busy busy.

[Dave]

Hi guys...you lot doin alright for business....are you busy or are you finding it slow...?

just seeing how things are on the plumbing side as some other trades are feeling the pinch..

[cr0ft]

I only have a few months of experience to bring to this - we're a new plumbing business starting at what I guess is the worst possible time!

I'm already queued out the door with work - much more than I expected. I've nothing to compare this to though...

[obseen16]

not been doing to badly really. had a bit of a quiet spell this week but just got a call to help a builder plumb up 3 properties so that should keep me busy for a while. the bloke down the road from me (also a plumber) hasnt moved his van an inch in 3 weeks. :S

[Mike Jackson]

I've noticed it's a lot quieter in the merchants recently. Monday morning there were 5 of us in Plumb Center, all picking up materials for Warmfront work. In the half hour I was there only one other customer came in and that was just for a cup of coffee.

I'm glad we gave up the family building firm as I'm sure we wouldn't weather the current crisis. We noticed that things were taking a downturn 2 1/2 years ago as the number of requests for quotes for the luxury items was down. We were still quoting for boiler swaps etc. but finding that people were going for the cheapest quote rather than best value.

Mike

[nick penfold]

Busiest we have been all year. A lot of the bigger companies down here are apparently feeling it but since we have always concentrated on the basic domestic plumbing and maintenance side, we are set up with plenty of property letting agents etc.

interestingly, we also set up the website, business card and full advertising about 6 months ago so perhaps thats having some bearing.

[grahamep]

Off my feet with work. Started 0800 this morning and finshed at 2130 tonight. Not a great deal on for January yet but hey, that will probably mean I can do my accounts! This work is in the south east.

[unguided1]

Hi all
absolutely flat out, so much so that I have now taken on a 2 year apprentice who got laid off from a big firm. The new love slave is doing very well and has only put his foot through a ceiling once in his first week. Apart from that I,m still gratefull because its taken some of the pressure of and I get a chance to practice with my whipping arm.
Regards
Mike

[MickW]

As some of you may remember, I am the MD of a Plumbers Merchant in the south of England, and like many other people I was very nervous about the impact of the recession in our industry.

It is now clear that the Construction/Property sector is having a very tough time, with major merchants and housbuilders laying off thousands of people. I am sure, though, that the contractors and merchants who have traditionally been involved in site work are the ones suffering most badly.

In our recent 'State of the Trade' survey, confidence was reasonably high.

When asked whether they felt the credit crunch would affect their business, half the respondents expected a small negative impact. Only 7% expected a major negative effect, and 43% anticipate either no change, or a small positive effect.

It's a very different picture from what the national media are reporting. We just hope that our customers are right, and the doom-mongers in Fleet Street are wrong.

[Dave]

Veru true mick..i personally think the media are very much to blame for all the hype.

[uug197h]

we are booked up untill febuary and still quoting for then but we are geting a lot of calls for people wanting things done before xmas (can you fit a bathroom suite next week)