Free Republic Business Networking Ideas

7/13/2002 | PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain

[SamAdams76]

What about taking this concept a step further? If a Freeper in my neighborhood is offering goods and services, I would like to become a customer of that Freeper. For example, I am getting my kitchen remodeled soon. If there was a Freeper in my area that did that sort of thing, I would like to give him the opportunity to have my business. If a Freeper ran an auto repair shop, I would consider taking my car there for service. And so on. Maybe Free Republic could have a database for this kind of thing. So if you type "car insurance" and "Massachusetts", up pops a list of Freepers in Massachusetts who sell car insurance. It will not only get us doing business with each other but it will get us to know each other and strengthen the "Freeper" community.

This may be one of those "gray" areas that would make Free Republic look too much like a business, so I'm not sure if it's feasible. But I think it's a good idea.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

add me to your bump list,we have a little non-profit Catholic gift and thrift,just opened 1 year ago,we also have a yahoo store and for yahoo store owners there is a new forum for just that.Freep mail me and I will send link.

Great, I will put you on the list, and we can ping the catholic bump list to your site!

BigMack

[Alberta's Child]

It seems that the key to your problem is the seasonal nature of your work. This might not help you in the short-term, but if there were some way you could develop a fairly similar line of business that would keep a good portion of your staff busy in your "down" months, you might be able to keep a larger staff on board year-round.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

That's a tuffy,do you lay off crews in the off season?

Not with the one crew, we have been working them reparing equipement and asphalt repairs and some striping, I'm not sure about the new crew yet, will have to see.

[Alberta's Child]

If you want to move forward with this idea, I'd love to be a part of it. I'm a vice president in a small civil engineering firm (about 25-30 people) that specializes in transportation projects. Mostly government and agency work by its very nature, but I'm looking to pursue a new line of business that may have a lot of private-sector potential.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

sounds like a good idea - a FR business forum, we have a lot of talent in a lot of areas on the forum, but do they want to discuss business?

We get this thing set up right and running, and it will be a great tool to all business men on here, if we build it they will come. :)

BigMack

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

One more thing concerning this topic. Has every FReeper who owns a business stated so and said what their business was about?

Not that I know of, but what better place to start than here,

Calling all business owners, what do ya do?

:)

I started mine about 6 months ago, and I consult and contract in the IT field, e.g. networking, software development, system(s) auditing. It's slow, but it's picking up steam. I'm my only employee! ;-)

Great, you would be a perfect contact for others on here that do the same, new business for you and them sharing contact's and or prospects, and I bet there is alot of them on here.

BigMack

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

I understand seasonal and scheduling!!!!

When we would bid a job, we would sit down with the potential client and our calendar and explain this is when we will be available. If that was unacceptable we would offer to suggest someone else to do the work. We lost some jobs, but we made friends with the competition and got repeat requests from the potential client.

I never thought of that, but I guess it best to make friends with your competition, might even work out a deal with them for some work that you or they can't get to. Good idea, thanx.

I guess we were doing something right!!!

You sure were!

Please add me to your ping list. I'm trying to get back into the business world after having been semi out of it following the birth of my daughter. what I've been doing is also pretty seasonal - research and writing and contacting of people while the legislature is in session!!!

Great, will do, I sure you will find others on here that can give you prospects or new ideas, you have me!

BigMack

[brityank]

happytobealive said: I hope your networking idea gets traction, but I'm skeptical because FReepers don't post many business articles.

Bear in mind that most business articles have more of a claim to copyright than pure news stories and political reportage; that is why you won't see many here.

Great idea though; good luck.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Ever hear of the price mechanism?

Increase prices until your backlog is manageable.

Others have told me this in the above posts, thinking hard on it.

Option 2: Do a clientectomy on 20% of your clients. Remember old Pareto. I would bet that 80% of your profits come from 20% of your clients. And furthermore, 80% of your headaches come from 20% of your clients. During the busy season it is time to keep your most profitable clients happy and delete the least profitable.

I really don't have this problem in my buss, its all very profitable, even the cheep bids, I'm truly in a nitch gravy business, and most of my customers are commercial and professional business men, very few if any bad clients. Good advise on the higher bids, thanx

BigMack

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Watch out, though - If you do any work for the FED, you are required to put them on the fast schedule at your lowest rate.

I hate the Fed buss, the paperwork will burry you.

BigMack

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

FOR A SIX-PAGE BOOKLET ON MY PROVEN CREATIVE BUSINESS ACCOUNTING METHODS, SEND $19.95 TODAY!

ROFLOL

Your in. :)

BigMack

[crusher999]

I am in the computer business, and don't know a whole lot about your industry, but there are two things I would like to offer to you for considertation.

1.) THE "WINNING EVERYTHING IN SIGHT" DILEMA: WIth all the business you have booked, know your going to book, and have a pretty good idea your going to book...I have to wonder if:
A) your offering too low a price,
B) building a reputation, and winning business where your not necessarily the "low bid", or
C) all the above (which I suspect is the actual situation).

You may want to consider, raising your bid pricing a bit and see what happens. Only you know what your margins are, but even if your "bid win rate" were to drop by 20% or 30%, the extra money you could make may just very well offset the expense of hiring more labor, and buying new/used equipment, to make sure you take care of "it all".

2.) THE SEASONAL DILEMA: In the computer business, there really aren't too many "off season" time frames, but a real money maker in this industry is "maintenance contracts".

In your bids, you may want to include, as an option, an "off season maintenace plan" where by you do a monthly or bi-monthly check-up. When repair is needed, and if weather permits, do a "quick patch" until you can go back "in season" and do the job the way it should be.

This will keep cash flow happening, and just may end up in you "not having" to rebid the job the next time.

This "year-round" approach to a seasonal industry, just may take you to the point where you don't have to do as much bidding down the road, because you will become the "YEAR ROUND, GO TO" guy for your customers asphault needs.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

What about taking this concept a step further? If a Freeper in my neighborhood is offering goods and services, I would like to become a customer of that Freeper. For example, I am getting my kitchen remodeled soon. If there was a Freeper in my area that did that sort of thing, I would like to give him the opportunity to have my business. If a Freeper ran an auto repair shop, I would consider taking my car there for service. And so on. Maybe Free Republic could have a database for this kind of thing. So if you type "car insurance" and "Massachusetts", up pops a list of Freepers in Massachusetts who sell car insurance. It will not only get us doing business with each other but it will get us to know each other and strengthen the "Freeper" community.

This may be one of those "gray" areas that would make Free Republic look too much like a business, so I'm not sure if it's feasible. But I think it's a good idea.

Damn good idea, well let the thread run monday and see what kind of response we get, and then make a ping list and ping everybody for a meeting to set this networking idea up, will you help? Thanx

BigMack

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

It seems that the key to your problem is the seasonal nature of your work. This might not help you in the short-term, but if there were some way you could develop a fairly similar line of business that would keep a good portion of your staff busy in your "down" months, you might be able to keep a larger staff on board year-round.

We are working on doing just that, with infrared asphalt repair, we can even work with this system in the snow if we have to. Thanx

BigMack

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

If you want to move forward with this idea, I'd love to be a part of it. I'm a vice president in a small civil engineering firm (about 25-30 people) that specializes in transportation projects. Mostly government and agency work by its very nature, but I'm looking to pursue a new line of business that may have a lot of private-sector potential.

Great, lets let the thread run Monday during the day and see whos interested, make a ping list and ping everybody for a meeting and get the thing off the ground, will you help? Thanx

BigMack

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Bear in mind that most business articles have more of a claim to copyright than pure news stories and political reportage; that is why you won't see many here.

I didn't know that, but the main thing about this is we can help each other with our problems, new ideas, and prospects for new business.

Great idea though; good luck.

Thanx

BigMack

[Tom Thomson]

Count me in...

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

This "year-round" approach to a seasonal industry, just may take you to the point where you don't have to do as much bidding down the road, because you will become the "YEAR ROUND, GO TO" guy for your customers asphault needs.

I like you!!! Good stuff bud. Raising the bid price is a good one, I'm thinking hard on it, and will look into what my rates are comparied to others in the area, I try to know what my competition is charging, but I haven't had the time lately, too busy, Thanx :)

BigMack

[hope]

How long have you been established or are you
continuously needing to seek new accounts through advertising? It really makes a difference in deciding whether to expand with more equipment and new employees...The employee thing can be a challenge...It's a constant babysitting job. Not to mention the added expense in insurance and Workmans Comp. Those things are essential to consider before expansion to determine if it will be worthwhile to do so. And, if you think it's time to do so just make sure your the best at what your doing.. I can tell you there is no better advertisement for your business.. 1 customer can be worth 25. If you need to advertise start with direct mail...It's the most inexpensive
and generally most effective. You just need to find your niche and really expound on it and make it look better than
your competitions.