Anyone else have a slow august for repairs?

[AudioWorks]

Im noticeing that janurary and august tend to be the slowest months for my shop for customer walkins. Im trying to figure out why that is. I thought maybe it has to do with college semester starting on those months and people worrying more about paying the tuition or the kids tuition then getting gear fixed.
Maybe im just the only one who has those two months as slow months.

[Alex R]

Yes here in the UK I have a slow January, and a busy Christmas to lead up to it. Everyone has a New Year gig to get ready for, and no-one has any money after Christmas, is my theory on that. This summer I had a holiday, which means I have a big queue now, so if it's quiet at the moment that's a relief! Yes people are away, and spending money in August, so I guess there's a bit less money around for unexpected expenses like amp repairs in September. I'm grateful to have a large music teacher contingent - those guys really need their amps fixed, they can't put it off till there's more money around, or there won't be more money around, if you see what I mean.

[Enzo]

Hard to say overall, but in my shop, I am drowning in repairs. here I am in here on a holiday hoping to get a few more repairs out.

[micri5446]

business down 40% from last year but, had a decent aug now if september picks up.....

[SYSDOA]

I'm swamped. But I'm gettin' my a$$ handed to me on some issues I haven't seen before delivered by some impatient customers. Been fortunate to grow through recession (Jan 2009 opening), but still learning a lot as I go. Thanks to Mr. Enzo, Lowell, definitely the calm common sense of RG K. and just about everyone else that has helped me over these last few months. This forum is definitely my handbook for "ummm... I dunno"!

[AudioWorks]

I started really going right durring the crash with my shop and ive been doing pretty good normaly im swamped but august i just had hardly any walkins. Just stores sending me stuff keeping me floating. First time its really been like this. I mean i did get a couple pallets of gear out of here and catch up but now im just trying to figure ways to find some more customers. I mean ive still got a good bit of gear but im worried if it doesnt turn around pretty soon. The other main shop thats been around years before me thats right down the road quit taking most electronic repairs and now all they concentrate on is like speaker reconing and stricly old vintage amps with a 3 month wait io wont name any names. But im hoping to catch some of there old customers maybe. Def need to print up some more business cards and fliers bring them to some friendly stores.

[jrfrond]

I've been tracking our repairs on a spreadsheet since '98, and the cute, colorful graph tells me time and again that this is a seasonal business and that late-June to mid-August is the time for vacations, cleaning house, binning parts, organizing and all of the other little stuff you can't get done during the busy season. Toward the middle of August and into September, all of the college-kid stuff and gear that got damaged at outdoor concerts and fairs or surged by lightning and brownouts comes through the door, and currently, we are swamped. A lot of gear from educational institutions starts arriving around early September. Our biggest dip is around mid-January through February.

The Pro Audio/MI repair business is seasonal, no doubt, but it also varies slightly with the region. Here in NYC, we are surrounded with large concert venues (including MSG and The Meadowlands), rehearsal/recording/theater as well as outdoor performance spots, so there's always something going on.

[Alex R]

Most of my work comes through the website, and the rest is word of mouth - this is all free or nearly free advertising and I recommend it if you want to drum up trade. Pointless looking for passing trade so get the cheapest premises you can, or work at home. I used to advertise in guitar mags but that produced a lot of requests for browner, creamier, dreamier etc... it seems that people whose amp is broken look online, whilst people who have been stimulated by the tonal dreamland of guitar porn mags look in the ads at the back. So to get nice sensible business get a nice site with lots of info, and try to generate a sense of being a friendly fairminded guy on there - my new customers often say, I read the site and I really liked it. I put my rates on there too, I think it is good for customer confidence.

Google put you higher if you give useful info on the site, ime. And link to all the band websites and get them to link back.