Great small business news from north Atlanta!

[bga4444]

Atlanta small business front line report. Even with the snowstorm basically shutting us down a week, we ended the first month on a very positive note. Our Woodstock location was up 100% and our Roswell location was up 41%. These are both YOY % increases. The even better news, is that the momentum has carried into Feb. So, for all you that think I only give negative news, this proves you wrong. I really only give true news when it comes to sales. Hopefully, these positive trends will continue!

[kman]

good to hear. Not easy to survive that long of a drought.

[usaone]

Feb 4, 2011 10:29:14 GMT -5 bga4444 said:

Atlanta small business front line report. Even with the snowstorm basically shutting us down a week, we ended the first month on a very positive note. Our Woodstock location was up 100% and our Roswell location was up 41%. These are both YOY % increases. The even better news, is that the momentum has carried into Feb. So, for all you that think I only give negative news, this proves you wrong. I really only give true news when it comes to sales. Hopefully, these positive trends will continue!

Great to hear! Good luck. Its only the beginning. ;D

[djrick]

BGA, very happy to hear this! Hoping to hear the momentum continues into the rest of the year. best

[wyouser]

great to hear some good news...likewise I hope it contiues throughout 2011 and beyond.

[itstippy]

Yay! Now you have sales data to analyze. It's no fun analyzing "no sales" data. But sales data is fun to analyze, and potentially profitable.

What's picked up? Several big sales? Lots of little sales? New construction? Renovations? High end product? Economy product? New accounts? Existing accounts? All of the above?

Something good's happening in the Atlanta flooring market and it's not from a Government "Cash For Congoleum" stimulus program. What's the rest of the Nation look like? Ask your suppliers!

[Aman A.K.A. Ahamburger]

This is great bga4444!! Especially because you were worried about this year in dec. Franks rhyme sums up my feelings..

[bga4444]

Thanks for all the kind comments guys! I will let you all know about Feb. in a few weeks!

[frankq]

Great news bga. Don't tell midwesterner though, he'll call you a liar because the only good things happenning are happenning in China according to him. We are busy outside of Chicago too, and many of our commercial accounts involved in medium to heavy manufacturing are running multiple shifts. In particular, custom boilers and tanks, equipment power transmission, plastic and rubber extruding, precast concrete, heavy equipment powertrain and chasis works, electronic controls. New HVAC equipment sales have been pretty brisk for us. We've seen numerous property managers make substantial equipment investments this year and sales of high end high efficiency equipment in the residential market has been getting stronger and stronger.

[kman]

Feb is popping . I'm working all weekend to keep up with new orders. Mid should cash in some of that gold to update his moms bathroom.

[frankq]

kman,

Is your business located in China? LOL

[kman]

Try to find Italian food there....

The Chinese e-mail me or call all the time trying to sell me stuff...no thanks

[djrick]

BGA,

Are you still around the blog?

I was wondering how your business is doing? I have friends selling in the same category, they feel $4 gas is hurting their spring sales #'s.

Hope all is well with you. best

[bga4444]

Yes DJ still around. I have just been very busy. I hope all is well with everyone. Carpet price increase for us March 1st. before we could get all carpets repriced got another coming May 1st. Business has really fallen off in April. I will be lucky to match last years sales $$. Price of gas in Atlanta about $3.69 gal. is starting to take a toll!!

[The Virginian]

Price of gas in Atlanta about $3.69 gal. is starting to take a toll!!

$3.82 in Williamsburg. As price of Gas goes up our sales decline with it.

[kman]

All I need is a slice of pizza to ride my bike for a couple of hours.

[djrick]

Hi BGA, Glad to hear you are busy , friends selling to home owners have mentioned the increasing material prices, they are telling people if they want to have work done on their home it would be smart to do the improvements sooner rather than later. Not a scare tactic, just a fact of fast rising product prices.

Median per capita incomes in the US are the same as they were in 1974 -- there hasn't been any income growth at all.

In contrast, we have seen torrential capital accumulation / concentration and the capital markets have enjoyed a nearly 30 year run of unbridled expansion.

1974 wages, 2011 prices...What could possibly go wrong?

[The Virginian]

Our sales are dropping like a rock - How's things looking in Atlanta?

[bga4444]

V, things are pretty bad. I am having good sales right now but traffic has almost come to a standstill. I just can not get any kind of a positive trend on business. These slow traffic weeks will eventually lead to bad sales weeks. Cost is going thru the roof!! The only thing staying flat or declining is our pay... installers included. At least the recession is over! What a joke!

[bga4444]

I was actually more positive back in January!!

[The Virginian]

Hopefully things will improve for all of us BGA - Tired of just hanging on. It takes a toll on you having to worry all the time.

[bga4444]

I agree V. The stress of covering materials, covering payroll, is awful! I spent all day today doing everything I could to get $$$ in to cover this weeks payroll! I don't even own the place but I do have a vested interest in our success! We all do what we must!! I talk with the owner often about the stress of being cash strapped and the toll it is taking on us all!!