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What's new for 2024?
A bit late this year as I’ve been away.
What are your plans, improvements or changes are you making for 2024?
Following the retirement of my old man, I’ve slacked on some admin tasks, occasionally letting jobs go and sending invoices later, and as a result, had several small amounts overdue. So I’ve amended our terms, and that’s stopping.
Also formalising the processes as I’ve had one customer test my patience, so having generic email templates to accompany proofs, install confirmations etc.
Following success with concentrating on vehicles, and pushing the marketing in that direction I’m now pushing on another area that should yield higher margins.
Nothing radical this year.
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11 Replies
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Hi David
What’s in store for 2024, good question!
2023 was busy for us, but doing all the wrong types of jobs. This is a result of Covid, taking on anything and everything, just because we can do the job, doesn’t mean we should! But it was covid, uncertain times, not knowing where the next job was coming from blah blah. but hey, enough of the excuses…
The after-effect of it all sees us working on large projects that are too slow to turn around, “for my liking”. So for the second year running, I am reigning in what I take on and pushing what I can turn around fast and at high quality.This year, we will get our ISO14001 to accompany our ISO9001. It is just another feather in our cap to help expand our offering with ten different customers we already deal with regularly but to try and gain the lion’s share of their UK-wide work. The ISO’s just give you more credibility, but combined with a new service and group of products we manufacture in-house, it should win us substantial work, even if only two of the ten take us up on the new offerings.🤞
2022 & 2023 spread me very thin due to several family members not being well, but the worst of that is behind them now, which lets me focus more on what I need to do. which is my sign business, work I do within the industry and also on UKSB. All of which I have loads of new things happening and I am looking forward to getting back into 100% again, so bring on 2024! 😃👍
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can i leave thinking about it, until the 4th of January, my head is still sore! 🤒😎
we are going to discuss things when we start back. but like you, no massive changes. but we do need to sort out some bad habits.
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I plan to take less holidays in 2024.
😂😉🫢
Last year I gave my soul quite a bit, and then a bit more… I now feel hunger for work.
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I’m hanging up my squeegee and retiring later this year. In preparation, I’ve joined my local library so I can go somewhere to keep warm every day…..
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In preparation, I’ve joined my local library so I can go somewhere to keep warm every day…
🤣🤗
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I am not officially back at work until Monday, but i have been working since lunchtime yesterday on a new way of promoting my business and spending less time with fruitless customers. being a very small company i try and give a personal touch and guidance to my customers. but i feel that most are now only interested in how cheap and how fast can i get it. attitude! 😕
oh and, Happy New Year everyone! 😃
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Always good to work on your business rather than in it.
I’m forever making small changes to things – Yesterday I updated our proof sheets after a problematic customer last year.
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Dave – yes 100% work on the business rather than always working in it. The last 12-months have been incredibly busy, our best ever by a large percentage and the outlook is very good for this year to keep growing, that said being busy is really getting in the way of me getting anything done!
I’m going to try really hard to ring fence at least a few hours every week to improve something in the business; more standardised pricing, updates to marketing, standard literature, better processes, better working practices, more business analysis, better systems – the list is endless and can never be finished BUT if we keep making incremental improvements then we’ll improve customer service, quality, percentage of quotes won, margin levels etc. etc.
I need to be Managing the business more, rather than trying to be the ‘hardest digger in the mine’ all the time! Hopefully everything will be more streamlined and manageable so I can be less involved in every tactical element.
Working out a priority list at this very moment.
Looking forward to the challenges and opportunities this year brings.
Cheers
Dave
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I actually really enjoy that side of running a business, granted not at the size you are.
Sitting down and planning things, improving things, and then hopefully seeing the work. I don’t do stress very well, and lots of my processes are there to reduce stress.
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due to lots of my customers being involved in theatre work, Christmas is a busy time for me, but January is very slow. this year, i plan to work harder at broadening my customer base to ensure my slow periods are taken up with other types of sign work. but i hit a brick wall when it comes to sign fitting because i need to sub that to fitters and they are often busy or price me out of winning the job.
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Leslie, Scotland is not good for “freelancers” in general.
The good ones are like Hens teeth and there are only a few vinyl fitters I actually trust.I have had a few fleets of vans to do over the past few years and I have brought in English wrappers.
I know of two girls who are freelance vinyl installers, one local to you and one nearer Edinburgh. If you are stuck, let me know and i will pass you their details.
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