for a Turkish barbers wherever i may be in the world..
Aventador 700 said:
skwdenyer said:
DSLiverpool said:
This is because of the huge amount of mainly Turkish Barbers that have proliferated over the last 2/3 years - one on every block by me.
Is their Turkishness a part of why you think they're out-competing the others?they're great shavers and massagers taboot
Always hunt for a Turkish barbers wherever i may be in the world..
classicaholic said:
Aventador 700 said:
skwdenyer said:
DSLiverpool said:
This is because of the huge amount of mainly Turkish Barbers that have proliferated over the last 2/3 years - one on every block by me.
Is their Turkishness a part of why you think they're out-competing the others?they're great shavers and massagers taboot
Always hunt for a Turkish barbers wherever i may be in the world..
Saweep said:
My spidey senses, based on nothing at all, feel that things are about to get tight for a lot of businesses.
Things just feel different out there somehow.
I agree, we have been very quiet but have planned for it, the deliveries of laser cut parts have gone from 2 or 3 weeks to 2 or 3 days, same with a lot of suppliers especially custom cut or made parts, just shows the suppliers are not busy but at least still going.Things just feel different out there somehow.
Things are remaining almost average for me. Only slightly down on my numbers from this time last year.
As I said in an earlier post, the most noticeable dip has been on my benefits class round.
I’ve had a couple of days that have been absolutely deadsville. On one day I started at 08:30 and I was finished for 11:20 !, but overall for February, things are ok.
I’m expecting March to be about the same as this month, before it picks up again slightly in April as people start buying new summer clothes.
If there’s anyone in the supermarket game, I’d be interested to hear how that’s going?
As I said in an earlier post, the most noticeable dip has been on my benefits class round.
I’ve had a couple of days that have been absolutely deadsville. On one day I started at 08:30 and I was finished for 11:20 !, but overall for February, things are ok.
I’m expecting March to be about the same as this month, before it picks up again slightly in April as people start buying new summer clothes.
If there’s anyone in the supermarket game, I’d be interested to hear how that’s going?
It's just the little things. But they add up.
A company I've ordered branded promo items from has suddenly started adding a couple of small extra charges to each item this week on my quotes. On top of the huge inflationary rises last year that I realise cannot be avoided by them
So much so that I've just decided not to bother this time; they're just too expensive now.
Other companies in various sectors are actually replying to enquiries, and fast...something that just hasn't happened since pre-covid.
Rents are falling. A couple of lads I know are delaying moving properties as they think they'll be cheaper in a few months...classic deflationary stuff.
Mr Porter has yet another sale that's not a sale.
Even deliveroo driver times here in Birmingham seem to have gone down quite suddenly; last year coffee would take so long our meetings would be over before it arrived...now it's always 10-15 mins.
As I say, lots of small little indicators (these are just a handful off the top of my head from the last 24 hours) that things aren't heading in the right direction.
A company I've ordered branded promo items from has suddenly started adding a couple of small extra charges to each item this week on my quotes. On top of the huge inflationary rises last year that I realise cannot be avoided by them
So much so that I've just decided not to bother this time; they're just too expensive now.
Other companies in various sectors are actually replying to enquiries, and fast...something that just hasn't happened since pre-covid.
Rents are falling. A couple of lads I know are delaying moving properties as they think they'll be cheaper in a few months...classic deflationary stuff.
Mr Porter has yet another sale that's not a sale.
Even deliveroo driver times here in Birmingham seem to have gone down quite suddenly; last year coffee would take so long our meetings would be over before it arrived...now it's always 10-15 mins.
As I say, lots of small little indicators (these are just a handful off the top of my head from the last 24 hours) that things aren't heading in the right direction.
105.4 said:
Things are remaining almost average for me. Only slightly down on my numbers from this time last year.
As I said in an earlier post, the most noticeable dip has been on my benefits class round.
I’ve had a couple of days that have been absolutely deadsville. On one day I started at 08:30 and I was finished for 11:20 !, but overall for February, things are ok.
I’m expecting March to be about the same as this month, before it picks up again slightly in April as people start buying new summer clothes.
If there’s anyone in the supermarket game, I’d be interested to hear how that’s going?
Odd, when you consider that "benefits class" are guaranteed a 10% increase in "pay" along with the various energy handouts.As I said in an earlier post, the most noticeable dip has been on my benefits class round.
I’ve had a couple of days that have been absolutely deadsville. On one day I started at 08:30 and I was finished for 11:20 !, but overall for February, things are ok.
I’m expecting March to be about the same as this month, before it picks up again slightly in April as people start buying new summer clothes.
If there’s anyone in the supermarket game, I’d be interested to hear how that’s going?
I'd have guessed on "working class" being the main ones to drop off.
Flooble said:
105.4 said:
Things are remaining almost average for me. Only slightly down on my numbers from this time last year.
As I said in an earlier post, the most noticeable dip has been on my benefits class round.
I’ve had a couple of days that have been absolutely deadsville. On one day I started at 08:30 and I was finished for 11:20 !, but overall for February, things are ok.
I’m expecting March to be about the same as this month, before it picks up again slightly in April as people start buying new summer clothes.
If there’s anyone in the supermarket game, I’d be interested to hear how that’s going?
Odd, when you consider that "benefits class" are guaranteed a 10% increase in "pay" along with the various energy handouts.As I said in an earlier post, the most noticeable dip has been on my benefits class round.
I’ve had a couple of days that have been absolutely deadsville. On one day I started at 08:30 and I was finished for 11:20 !, but overall for February, things are ok.
I’m expecting March to be about the same as this month, before it picks up again slightly in April as people start buying new summer clothes.
If there’s anyone in the supermarket game, I’d be interested to hear how that’s going?
I'd have guessed on "working class" being the main ones to drop off.
Flooble said:
105.4 said:
Things are remaining almost average for me. Only slightly down on my numbers from this time last year.
As I said in an earlier post, the most noticeable dip has been on my benefits class round.
I’ve had a couple of days that have been absolutely deadsville. On one day I started at 08:30 and I was finished for 11:20 !, but overall for February, things are ok.
I’m expecting March to be about the same as this month, before it picks up again slightly in April as people start buying new summer clothes.
If there’s anyone in the supermarket game, I’d be interested to hear how that’s going?
Odd, when you consider that "benefits class" are guaranteed a 10% increase in "pay" along with the various energy handouts.As I said in an earlier post, the most noticeable dip has been on my benefits class round.
I’ve had a couple of days that have been absolutely deadsville. On one day I started at 08:30 and I was finished for 11:20 !, but overall for February, things are ok.
I’m expecting March to be about the same as this month, before it picks up again slightly in April as people start buying new summer clothes.
If there’s anyone in the supermarket game, I’d be interested to hear how that’s going?
I'd have guessed on "working class" being the main ones to drop off.
Flooble said:
Odd, when you consider that "benefits class" are guaranteed a 10% increase in "pay" along with the various energy handouts.
I'd have guessed on "working class" being the main ones to drop off.
From what they’re telling me, it’s the utilities, (mainly) that are killing them.I'd have guessed on "working class" being the main ones to drop off.
Most of them are on pre-paid meters for gas and electricity. I’ve had some tell me that they are paying £200 a week in gas, whilst I spend around £60 a week for a 5 bed 18th-C old farm building, (with no solid fuel burner). Primarily because during the daytime, nobody’s at home at ours.
Granted, we’ve all been wearing as many layers inside the house as we would outside of it, but at least my gas bill is cheap(ish).
Flooble said:
Odd, when you consider that "benefits class" are guaranteed a 10% increase in "pay" along with the various energy handouts.
I'd have guessed on "working class" being the main ones to drop off.
My thoughts too, and backed up by the Royal Mail guy that collects our parcels. Overall he said it’s “much quieter” but the drop off is mainly in the “higher price streets/areas”. The financialy assisted just keep spending. It’s not their money or their debt. What I have noticed is there is a more noticeable uptick in sales around monthly pay day. I'd have guessed on "working class" being the main ones to drop off.
Over 25 years in the sector and I can say that house completions are a good marker for economic activity.
And completion numbers are dropping off the edge of a cliff. Moreover the pool of new customers is drying up fast.
Unless something changes very very quickly then May is going to be similar to Feb 2009.
And that wasn't pleasant.
And completion numbers are dropping off the edge of a cliff. Moreover the pool of new customers is drying up fast.
Unless something changes very very quickly then May is going to be similar to Feb 2009.
And that wasn't pleasant.
Businesses are being squeezed so hard.
We are quiet with new business at the minute for the first time since we opened 5 years ago(apart from 2 months at the start of covid), partly because I've take my eye off the ball. I can and am pulling this back now.
On the other side we haven't been paying business rates on our office as we fall well under the rateable value for Small business rates relief.
They are now raising our valuation from £9600 to £17500 from April first meaning over £8000 per year bill.
On top of that our landlords came to me yesterday about a backdated increase in service charge due to increase electricity costs which would have amounted to another £7k pa.
Luckily for me I got it fixed at the start for 3 years, Just dug my lease out this morning and was relieved. will go back to them with that today.
Add things like the above to the increase in Corp tax and general unwillingness of people to spend in the country at the minute and I'm seriously questioning the sanity of trying to grow the business soley in the UK going forward.
We would be miles better off in the middle east apart from the fact I simply dont like to spend much time there.
We are quiet with new business at the minute for the first time since we opened 5 years ago(apart from 2 months at the start of covid), partly because I've take my eye off the ball. I can and am pulling this back now.
On the other side we haven't been paying business rates on our office as we fall well under the rateable value for Small business rates relief.
They are now raising our valuation from £9600 to £17500 from April first meaning over £8000 per year bill.
On top of that our landlords came to me yesterday about a backdated increase in service charge due to increase electricity costs which would have amounted to another £7k pa.
Luckily for me I got it fixed at the start for 3 years, Just dug my lease out this morning and was relieved. will go back to them with that today.
Add things like the above to the increase in Corp tax and general unwillingness of people to spend in the country at the minute and I'm seriously questioning the sanity of trying to grow the business soley in the UK going forward.
We would be miles better off in the middle east apart from the fact I simply dont like to spend much time there.
Despite all the EV hype and media coverage, the number of domestic charger installations have been low since last April (although a lot of installs pulled forward to take advantage of the end of the OZEV grant in March 22). By now I thought these would be flying along but they just continue to tick over at a low level. Even the larger commercials that we do are very slow to come back at the moment, probably because none are essential installations. Only new build installations continue to be strong and that is only because legislation makes them mandatory in new builds.
Solar, although a summer type product, is slow too and I can see it being less in demand this year as energy prices ease off and people avoid spending £10-15k on this. Last year was madly busy as the media went crazy with price rise news but this year, with less media focus I think more people will hold onto their cash.
Solar, although a summer type product, is slow too and I can see it being less in demand this year as energy prices ease off and people avoid spending £10-15k on this. Last year was madly busy as the media went crazy with price rise news but this year, with less media focus I think more people will hold onto their cash.
The first identifier of a slow down isn't the lack of Christmas purchases, it's normally the end of March or April sales figures.
People spend on their credit cards when times get tough, and they have been doing it since mid last year.
There comes a point where the minimum payments are just too much as the amount of credit has built and built.
I can foresee a major slowdown coming, interest rates will continue to climb as inflation is still 10% this will mean credit cards and mortgage payments will go up further causing a bigger squeeze on finances.
Tough times ahead for a lot of people.
People spend on their credit cards when times get tough, and they have been doing it since mid last year.
There comes a point where the minimum payments are just too much as the amount of credit has built and built.
I can foresee a major slowdown coming, interest rates will continue to climb as inflation is still 10% this will mean credit cards and mortgage payments will go up further causing a bigger squeeze on finances.
Tough times ahead for a lot of people.
(Big) Businesses making good profits still.
Many people had decent pay rises.
Many people still WFH meaning outgoings are still lower due to lower travel costs etc.
Winter is over so utilities costs are falling.
Employment is at an all time high plus jobs are easy to find.
It all looks fairly good.
But in the background there is a lot of trouble,
Small businesses struggling.
Inflation still high and could get sticky around 6-7%.
Interest rates climbing still and may have to go higher than planned.
Banks less keen to lend.
Savings starting to dry up.
Higher utility bills on the horizon.
As soon as people start to default (businesses and personally) its going to be a car crash.
I think thats all the government is trying to avoid right now. If they can get people to scrape through the next 2 years by the skin of their teeth then its a job well done.
Because its going to be a close one. I think with the way things are going we might just scrape it and avoid a major recession but I also think if we do have problems its going to be really serious, I could see a lot of repossessions and a lot of people out of work. 2009 all over again, but worse.
Many people had decent pay rises.
Many people still WFH meaning outgoings are still lower due to lower travel costs etc.
Winter is over so utilities costs are falling.
Employment is at an all time high plus jobs are easy to find.
It all looks fairly good.
But in the background there is a lot of trouble,
Small businesses struggling.
Inflation still high and could get sticky around 6-7%.
Interest rates climbing still and may have to go higher than planned.
Banks less keen to lend.
Savings starting to dry up.
Higher utility bills on the horizon.
As soon as people start to default (businesses and personally) its going to be a car crash.
I think thats all the government is trying to avoid right now. If they can get people to scrape through the next 2 years by the skin of their teeth then its a job well done.
Because its going to be a close one. I think with the way things are going we might just scrape it and avoid a major recession but I also think if we do have problems its going to be really serious, I could see a lot of repossessions and a lot of people out of work. 2009 all over again, but worse.
Any house builders on here can confirm the situation with new builds?
I'm loosely involved with a company undertaking tiling for new builds in the NE up to Scottish Border and there appears to be a large drop-off in the sq metres laid since January 1st, the number of sites has gone up (individual plots) compared to the same period last year but it appears that the developers are only pushing the affordable house completions where the sq/m is about 2/3rds to half of a normal sale house and also only requesting the tiling laid once the plot is a confirmed sale, this is across all the major developers. The forward order book is healthy but there are increasing delays in requests to do the tiling on the higher value houses and this is having a large impact on cash flow plus the fact that the developers are holding back the payment of invoices for completed works for anything up to 90 days even though the terms are 30 days (mainly one large developer) and the rest are 40-60 days.
I'm loosely involved with a company undertaking tiling for new builds in the NE up to Scottish Border and there appears to be a large drop-off in the sq metres laid since January 1st, the number of sites has gone up (individual plots) compared to the same period last year but it appears that the developers are only pushing the affordable house completions where the sq/m is about 2/3rds to half of a normal sale house and also only requesting the tiling laid once the plot is a confirmed sale, this is across all the major developers. The forward order book is healthy but there are increasing delays in requests to do the tiling on the higher value houses and this is having a large impact on cash flow plus the fact that the developers are holding back the payment of invoices for completed works for anything up to 90 days even though the terms are 30 days (mainly one large developer) and the rest are 40-60 days.
Been trading for 35 years manufacturing window blinds to the trade and retail. At a guess I'd say last month was the worst February we've had since circa' 2009, and Jan was poor as well.Never had to generate business before,it's always come to us through service an reputation, but might have to have a little re-think about that once I'm back from hols in a couple of weeks.
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