Signs of Recovery?

I'll offer my take on why I think things might be getting a little better. Firstly, the phone has been ringing a bit more than in the past year or so, which is good news. Given the equity situation many people are in, and the resulting difficulty in getting project financing, people are finding it tougher to do the project they really want to do, and are taking alot more time to select their contractor. They ARE calling though, which tells me that there is interest........if not ability to pay!

The second reason is sort of funny, in a way. You wouldn't think that you could gauge the state of the economy by how poorly some of your subcontractors or vendors are performing. Experiences on both of my ongoing projects though, have got me to thinking.

It's almost axiomatic that, in my business, you're going to be let down by a sub or vendor at some point. When the economy was burning hot, it sometimes took awhile for vendors to get quotes to me, or to schedule subs on some of my jobs. As much as I feel this way as a contractor, it's almost certain that clients felt that frustration as well.

When things got slow, it was suddenly MUCH easier to get your folks to pay attention to you! "Want me there tomorrow......no problem, Mike!" Hell, sometimes I'd have quotes in my e-mail inbox not a half hour after I had requested them. I had visions of people sitting around like the Maytag repairman.....just....waiting....for....something....to....do.

On my recent projects though, I 've been having......issues, though. Rough-ins that took a week and a half were taking three and a half. An HVAC system install that should have taken three weeks is clocking in at something like nine or ten. What the hell is going on?

So, my theory. I think that a number of companies let people go when things slowed down, and also chased down any leads that came their way. Now, it seems a lot of those leads are turning into jobs, but people are reluctant to hire back those they let go, lest this all be some big mirage. As a result, many vendors & subs; having taken on all this work with the idea that "I'll get it done.......somehow." are now over extended and unable to keep anyone happy (least of all ME!)

They put in a few hours at my job and a few hours at the other guy's, hoping to get it all done on time and not tick any one person off TOO badly. For my part, I get to needle and cajole, and hopefully get them to pass that screwing on to someone else. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, but it certainly has me committed to building a "deeper bench" as they say in the sporting world.

So, in the end, it seems like me being frustrated with non-performing subs and vendors is a sign that maybe we're turning a corner.

I sure hope so!