Hey all you independent business owners!!!!

[Gaston]

Hey I'm retired so all I see is my retirement investments down about 35% and no job to replenish them . But both my brother in laws are having record years!! One owns a small brewery in Washington and the other owns 9 McDonald's in Slidell LA. his business is so good he just bought a new 2.3 million dollar 68 ' yacht to replace his 3 year old 60'er. I really love to visit my "brothers"

[dwgriff1]

I was a sub contractor in the building game. Quit and retired just as the bottom fell out.
I doubt I could buy work around here now.

dave

[cherokeegeorge]

I'm a patternmaker and the foundry industry has come to a complete stand still this month I billed 10% of normal.

[mechmagcn]

I am self-employed in 2 very different mobile service businesses. One, heavy equipment repair, it is doing well since folks are running the older machines instead of upgrading. The other is RV repair, this one is just about at a standstill. The only RV work around here is from the contractors living in them.
I see so many businesses failing around here, large and small, that it is really getting scary. Looks like the few who can afford to hang on will see better times someday. For those unfortunate folks who can't, all I can offer is "Good Luck" you're going to need it.
Donna has worked for a major retailer for 30 years and they at least still have jobs, but we see her benefits being whittled away quickly.

[Steve_Cox]

I have a one man mobile business that cleans fuel tanks in pleasure boats, emergency gensets, and storage tanks. Business was at it's peak right after the hurricane season in 2004, and has dropped around 15% a year for 2007 and 2008. We've done the usual things others have mentioned to cut overhead.

I spent an hour responding to this thread early yesterday morning, only to realize when I proof read it, and subsequently deleted it, that I come here to escape the day to day woes the economy is bringing right now.

When life hands me lemons, I'm not one to make lemonade, I throw em at the greedy bastards that caused this mess.

[caseydog]

My business as a freelance photographer and art director has not changed much in the last year. It has always gone up and down. I lost one big customer last year -- American Driver magazine -- they went belly up. But, I picked up another magazine design job. Magazines are hurting for advertisers, right now. Magazine advertising is down by 40 percent under normal. Magazines are dropping like flies.

My biggest photography customer -- a classic automobile auction company -- is feeling a pinch, but they are still using my services a lot. I expected the last three months to be really slow, but I actually did okay.

My biggest problem is not the economy. Over the last ten years, more and more "hobby photographers" are being used by companies trying to cut costs. These guys don't have my skills, but with a decent digital camera, they can shoot just well enough to get some shots that an art director can fix in Photoshop. And, they will work for little or nothing just to see their pictures get published somewhere. How can I compete on price with a guy who will work for beer money?

Oh, and it is priceless when one of these guys asks me for advice.

CD

[doug hodder]

CD....it's sort of unfortunate about the whole digital/photoshop work that is being done. Ansel Adams would roll over in his grave. Wasn't it Natl. Geo. that got busted for a photoshopped pic on a cover a few years ago? Sort of takes away from it all when you know that isn't what was originally photographed in my opinion. Doug

[Lazybones]

I'm in the construction business. So far it's still been good for me.
I will say that I don't have as much summer work lined up like I usually do.

I try not to get worried; but with all the talk of bad times it's hard not to.

I just have to trust things will work out.
Lee

[caseydog]

CD....it's sort of unfortunate about the whole digital/photoshop work that is being done. Ansel Adams would roll over in his grave. Wasn't it Natl. Geo. that got busted for a photoshopped pic on a cover a few years ago? Sort of takes away from it all when you know that isn't what was originally photographed in my opinion. Doug

I am mixed on photoshop. On one hand, it really opens up creative avenues not available before. I can do things now with PS I could never have done in the darkroom, and many things I used to do in the darkroom, I can do better and faster, now.

However, Photoshop also allows mediocre photography to be used commercially.

News photography, such as the shot you refer to, should NEVER be photoshop. They are documenting an actual event, and should be shown as they were shot. The stuff I do is not news. So it is cool to photoshop for creative effect.

CD

[Todah Tear]

.... My partners and I are working our tails off, to bring in new work.

On the other hand, it's better than some of my clients. Many are at 50% or higher lay-offs. Just a few are out of business, at least so far.

Maybe you can get work boarding up some of the foreclosed homes. With is downswing in the economy, there are new job opportunities being generated...surprisingly. I saw a news segment on a guy who has a business cleaning out foreclosed homes. He and his crew dispose of all of the thing that homeowners leave behind when they have to move out. Many folks have just been taking the essentials and what they can carry on their backs. That leaves all kinds of articles to dispose of. This man was making a killing working for banks.

Todah

[Todah Tear]

Hi Doug,
My business does high volume metal stamping, small sheet metal parts mostly for the building industry. ...I've made a great living running my punch presses. Right now it's all sitting idle as I try to find new things to build....

I don't know where you are located, but if you could get connected with the movie industry they use a lot of metal for things.

People always say that when times are hard, the funeral business, medical, and beauty businesses don't suffer a lot. How about coming up with metal-stamped grave markers that have the information etched in them. They would be an alterantive to the granite grave stones. Now, there's a niche'.

Todah

[Todah Tear]

I'm a patternmaker and the foundry industry has come to a complete stand still this month I billed 10% of normal.

Have you thought about contacting some of the famous artisans that use metal as a medium. They may want to contract out some of their bigger jobs. I saw a show where an artist who commands millions of dollars/piece for his work, just comes up with the designs, color schemes and concepts. He actually employs artists to build or paint the artwork that he has conceived.

You might do a search on the internet using Metal work, bronze work, etc and New York (lots of artist and studios in NY) to come up with a list of names. Make a coverletter and get some photos of your own work to use in a solicitation letter.

Just a thought,

Todah

[TheBizMan]

I'm a programmer in the education field. The business is up 62% over last year. It seems that when the economy gets bad people go back to school to improve themselves. My side business on the internet is doing ok but not as good as last year.