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I am curious to know who does your Bookkeeping ? Do you do all of it yourself, have your spouse help or just take bags of receipts to an accountant and throw it on their desk ?
I do not do any bookkeeping at all and we do our own taxes. We use Quickbooks and my wife handles everything after the sale including customer contacts ( unless the call is a technical question ).

The way our system works is: I take the order ( either by e-mail or by phone ). I then make out a show work order. This includes all measurements, colors, coach type, customer info ( phone, address, e-mail, etc. ). I then place the order on the schedule which is a series of clip boards hung on the wall in corresponding order. Once the order is complete I give the shop order along with all e-mail correspondence to my wife who creates the invoice, enters all the data and then bills them through Paypal. If it is a credit card order then she contacts the customer and does the transaction over the phone. A few of my elderly customers demand that we accept a check which is no problem. We have never had a bounced check throughout all the years we have been in business.

Once that is completed she gives it back to me and then I create the shipment. I box everything up, cut the polyrod to size, create their owners packet with our thank you letter, several business cards, a rack card and our warranty card. We also include the Solarfix warranty card, 303 product literature, etc.

Coach owners are given a huge file box when they buy their buses and inside it is all manufacturers manuals, warranties and other literature pertaining to their bus. The vast majority of our customers are sticklers about info and keeping their files current so their owners packet from us goes directly into their file box. We get rave reviews over them.

I then weigh the box I am shipping and then make out the shipping label ( we ship Fed Ex ground ). If we have several orders to go out then we schedule a pickup. If it is just one then I take it to the airport's Fed Ex center while I am out running errands. When I create the shipment Fed Ex sends a tracking number to our customer and believe you/me I really appreciate this service. Saves me having to e-mail the customer directly and enter the tracking info myself which is typically a dozen or more numbers. I then give the order back to my wife and she closes out the order and files the paperwork. Once a week she reconciles all of our accounts ( checking, savings, CC's, etc. )

I am just curious as to how all of you handle a sale and who does the bookkeeping.

Chris

I value all of your opinions and so many times in the past one of you helped me learn something or brought up an idea I hadn't thought of. So I am back to ask what all of you think of this idea.

I am in a different position from many of you as alot of my customers are do it yourselfer's. In other words they install many of our products themselves versus taking their coaches in to a dealer for an awning/topper install.

They look to us for help which includes manuals, procedures and needing assistance getting through critical steps in the installation process. I have spent years learning the different assemblies, their internal parts, operation, etc. From motorized assemblies to fully manual ones not to mention the variables across the numerous manufacturers. I know every single piece and part right down to what size screw to use where. It represents a great deal of time and energy to get to the point to where I am considered by many in the industry as an awning/topper expert. It is a reputation I take seriously and I admit I enjoy teaching and holding " how to " seminars.

My problem is I am sometimes inundated with phone calls from customers who are stuck at a certain step or possibly they are troubleshooting a problem. Just the other day I got 4 phone calls from one customer who was having a hard time doing his install. I spent over an hour talking him through the problem and that hour represents $ 135 of shop time. It is a huge time killer for me especially when I am buried up to my eye balls in orders and every hour sewing is critical to meet some impossible deadlines.

So my idea is this - Make a series of videos that our customers can watch. We already have a Youtube channel and can simply provide links to our videos off our web site. I will include several videos for different assemblies as well as videos answering common questions. I believe this will greatly reduce the amount of time I spend on the phone or answering e-mails. Not offering any assistance is obviously the great way to go but that is something I will not consider. Our company was built on customer service and we are one of only three companies in the USA who offer technical assistance ( and parts in some cases ). This is the main reason why we stay so busy and are so popular among bus owners.

Any canvas shop can provide toppers or awnings but very, very few have years to build a knowledge base that will allow them to assist customers with technical problems or answer difficult assembly questions. If you read comments from customers on the internet you will see just how important this level of customer service is to them.

Do you think this is the best way to go ? I fully understand that some customers will still want to talk with me but if I can cut down on the number of phone calls it would really help. Can you see any downside to the videos ? Am I missing something ? Obviously I will copyright each video segment as I already have one competitor that copies alot of our web site content and incorporates alot of our ideas that we come up with.

Opinions, good or bad and ideas/input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks gang,

Chris

Seen this and thought of you. One very cute video. Some of these are hilarious.

The sad part is that a couple remind me of myself with my head hitting the sewing table. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rAxtac8WvI

Enjoy,

Chris

The snowbirds are out moving about, making plans for their winter travel and blowing my phone and e-mail account up.

It has been completely nuts and one of those weeks that I take one step forward and 3 steps back. I am buried for a couple weeks and the orders continue to pile up everyday. Looking back a year ago at this time we were busy but not this crazy busy.

Now that everyone is getting their coaches ready for their winter travels they feel it is a good time for new toppers and awnings. Geeeesssshhh..........Now I see how you Marine people feel in the spring time.

Onward and upward I guess......My wife is now officially a stitcher widow. She said she would see me sometime around Christmas.......lol.......:)

Chris

Dennis, Ed, Keith, Gene, Doyle and the rest of you furniture guys.
Where the hell were you all yesterday when I went furniture shopping ?

First let me say as I get older I have much less tolerance for BS and lies. I wanted to so bad slap a couple sales people yesterday. I found that many of them are either 1.) Completely misinformed 2.) The worlds greatest liars. 3.) Both.

I could not believe the line of crap they had. If it wasn't for my own knowledge and all the reading I have done here from you guys I would have bought a pile of junk. Now I see how people end up with furniture that lasts 3 years. I didn't buy the greatest furniture yesterday but I did buy what I feel was the best I could afford and the pickings is very slim in quality furniture.

We needed a new love seat and chair and all new end tables. The end tables I was OK with since I have done alot of woodworking and know joinery, cabinetry and building techniques. The furniture was harder. It is very hard to " see " what is underneath the leather. I was able to unzip a cushion to stick my hand inside to feel the thickness of the leather and feel the back side. All I could do was stay with hardwood frames, high density foam and how the overall weight and construction of the style we selected felt. Thankfully they had a mock up of the furniture we were buying so we could see the frame, springs, foam wrap, etc.

This was our first trip furniture shopping in 16 years and I hope it is the last time I have to endure a bunch of idiots like I did yesterday. It is a horrible way to spend an otherwise nice Saturday and our savings account took a big hit.

Chris

I am working on my last order. I do not have any others nor have I did any quotes this week.

I do not remember the last time this happened. Am I scared ? Not yet. Actually I am loving it. Seems good to have some free time to get some honey do projects done.

I believe I am in that twilight zone right now where orders dry up and it is the calm before the storm. I am sure crap will hit the fan real soon once the Yankee Doodle Dandy's head our way for the winter. :)

This is the reason why I have not hired part time help. It is these slow times that scare me off from hiring someone and then having to tell them " sorry, I have no work for you this week or the week after ".

Anyone else suffering a slow down right now ?

Chris

I was wondering ( and curious ), do any of you have any hobbies outside of your businesses ?

Here is one of mine:

http://s181.photobucket.com/user/throgmartin/media/Misc/Drums_zpsca45f86a.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

http://s181.photobucket.com/user/throgmartin/media/Misc/Instruments_zps58711428.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

I have been a musician since age 8 and my wife and I still play. The photos are of our home studio. I play guitar, drums, blues harp and bass. My wife is multi talented and plays the fiddle, guitar, sax, clarinet, piano, bass and mandolin.

What are your hobbies / passions ?

Chris

I talked to one of the managers at Quality Thread and he informed me that Solarfix is now being offered in different colors.

I believe some of the colors are going to match some of the Sunbrella colors ( navy blue, green, cardinal red, etc. ). The one I am concerned about the most is beige since it is my most popular color. He is supposed to ship me a sample spool to test  and give them my results. The beige is not quite ready for the market yet. I will let the rest of you know what I find out after I am done testing it.

I initially called him about a question I had as to why I seen smoke coming off my needles whenever I was sewing with black Solarfix. His initial response ( jokingly ) was that I sewed too fast and to slow down. After that comment though he did go on to say it is the oils on the thread that is creating the smoke. They do not use oils on the clear which explains why I never get any smoke from the needles when sewing with that.

If your looking for colors in Solarfix then I suggest you contact your sales rep and inquire about what color offerings they have. I myself will stock beige, black and clear. It is too damn expensive to stock a multitude of colors.

Chris

I work directly with the North American head's of Recassen's and Sattler. Actually the top dog of Sattler / Outdura is a close friend and lives by me. So being tied into these guys I hear the latest and greatest and just wanted to pass this info on for everyone.

Recacril has changed some of their finish techniques at the factory resulting in a little bit stiffer hand  on their awning/marine fabric. They also have added a couple new colors and dropped a couple as well. Their wine color, which I believe was a big Bayliner color is long gone. They also dropped their Red Tweed in 47 inch and are going to a different red tweed color which is supposed to be brighter.

Sattler bought out Outdura so the two are now one. They still have their own respective lines but are the same company now. They too have made a couple of changes in the color lineup. I have noticed that they have changed the hand on their fabric and it seems to be softer.

Just thought I would mention this so if you do not have the latest sample cards then you may want to order new ones from your supplier. Recacril just came out with the most awesome sample book with cut fabric inside that I have seen. It is a 4 inch by 11 inch box that opens up into a double sided binder with the cut samples inside. This thing is real slick and professional looking. I use these in my vendors booth at shows.

Not sure how much some of you are effected by color changes but just wanted to give you a heads up.

Chris

Hi Gang:

I miss not being an active daily participant here and am trying to get caught up on all the recent posts.

We just got hammered with orders and have been trying to get them pounded out and shipped. This entire week has been one big clustered mess with non stop quotes, phone calls, shipping screw ups with Fed Ex, etc. If there was ever a week I wanted to fire up our bus and drive off into the sunset, this is the week. I have my days where I wished I never started this business. I feel blessed that we have it but I despise this business this week.

Last week I had to take the day off and accompany my lovely wife to the Immigration office. It was her final test and interview for citizenship. It has been a long road to get there but I am so proud of her doing everything the legal way. The INS is holding a private swearing in ceremony at Ingrid's High School in the auditorium so all the students can witness the hour long event. Very few people ever get to see one and we feel very fortunate that they are doing this. What is awesome is she will be able to maintain her Australian citizenship as well and hold dual passports. her biggest thrill will come this fall when she gets to vote. It is something she has been wanting to do.

I mentioned on here a while back that I did a barter job with a producer of an internet based TV show. I got free air time as well as they designed and cut a commercial for us. I wrote the script ( a 30 second spot is NOT easy to get everything crammed into that time frame ). I sent it to Mike for his input and he has been the only one from here who has seen it. I thought I would share it with the rest of you. I invite all input ( good or bad ).

I hope everyone is healthy and happy. I am hoping to get things caught up and back on a regular schedule soon so I can partake in the daily posts here. I miss not being a daily forum addict. :)

Here is the link to the our commercial that is running for two episodes of the TV show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cax6kMcBZ04&feature=youtu.be 

Have a great weekend everyone,

Chris

This seems to be a strange summer in regards to business. We are down about 15 % from last summer but we had such a strong winter / spring it isn't hurting our year to date sales versus last year.

Last summer we stayed strong throughout June, July and August but this summer it seems to be a sputtering mess. Orders flood in and then its dead. Orders flood in and then it goes dead again. I do not have a clue as to what is going on and cannot get a handle on why.

I was just getting around to getting some home projects lined up when wham...... orders poured in and still haven't stopped. I am back to my normal two week out booking schedule.

I just read today that the world economy, including China has slowed. That really has had no bearing on my business in the past but it does seem to be accurate this year. I am getting ready for the fall months as this is typically when we get slammed big time. If this year is like last then we will get busy and steadily get buried in orders as the winter approaches.

Has everyone else seen a normal business cycle this summer or have your numbers been goofy as well ?

Chris

Well we made it back home and while we enjoyed every minute of our time with my son, daughter in law and grandkids, the rest of the vacation sucked.

I had a quad order booked before we even crossed the border into GA. The phone never stopped ringing the whole time we were gone and the e-mails kept coming in. I spent time on rest stops calling customers, taking orders and helping customers work through technical issues on their slide toppers or awnings.

Then I had a front U-Joint go bad on the bus after pulling a couple big mountain grades. We ended up stranded on a Sunday at a weigh station on I-75 in Kentucky. None of the big truck service centers wanted a thing to do with us after I told them we needed work done on a motorcoach. They avoid coaches like the plague because they are such a PITA to work on and also because of the liability of an expensive rig. Mostly they stick to working on semi's only. Finally found a service center who took us in and I limped the coach in and in a few hours was on our way.

Spent the night in Ohio at the Neil Armstrong Space Museum, got up in the morning and headed on to Michigan. Pulled into the first rest area and a trucker followed us in, parked and came up to our door and knocked. " Ummmm sir, you have smoke coming from your toad ( our car which we tow behind the coach ). Great....................... Went back and took a look at the right rear hub cap and seen it was melted. I could smell burning gear oil and then seen the back of the car covered in gear oil and brake fluid. To make a long story short, the axle bearings went in the right rear, which drained the gear oil, which burnt up the diff and which got so hot it melted the brake lines on the right wheel which drained the brake fluid. Why it didn't catch on fire is beyond me.

Called an old high school buddy of mine in Lansing, MI who owned a transport/car dealership and he came and got it. I told him " make me a decent offer and you can keep the car ". He did so we came home minus one car. Once I get my bearings I will have to go car shopping. It was my tow vehcile for several years ( 2001 Grand Vitara ) with alot of miles on it.

Oh those orders that came in while on the road ? I am pretty much buried for the month. I spent half of yesterday figuring out materials and placing one big and very expensive order with Miami. The other half of the day I chased my fat butt in circles trying to figure out where I left off before vacation and looking for a starting point.

Today I spent kicking myself in the ass trying to get motivated and get working. Vacations can be real tough in that regard.

I have days I hate this business and this is one of them. Can you tell me how you handle your vacations ? Do you have an auto responder on your e-mails saying your on vacation ? Do you leave a voice mail saying your closed for vacation for the week, two weeks or whatever ? Do you just lock the door and say screw it and forget about the business ? I need help and input here gang. How do the rest of you do it ?

I really need to come up with something before our next vacation because I am sick and tired of taking this business on the road with me while we travel to a vacation spot. I need my down time and to get away from this business. How do you all handle it ? I do not want to send $ 3 or 4 K worth of business down the road to my competitors but something has to be done.

Oh, BTW, great to be back. I missed ya'll. :)

Chris

I am just getting back here on the forum and catching up on all the posts. I have been lurking a little but haven't had much time to post.

Our young German Shepherd Tazzie ( the one we got as a pup two years ago ) started developing a limp a few weeks ago. We took her to the Vet and found out she had bone cancer. It was pretty advanced and saving her with an amputation of the front limb was out of the question. The pain got real bad over the 4th holiday and finally last Saturday she was in a great deal of pain so we rushed her to an emergency Vet and had her put to sleep. It was heart breaking as she was our baby. Both of us were devastated and shed alot of tears over the last two weeks.

We found another Pup ( 3 months old ) at a breeder near us and brought her home two days ago. She is an all black GSD as well and is going to be one very big female. She is already 30 lbs and has paws the size of a bear. She is a typical puppy meaning she is a holy terror. My wife did not want to wait to get a pup as she is off on school break and has time to train her.  Our male - King, has taken a real shining to the new puppy and looks after her well. Miyah was just what the Doctor ordered to mend our broken hearts.

On the business front things slowed to a crawl and I ended up clearing the order board from my shows I did back in May. I have had a couple large orders come in during the last week and am finishing those off and then concentrating on getting the bus ready for our trip North to spend time with the Grandkids. Our son and his family have a bus and they are leaving in August for a year long tour of the USA. They will be homeschooling our grand daughter during the trip. We wanted to spend time with them before they left.

Then it is back to the grind as my wife begins getting ready for another year at her high school. I am hoping things will still be slow when we get back so I can get a few projects done around the house.
This has been one extremely busy year and I am enjoying this slow period before all hell breaks loose with the snowbirds.

Sorry I haven't posted much lately. Life does get busy sometimes. I hope all of you are doing well, making money and enjoying life.

Chris

I have read where the economy is picking up, peoples 401K's are doing well ( which 90 % of my business is with retiree's ), employment numbers are picking up steam, etc.

We have seen steady growth this year with no ups and downs like in years past. One change I have seen which tells me consumers are having more confidence in the economy is that people are buying new toppers instead of trying to get by for another year. They are also buying full sets and having companion awnings made as well versus replacing everything piece meal. In other words our sales have increased but so has the size of each order. Last year the growth was nuts and off the chart. About 60 %. This year we are not experiencing anywhere near that type of growth but we are growing, just at a slower rate. Unless I can pull a rabbit out of my hat this year ( or next ) I do not think we can ever match last years boom in sales.

Are you seeing any increases in sales ? Are customers spending more on their orders ? How are your numbers this year as compared to last ?

Just wondering how everyone is doing.

Chris

While on the subject of D-Day in another post this happened this week as well.

The last of the Navajo indian Codetalkers died this week. Their story is an amazing one and their contribution to the Pacific war and battles we fought were successful due in part to their efforts.

For those of you who do not know about the Codetalkers I suggest picking up the movie
" Windtalkers " with Nicholas Cage. It is a story about these guys and how their code was never broken by the Japanese.

Here is the link to the story about the passing of the last Codetalker:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/arizona/2014/06/04/arizona-navajo-code-talker-dies-nez/9965201/

Chris

I do not want to re-live this week again. It started out great on Monday and went to hell from there.

Tuesday I get a phone call from the President of Miami Corp letting me know Miami Mike is no longer with the company. It was a huge shock as it came out of the blue and there was no warning. I cannot get into details but will simply say the departure was " a difference of opinion  ". Mike was a close friend and will remain one and I plan on talking with him next week. I am hoping he stays in the industry as he has so much to offer. I have been in touch with him but am giving him his space at the moment to gather his thoughts. Please do keep Mike and his family in your thoughts and /or prayers. He has been a major help to many of us here on this forum.

The parting of ways with Mike and Miami created a big void for many. I know Miami spent all week tying up loose ends and Mike and I were working on a couple projects together which required
Miami's President to step in, take over and take the lead on and work directly with me. This is an ongoing project so will require more time and energy in the near future.

In addition to the above stated issues I also had a warranty claim against Recacril and that ended up bringing a phone call and apology from their North American head honcho. The warranty claim was taken care of and an equitable solution arrived at. They stepped up and took care of things for me and pledged their support in the future. But it took alot of time to solve my problems and issues I had with Rec. I ended our conversation pleased though and look forward to working with all of them.

I also had an ordering / stock issue with Sattler. That brought a phone call directly from Sattlers North American Chief. Actually he is a good friend and Him and I ( who have done seminars together before ) got that problem rectified and onward we go. Steve, their Chief has been another one who has been a big supporter of ours and has worked hard behind the scenes directly with me on marketing and product planning. We have been blessed to have him in our corner.

To add even more craziness to our week a prospective buyer from Atlanta came into town with his wife to look our operation over. Yes, I put a few feelers out on selling the company and got a bite. Our conversation ended with no sale and no prospect for a future sale but some interesting conversations did take place over future ventures together. We broke bread and had some interesting conversation. It was actually a fun time.

All of these issues came at a very busy time for us and consumed a great deal of time. I am glad some things were handled and laid to rest but to be honest I still feel an unease and an empty feeling inside over not having Miami Mike there by my side anymore. He was instrumental in our growth and helped me plan the many moves we made in our market. I have pledged my support to him and Susan and hope he comes out of this fine. It surely was a shock to many across the industry. Everyone inside the fabric industry knew Mike well and when I talked to them this week they all seemed to be in shock over it.

I just want to forget this week ever happened. Some great things happened for us during our many phone calls with various individuals and while I gained a great deal of knowledge working through problems with these various people the one thing I did learn is that our company is not for sale. We are poised for even more growth and plan on making some gutsy and interesting moves in the near future. The honchos from the various companies have pledged their support and are going to help us move forward. I don't think we could make the moves we have planned without their help. support and leverage / contacts. I am very grateful to them. God knows what the future holds but we are moving towards it regardless and are hoping for the best. It will be interesting to say the least. :)

I hope all of you had a better week, made some money and are staying busy. Have a great weekend,

Chris

Someone please tell me I am not the only idiot working all weekend ?

I am so back logged that I have no choice but to cut and sew throughout the holiday. I wanted to load the wife and dog's into the bus and get away to St. Augustine for the weekend but that isn't happening.

This is what is keeping me home and working: 
http://s181.photobucket.com/user/throgmartin/media/Upholstery%20Projects/Orders52014_zps8d3a48d3.jpg.html

I was making a dent in these orders but then more came in via the internet. I finish one and two make their way into my in box. One step forward and two steps back so they say.

Is anyone doing anything special for the holiday weekend ?

Chris

Amazing story. I have read here about you furniture folk who have found all kinds of things
stuffed in furniture. But have any of you found $ 40 K ?

These kids did:  http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/college-students-find--40-000-in-their-couch-143236171.html

This couch may have come from Dennis or Keith's shop. They were probably short on foam but long on cash and said " Hey, what the heck, might as well use some hundred dollar bill's I don't need. ".

Chris

Still have not seen hide nor hair of one of our more active members Doyle.

A couple of us tried reaching him by phone to no avail.

Has anyone else heard from him ?

I truly hope everything is OK with him. I am a bit concerned as he was a very active
and cherished member here. I miss his thought provoking posts.

Chris

I have three fully upholstered dinning room chairs in the coach that need to be recovered.
My question is there a better way to construct the bottoms as these springs hurt my fat rear end.
Every time I sit down on them I can feel the Z springs ( or whatever they are called ).

I have looked at just buying new ones and chucking these as the price for these type chairs are cheap.

I would love to try and recover them myself but do not have the time. If we keep them I may have to drop hem off to you Paul and pay you to recover them. I have the material just do not have the expertise in furniture nor the time.

Are the vast majority of these type chairs made with these springs ? I hate those things.

Chris