Anyone else had a good January?

[flyingjase]

Is it just me or does the media perception of doom & gloom not match reality?

I run an SME that's been established for 5 years and we have just had our best ever month in Jan. In fairness we tee'd it up with my guys last year that 2009/10 is going to be tough and that we can't afford a 'cold start' in Jan, we gave them 2 weeks over over Xmas / New Year and made sure that pipeline / marketing was ready for 5th Jan. The result has been great........I just hope that we can carry this momentum on.

If we can't change the fact that we're in recession then we must accept it and work within the current business environment.

I'd say that I'm cautiusly optimistic, or am I just out of sync with reality????

Jason

[JustinP1]

You are just out of synch with 'who shouts worst' makes better headlines and therefore shouts loudest.

As in the previous recession efficient businesses will still survive. Old and lazy ones, or ones which just existed on the easy pickings of an expanding market won't survive.

[flyingjase]

JustinP1 said:

You are just out of synch with 'who shouts worst' makes better headlines and therefore shouts loudest.

As in the previous recession efficient businesses will still survive. Old and lazy ones, or ones which just existed on the easy pickings of an expanding market won't survive.

Agreed & I think we have seen this so far with the companies that have gone ot the wall. Woolies bless them, was my first Sunday job, but these days what was their purpose in life?

[influential]

Jason, absolutely - we're also having a good start to '09. The media loves the "end is nigh" type of reporting, as it makes good headlines. Having said that, the rapidly increasing unemployment will filter into the economy over the coming months and then things could really get bad. But, in the meantime, plenty of decent businesses will flourish - let's hope mine, yours and others are some of them!

[JustinP1]

flyingjase said:

JustinP1 said:

You are just out of synch with 'who shouts worst' makes better headlines and therefore shouts loudest.

As in the previous recession efficient businesses will still survive. Old and lazy ones, or ones which just existed on the easy pickings of an expanding market won't survive.

Agreed & I think we have seen this so far with the companies that have gone ot the wall. Woolies bless them, was my first Sunday job, but these days what was their purpose in life?

I picked Woolies for a wall a while back. 'Zavvi' too. However, it is not the state of the economy they are just being shafted because all of the lines they sell are being sold more cheaply and more conveniently in supermarkets and the internet.

Next for the wall... Dixons Stores group. They already realised a few years back having Dixons as well as Currys was a waste of time and made Dixons online only. They now have a bunch of PC Worlds and Currys next to eachother.

I worked as a student for PC World a decade ago, and the place was absolutely rammed full. £1500 for an entry level PC.

Now PCs are £350. They cannot compete on software so they now don't even bother more than a token display. My local store is absolutely dead. Unless they seriously restructure and they get a miracle they'll be next.

[StevieBee]

Excellent Jan, Feb looking good -pipeline even better.

JustinP1 said:

As in the previous recession efficient businesses will still survive.

Not wholly true and depends very much on what type of business you are in. I know three manufacturing companies that are all otherwise sound, solid and very well managed with full order books in perilous situations as they cannot obtain the credit needed to maintain production to meet demand. Has nothing to do with inefficiencies although because they are efficient, are likely to survive but there is no guarantee.

[ginettag27]

Our business is trickling along, we're picking up new clients, but not as many as we were. New clients just aren't calling. We are starting a new marketing drive as of today, so hopefully things will start to improve.

[King of Dings]

flyingjase said:

Is it just me or does the media perception of doom & gloom not match reality?

I run an SME that's been established for 5 years and we have just had our best ever month in Jan. In fairness we tee'd it up with my guys last year that 2009/10 is going to be tough and that we can't afford a 'cold start' in Jan, we gave them 2 weeks over over Xmas / New Year and made sure that pipeline / marketing was ready for 5th Jan. The result has been great........I just hope that we can carry this momentum on.

If we can't change the fact that we're in recession then we must accept it and work within the current business environment.

I'd say that I'm cautiusly optimistic, or am I just out of sync with reality????

Jason

Er ! Yes I have had a terrific January actually.
-Got over 25% bonus paid out in Jan. I am already over-paid, honest !
-Wife has gone sex mad and invested in new lingerie collection
-Love the snow and having great fun tobogganing with my kids
-Finished a pain in rear project at work, now have intresting project to work on
-Gave load of money to my two supported charities (good for conscience)
-Everything seems to be getting cheaper, which is great.

I could go on, it just get's better and better.

[Bernie-the-bolt]

King of Dings said:

Er ! Yes I have had a terrific January actually.
-Got over 25% bonus paid out in Jan. I am already over-paid, honest !
-Wife has gone sex mad and invested in new lingerie collection
-Love the snow and having great fun tobogganing with my kids
-Finished a pain in rear project at work, now have intresting project to work on
-Gave load of money to my two supported charities (good for conscience)
-Everything seems to be getting cheaper, which is great.

I could go on, it just get's better and better.

Can you please do me (and the rest of us a big favour)

I too have had a good January and run/own an SME with Feb's bills already paid by the 6th of the month so we're in profit now

However, too much good news and good old Merv will start to raise interest rates, which at this particular time (even with a very healthy bank balance earning absolutely f-all) is not good whilst I try and pay my mortgages off......

So be a good chap and post some bleak and dreary results

Edited by Bernie-the-bolt on Friday 6th February 22:29

[skwdenyer]

StevieBee said:

Excellent Jan, Feb looking good -pipeline even better.

JustinP1 said:

As in the previous recession efficient businesses will still survive.

Not wholly true and depends very much on what type of business you are in. I know three manufacturing companies that are all otherwise sound, solid and very well managed with full order books in perilous situations as they cannot obtain the credit needed to maintain production to meet demand. Has nothing to do with inefficiencies although because they are efficient, are likely to survive but there is no guarantee.

One of my businesses has historically been a leading indicator to recession. So, there, the recession started last April. January is seeing a welcome picking-up of the pace, but now one of the largest clients has been bought out, the new owener doesn't have robust enough financials for the current risk criteria (much tighter than hitherto), so the credit insurers have declined cover on the new arrangement. After 8 years of servicing that customer, just had to close down the account and kiss goodbye to thousands per week in margin.

Another of my businesses provides services to financial recruitment companies. That's lost 95% of turnover in 12 months. Just in the process of mothballing it after 10 years. That business has a terrific reputation for what it does, delivers a quality product at a highly competitive price, and all of the customers are still pleased to hear from us! But there's no work.

It matters damn-all how efficient your business is - if your customers' debts aren't insurable then you'd be a fool to lend to them, and if your entire target market has no money then there's nothing to be done.

Every business is different, of course, and I make no sweeping generalisations about things based upon either good or bad news from a few individual company examples. But to claim that all of the talk is just "doom and gloom mongering" is utter twaddle - there are very real drops around the economy, just not everywhere - yet.

[Simpo Two]

Feeling happy? Compare your pension statement with what it said last year.

[_Voyager_]

Simpo Two said:

Feeling happy? Compare your pension statement with what it said last year.

I have always thought pensions are a complete waste of money. You are effectively handing hard earned notes to over paid pension management companies who make stupid decisions all the time.

Don't get me wrong, you need a savings vehicle to buy a stupidly low priced annuity, I would prefer to be in more control of it.

[Mr G.]

Yes.

Busiest month of the year.

[Scockers]

Jan 09 was a record month for us.

[srebbe64]

Tough November and December - VERY good January and February's shaping up nicely!

[H6CJF]

Scockers said:

Jan 09 was a record month for us.

+1

Worked hard at it though. Just have to hope we can keep it up

[flyingjase]

Great news

Perhaps us PH'ers can succeed where Gordon has failed, and pull UK plc out of recession!

[deadslow]

Yes, growing very nicely at the moment. Wish all the doom and gloom merchants would shut up.

[Don]

We ALWAYS have a good January. This is because we have a number of large software installations for whom support fees become due in January. Free money (at the time - you earn it later).

In general terms business IT systems investment has all but stopped so we're not having a great time at the moment. So we're working hard trying to get into areas of the Public Sector to soak up some of that tax and spend Keynesian investment money that the Government claims it's throwing about.

Sadly our stuff is all about monitoring business processes to become more efficient. The Public Sector may find this unattractive. Arse.

[srebbe64]

Don said:

Sadly our stuff is all about monitoring business processes to become more efficient. The Public Sector may find this unattractive. Arse.

Couldn't you reverse the coding or something - I'm sure the Tax Office could make good use of such a revised product!!!