How are things? A reality check.

Hometown » Arizona

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How are things? A reality check.

Posted: 4/23/2014 2:20:43 PM EDT

I've been self employed for the past 17 years doing what I love, graphic/web/print design. My business prospered at the beginning and slowly declined as the market changed in the early 2000s. It ramped back up, and I was pretty happy. That's, until 2008, when I noticed steady downward spiral. The scraps of work that come through, along with clients delinquent payments are killing me. I've never seen it this bad.

I know I'm not the only one. I'm just curious, if others are seeing the same.

Posted: 4/23/2014 3:03:26 PM EDT

[#1]

I paint cars and work at a shop that never slows down due to its insurance contracts and capacity but most of the people I know in the industry are making significantly less than they used to. Im lucky I ended up here . In 2009 the shop I worked for went under and I skipped around a few places before getting in here.

Eta: also whenever I have adds out for helpers most of the responses are older painters who lost their job in all the small shops that went under or had to reduce their staff. I wont hire them though and nobody else will either because painters backstab you when you hire them for helper jobs.

Posted: 4/23/2014 4:39:53 PM EDT

[#2]

I chose to semi-retire when the wheels fell off the economy in 2007-2008 which, looking at it in retrospective, was a big mistake for me. Nonetheless, I was committed. It did cause me to continue to work part time as an outside sales rep for the company I had been with for twenty plus years. Since I visit all different types of accounts in different cities I get a wide perspective of what's going on in the economy. Its definitely a mixed bag out there with some companies still struggling and others doing better. However, I've got to say that overall the economy is improving but its in small incremental stages. The problem is its so glacially slow and I don't think until there more decent paying jobs are out and until the real estate market fully recovers (as in a lot more new construction) that we won't see any type of dramatic improvement.

Posted: 4/23/2014 4:43:40 PM EDT

[#3]

I've gone from making $19k a year in 2009 to well over 6 figures a year to date. I honestly have never been doing better.

Registered Nurse.

Posted: 4/23/2014 6:53:41 PM EDT

[#4]

I was in construction....still dead, not coming back. At least not anywhere near what was.
But on a good note it got me off my ass and i started up my own gig. While we are not taking the world by storm (yet) i am 10X better off making about 30% as much money. Work as much as you have to, to do what you want to

Posted: 4/23/2014 8:05:42 PM EDT

[#5]

My business (whizzy techie stuff) is pretty well insulated from the local economy, but depends on the
global tech market. While it roared back from 2008, it was down 22% in 2012 and another 17% in 2013,
it seems stable now.

My brother's business sounds a lot more like your situation. His shop was involved in engine reman/recycling,
and it'd been sliding downhill since 2008. Tiny recovery in 2010, then back into the slide, and I was fronting
his rent for the past two years. He just closed his doors last week after being in business over 20 years,
and doesn't know what he's going to do for work now. I think from '09 to '13 he was down about 60%+,
not enough to cover fixed expenses.

Posted: 4/23/2014 9:29:19 PM EDT

[#6]

Work at a huge dealership, as a recon mechanic. We're slow. Real slow. We should be pulling in 30-40 trades a weekend, plus 5-10 a day this time of year. Last weekend we got 21 trades for the weekend, and we haven't seen 5 trades a day, at all this week. To make things worse, there's a corporate wide trend, to cut back on spending, which equals a cut back in my pay.

Time for a change. Anybody hiring?

Posted: 4/24/2014 10:48:24 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
I've been self employed for the past 17 years doing what I love, graphic/web/print design. My business prospered at the beginning and slowly declined as the market changed in the early 2000s. It ramped back up, and I was pretty happy. That's, until 2008, when I noticed steady downward spiral. The scraps of work that come through, along with clients delinquent payments are killing me. I've never seen it this bad.

I know I'm not the only one. I'm just curious, if others are seeing the same.

View Quote

Stop giving people credit. Pay on delivery or before or get it done somewhere else.

Posted: 4/24/2014 12:42:27 PM EDT

[#8]

The cost of many things I normally buy continues to rise through inflation or devalued dollar and I am afraid they will soon exceed any salary increase, if I ever see one again. The only way I am succeeding is by maintaining zero debt, but I fear that even though I save and invest a lot, it will be worthless or stolen from me by the .gov. Taxes go up, fees for services go up and never come down.

More FSA on the dole requires the .gov to take more from the working class to keep their votes in check, which is effectively killing the middle class. Because of this, it appears that any change in government is impossible.

These are the things I see.

Keep your powder dry.

Posted: 4/24/2014 4:33:27 PM EDT

[#9]

I've been self employed IT for the same period of time and I've gone from my high of $40k - $45k around 8-10 years ago, to a low of $22k a couple of years ago. The last 2 years have improved slightly and I hope that trend will continue. Were I willing to go back to work for a large corporation (and have to relocate in the process), I could make a lot more money, but self employment agrees with me, no way I'd go back to work for someone else.

Fortunately for me my house is paid off and I don't have any large debts to speak of. I've carved a niche out and while it wasn't really where I wanted to be, it's been reasonably good for me and I can ride it another decade if I have to. If I was 10-15 years younger I'd be more inclined to shake it up, but at 57 it's just fine. I find myself more inclined these days to kick back and relax than lower my head and charge.

I've got your business contact info, I'll be sure to have it on my phone and when my clients ask about web or graphic design I'll send them your way. I hate doing web design and I suck at any kind of graphics more detailed than a horse that looks like an oil drum sitting on top of a sawhorse.

Posted: 4/24/2014 6:40:15 PM EDT

[#10]

We've been doing ok, my job is pretty secure for the foreseeable future, and I'm actually making more than I ever did before. I have been dumping all of my expendable income into monthly debt reduction and working on self sufficiency stuff. We just put in some raised bed gardens, with plans for several more. I

Posted: 4/24/2014 9:14:50 PM EDT

[#11]

I'm retired!
No more dirtbags, no more running through the desert chasing them, no more kennel croup, no more stink of unwashed bodies (if I want that, I need to go to a gunshow).
2/3rds the pay for none of the work.

Posted: 4/25/2014 5:58:29 PM EDT

[#12]

After +4 years at Amazon, I'm now working for a Company that ships dollar store type items to those kinds of stores and Wal-mart.

We are roaring, but the boss isn't upping the pay. Too many hungry mouths standing at the door looking for work.

Posted: 4/26/2014 8:28:12 AM EDT

[#13]

Not too good really.I started at the company I work at 13ish years back,pretty much the same deal,in 08 everything slowed down.The past year has been the worst yet.I basically go to work in the morning,dork around on the internet for 5-6 hours and leave.There just isn't any work showing up.I really wouldn't be surprised if I was let go or the company closed it's doors within the next couple months.I miss the hell out of going to work and having a solid 8-9 hours of work on the bench each day,going to work and doing nothing really fucks with a persons mindset.I'll figure something out though,I always do.

Posted: 4/26/2014 9:09:11 AM EDT

[#14]

If you want stability and decent pay, I'd focus on learning the skill sets for jobs that companies have to fill. For example, managing compliance with gov regulations. The gov is always passing new laws requiring regulated companies to jump through additional hoops. As long as the company is in business they can't lay you off.

In my sector, we always have open positions (starting pay for entry level is in the upper 80k range), and nobody qualified to fill them. I get about 8-10 calls or emails a week from headhunters. My company is so afraid of loosing me that they have raised my pay almost 20% since Dec.

Posted: 4/26/2014 11:28:16 AM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
If you want stability and decent pay, I'd focus on learning the skill sets for jobs that companies have to fill. For example, managing compliance with gov regulations. The gov is always passing new laws requiring regulated companies to jump through additional hoops. As long as the company is in business they can't lay you off.

In my sector, we always have open positions (starting pay for entry level is in the upper 80k range), and nobody qualified to fill them. I get about 8-10 calls or emails a week from headhunters. My company is so afraid of loosing me that they have raised my pay almost 20% since Dec.

View Quote

What do I need to do, to qualify for these entry level positions?

Posted: 4/26/2014 1:58:28 PM EDT

[#16]

Quote History

Quoted:

What do I need to do, to qualify for these entry level positions?

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Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
If you want stability and decent pay, I'd focus on learning the skill sets for jobs that companies have to fill. For example, managing compliance with gov regulations. The gov is always passing new laws requiring regulated companies to jump through additional hoops. As long as the company is in business they can't lay you off.

In my sector, we always have open positions (starting pay for entry level is in the upper 80k range), and nobody qualified to fill them. I get about 8-10 calls or emails a week from headhunters. My company is so afraid of loosing me that they have raised my pay almost 20% since Dec.

What do I need to do, to qualify for these entry level positions?

Do tell. Or PM if you feel it's too much for open posting.

Posted: 4/26/2014 2:22:55 PM EDT

[#17]

http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=compliance&l=AZ

Look through these job postings. Basic requirements are spelled out. I've been in this field 10+ years and it has been growing constantly.

Posted: 4/27/2014 9:46:09 AM EDT

[#18]

We're having record sales at the moment. The majority of our customers are overseas currently. Getting lots of business from Canada, Russia and Dubai. Aftermarket car parts... Small business with 14 employees.

Posted: 4/28/2014 10:19:11 PM EDT

[#19]

Anyone know a place that's hiring? Need to get out of my current job

Posted: 4/28/2014 11:02:28 PM EDT

[#20]

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Quoted:
Anyone know a place that's hiring? Need to get out of my current job

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Thought you said you liked being a Lot Lizard?

Posted: 4/29/2014 7:12:20 AM EDT

[#21]

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Quoted:

Thought you said you liked being a Lot Lizard?

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Quoted:

Quoted:
Anyone know a place that's hiring? Need to get out of my current job

Thought you said you liked being a Lot Lizard?

Business has been slow...

Posted: 4/29/2014 8:44:06 AM EDT

[#22]

Quote History

Quoted:

Anyone know a place that's hiring? Need to get out of my current job

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What do you do?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - How are things? A reality check.

Hometown » Arizona

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