This, That and What Have You

[Mojo]

What a crazy month March was. Business has been outstanding and we set new sales records. I attended 2 different rally's in Georgia and conducted seminars there. On the last day of the first rally I was reaching into the basement bay of our coach and wham......... I got nailed by a pygmy rattle snake. He hit me on my right forearm and true to their word of being nasty aggressive snakes he tried hitting me again. No I didn't go to the hospital. I went inside the bus and let it bleed out for 5 minutes into the kitchen sink. Thankfully a guy was right there and he ran and got his first aid kit. He put a pressure bandage on it for me which helped control the bleeding. It bled for 24 hours straight.

The only thing it did was bleed and caused some vision problems. Pygmy rattlers do not have neurotoxins but cytotoxins instead. I am right as rain now and have no after effects. I am sure I left a  bitter taste in that snakes mouth. :)

On the plus side the second rally was massive. 2,500 coach owners showed up and our booth was busy as heck. Overall it was a great rally. I found that many bus owners had never heard of us before which is why we did this show.

I started this business in an enclosed trailer 10 years ago. We then expanded into a back room of our house. Things kept getting busier so we again expanded and took over the garage so we ended up with 600 sq ft. Things got busier and we finally ended up signing a lease on a 1,600 sq ft building this week. Once we get moved we will be in tall cotton. I am putting in 1 - 12 ft x 24 ft wide sewing table with double machine stations ( twin and long arm ). A second table will intersect that table and will be 8 x 22 ft with one twin needle station. A third table 4 x 12 will be used for project work and welting. This will allow us to run 4 machines at once if need be. We are also putting in a work station for manufacturing small arts for awning assemblies using a 3-d printer.

This will probably be our last lease deal. The next move will be into a building we own in a couple years. I hate leasing anything. The other good news is this new chemo drug is working wonders. My lab's look great. They should since this new drug is $ 10 K per month. ( Thank God for insurance ). So outside of a new building, a pesky rattle snake bite and preparations for the big move, things are fine down here in the Swamp.

Chris

[gene]

I love hearing stories of small businesses growing. There is so much government pressure hindering small business growth.

Chris, do you think the economy is moving more folks into buying RVs, rather than down sizing to a condo or smaller house?

Do you find the RV world growing? Are more folks getting into that life style, or are most new folks seasonal and not full timers?
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I found a snake inside a wind back chair many years ago. It was a big stuffed toy snake with big oval plastic eyes. I have no idea why the previous upholster put it in there. We upholsterers tend not to have a sense of humor, you know???

gene

[sofadoc]

Damn Chris! I'm always amazed by tough old buzzards like you.

If that had been me, they could've just buried me right there.

[SteveA]

I'm sure you were the only one who wasn't worried about the toxin.  When you come to NY there's no snakes but our rats are world famous -

SA

[Virgs Sew n Sew]

I probably would have had a heart attack just from seeing the snake and knowing it was going to bite and nothing I could do about it.

Glad you knew what to do.  I didn't realize different rattlers had different properties in their bite fluids.  Just thought one rattler was the same as another.

Sounds like your business is going "great guns" as my mother used to say.  I've certainly been in a holding pattern the last 5 weeks but seems like things are picking up at just the right time.  Have 2 upholstery projects to start on when I can plus 2 old projects that I was very close to being done with to finish as well as one that I had just gotten fabric cut on to finish.  Big thing right now for me is that the prime wedding season (May, June) and Senior proms are upon us.  I've had 3 calls for wedding alterations.  When I called one lady back on the day I told her, she had taken her dress in to one of the dry cleaners and they had altered it.  The other two are down stairs or have appointments next week for them to come.  The dress the dry cleaner did I was glad as it was a size 2 and she's a size 4 and there is only so much fabric so if it doesn't fit her, she can be mad at the cleaner, not me.  I also have 3 prom dresses that are coming in next week.  I don't plan on taking more than one or two other prom dresses max as I know I'm still going to be moving a little more slowly, have 4-6 weeks of PT to work in there so want to be careful not to get myself in a "slammed" mode.  Glad the phone has been ringing as much as it has though.  Was kind of afraid the knee could be a business killer and I have no desire to dust off my resume and get a 9-5 job.

Virginia

[Darren Henry]

I guess that accounts for your being quiet on here lately. Sounds like a very busy go.

We don't have poisonous snakes in this part of Canada (very few places do) , but I'd have been off to the medic as fast my stubby legs would churn----right after I killed the snake.

Glad to hear your health is good. I was kinda afraid that that was why you had been AWOL so much of the time. Congrats on the new shop. It sounds great, you'll have to post some pics once you take possession. I'll gladly bring the truck and my little box trailer down to help move. Just get me a passport, a letter of exception for my DUI, and some gas money and I'm there 'Bro. { Ingrid is doing shrimp on the "Barbie" once we get set up, right?}.

[Mojo]

Gene:

We belong to several RV trade associations and get monthly reports on RV sales and deliveries. All the data is showing a spike in new RV sales but what is strange is the biggest volumes are in small RV's, mainly Class B's and C's. Still large RV sales are up considerably and 2015 sales were huge. Many are full timers but there are also those who have fat 401 K's who only travel part time.  

I am very on top of all the sales as I use them for predictors of our future sales, typically 3 years out. It helps me plan strategically on marketing as well as where to move our rally and marketing efforts. We have several new strategies in place for later this year and will be making some big moves in the market in 2017.

I made some mistakes early on with this business and as a result we are now very heavy with two brand model coaches. It has worked out incredibly well but in order to grow we have to expand outside these owner associations. I am also making some changes in our marketing to move away from these markets and into others.

To be honest, I have never been real good with small businesses. My marketing and business back ground was with medium to large size companies and with our growth I am getting much more comfortable. I know it sounds strange but applying what I know based on medium sized business models does not always work with small businesses. In a nutshell I can propel larger businesses but suck with Mom & Pop businesses. There are some basics which apply to both but strategic moves and marketing in medium sized businesses are totally different.

The other problem is also making the transition from a small local business to a National business that plays across the USA. The markets are all different and what works in one place will not work in another.

I have to admit that I am getting very comfortable now with what we are doing. I have much more confidence and direction then when I was playing in my own back yard as a local business. I had many sleepless nights a few years ago as I could not get a handle on doing local work. I know it sounds crazy but my experience was with large companies and I felt like a fish out of water and was actually phobic running a local business.

The same analogy was when I called a buddy of mine who was a retired airline captain. He flew 767's for Delta. I told him " how about I come up, we rent a small single engine plane and fly out for the day to some place for lunch ". His response was " are you fricking nuts ? I would end up killing us both trying to fly a small plane. I am not comfortable in the cockpit of a single".

Am I pleased with how we have grown ? Absolutely. But am I satisfied ? Not a chance in hell. I will never be satisfied or content. Maybe it is the Marine in me or the dire need within to compete.

In regards to government. I am amazed at the complete and utter Bulls*** small businesses have to go through. Large companies have experts to handle all the rough roads and compliance BS. Small companies like ours struggle to grasp all the regulations and paper work. We just had to go through a mountain of paperwork with the State of Florida on sales tax. Because we are an internet based company and because some of our suppliers are located out of State it is an accounting nightmare. Add to this the fact that some of our customers are transients and that some buy here but have the products shipped to another State AND 90 % of our sales are from around the country, trying to keep track of sales taxes is a headache. I wont get into all the paperwork involved with employees.

In regards to the snake bite, I have been bitten worse by women. Some of their venom was much more dangerous then this pygmy rattler. :)

Chris

[Mike]

boy chris I would have ran to the ER I wouldn't know a pygmy if I saw one. I have seen a lot of black ravers around  latly.  going bigtime at work hey id like to see hear about the 3d printing hot it works ect do you already have one ?   id like to have a bigger shop at home but the county has rules I could only go a little bigger on the lot and if I did the building had to match the house and would cost a lot bot being worth it. my vurrent rent lease is a great deal but when I retire ( lol) ill still work in my little home shop . right now its a boat house workshop/ mancave.
been crasy here this march work just keep slammin'   this $300,000 plus nortech showed at  shop yesterday

[Mojo]

Mike:

The pygmy rattler are tiny little snakes that resemble their big brothers. The Tampa area is loaded with them. During Tropical storm Debbie they had so many bites in Tampa that they ran short of anti venom and had to get it from Vet's.

They will kill a dog or cat but rarely will kill a human being. Some people have complications and others do not. The one that bit me was about a foot long. They have rattles but you can barely hear them. My buddy who lives by me had one in his yard and it bit both of his dogs. It killed one of the dogs but the other one was a dry bite and it lived.

I have a lot of coral snakes on our property but they do not bother anyone and hide out. They are very docile and you have to be stupid and handle one to get bit by them. They have very small fangs and their delivery system is such that they have to naw on you to inject venom into you.

I think all the stitchers in Florida are busy right now. Catalina Rick said he was busy as heck when I talked to him a few days ago and I assume Paul is as well. It sounds like Ed is busy too.

Chris

[Mike]

Ive heard of people buying potted plants and nursuries geto g bit by snakes coiled up in the pots.   So. Always mick the pot first. 

[BigJohn]

Hi Chris;
     Living here in the  Arizona desert west of Phoenix several of my neighbors gave me hell for buying one of those terracotta garden hose holders that resembles a bunt pan, it seams snakes like to coil up  inside the terracotta along with the hose and can get you when you reach in to get the hose.          John