Bob your are right, brutal, but right. I learned in college that a recesion is good from time too time as long as it doesn't last to long. That tripped me out, it didn't make sense to me. I does if you think about it from Bob's point of view.
A recession is economics way of cutting all the loose ends. During a boom in the economy, people get motivated to venture into the world of small business. Not just framing but every industry have tons of people that have money in thier pockets and like the rest of the world, want to be the boss. The problem is that the industries are so poluted with business', the Price Wars begin and a recession is reached because now nobody is making money. Business' start pricing to keep the lights on and not skill, quality and or craftsmenship. Business start to price not to make money but to keep thier competitors from making money. The recession begins and what you are left with in the end are the business' that had the business sense to survive and that is what pulls the economy out of the recession. The cycle repeats.
This is not an anomoly or a fluke, it is the human nature of bussiness. Now Bob, granted you have a tendency of speaking like a booming voice for the sky but, I admire your knowledge and feel I can learn alot from you. I always picture the amount of framers around the world stomping thier feet and kicking things after reading your posts. It's funny to me. You remind me of my father.
I made myself a victim of a booming economy in 97 and lost about $20,000 in the process and have no intention of doing it again. I'm back on my feet and very cautious these days. I read everything and trying my best to get a grasp of this business from a sterile business angle. We are all passionate about what we do but sometimes passion can get you in trouble. We are all almost contridictions to ourselves, we are artists trying to run a business. Talk about left and right brain issues. We all have to wear all kinds of hats as business owners and not just the ones that match our outfits. I hate paper work and spreadsheets but they are the keys to Longevity. The biggest advantage the BB's have is that there are groups of people working on acounting, purchasing, cost to profit ratios, etc and none of them could give a rat's *** about art, where as all we have ourselves and each other on the Grumble. This is a magical bulletin board and I would have walked away from the whole thing if it was not for all of you. I just wish we could be more honest with each other about the issues we all are dealing with. Like in Jerry McGwyrie, "You think we are fighting and I think we are finally commincating!", "Show me the money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My old college baseball coach used to say, " Be arrogant until someone humbles you, at that point, be humble, learn, overcome and be arrogant again." The older I get the more sense it makes. It was hot out there, maybe the sun just cooked my brain.
