What if you happen to start getting overwhelmed with work? What do you do? Do you make excuses as to why the work isn't done as soon as expected? Do you give the work to someone else? Do you raise your prices? Do you do just enough work to get by with on a restoration, even though you would have done a better job if work was slow? Do you hire someone to take over part of the responsibilities? What's the answer? Even though it's not something that you need to consider at this time, it could happen.

Ed

As much as I love restoration, doing nothing else all day, every day, is my idea of hell. Though having this much work is, for me, science fiction, I'd grin and bear it until I had some capital, then open an office or storefront and bring in associates to help. Then I'd franchise and die a very rich man.

Probably hire someone to keep the work flow going. Cutting back on quality or having extreme wait periods is probably a good way to end up like the Maytag Repairman....Tom

I guess since that hasn't happened to me yet, my response has to be "I'll cross that bridge when I come to it". :)
DJ

Tom, we have found that having a backlog of work (generally about three months) sets just fine with our clients - in fact may be enhancing our reputation! :-) Most of our jobs are tough and I don't like to be under any pressure (I'm too old for that) so we will often give ourselves 3 to 6 months to finish them. If they need rush work they can go elsewhere - although I make exceptions for a funeral or something like that.

We also get into disaster work and the priority goes there until the prints are stabilized so I have to take that in to account when promising other work. I've had some of those take well over a year to finish.

Obviouly if it's simple negative and print order this doesn't fly, but on the others, the public seems to like the "save up for this" idea telling us again and again that they are in no hurry and more than willing to wait.

Ed we raise prices every third year - no reason for that - it's just a long time habit - mostly because making new price list is not something I like to do.

Doug, the associates want you to pay them 40 grand a year (plus THEIR retirement benefits) to learn , so there went your dream of any retirement in this business - it's a solo effort I'm afraid.

Jim Conway

For very complicated type jobs longer wait periods are simply to be expected, but a lot of the work I see is fairly straight forward and, with a graduated restore/retouch scale, most folks, around here anyway, like to get their photos back in no more than 2 weeks. Complicated jobs will take longer, but most of the people I deal with would not stand for a 3-4 month wait...they would just take the job elsewhere...just depends on who your customers are and how patient they are I guess. But doing general vs specalized work usually demands a fairly rapid turn around..after all, folks dont want to wait until they are in their freshman year of college to get their Highschool Graduation announcement pictures....Tom

Tis most amazing that our businesses are all so vastly different yet we have enough in common to keep this forum enlightening in so many ways!

Jim C

Sadly it does not seem to be the case often enough! However at the moment I have turned down two potential clients due to an overburden already in the work department.

I may be poorer financially, but richer mentally.

All work if any that I do not undertake, I still try to reccomend another person that I know would do an equally good job, I also make a follow up call when I am less busy as often clients will not have done anything more about getting the work done and often a phonecall can dredge business up from work that I had previously passed up on:)

Originally posted by Mike Needham
I also make a follow up call when I am less busy as often clients will not have done anything more about getting the work done and often a phonecall can dredge business up from work that I had previously passed up on:) This is SO TRUE!! Thanks for the tip.
Jeanie