Anybody seeing a slowdown in business?

[carrcomp]

It is, I do have a business license from the City of Sacramento with my home address on it. My business license is 161186. The license may have the wrong phone number on it though. Off I go to the city's website to check...

No, you are in a residential zone.

I'm in Canada, so things work differently here, but this basic rule should be the same (someone stop me if I'm wrong)

Your house is zoned as residential, otherwise you couldn't live there.

Google will only list commerial or retail zones, not residential.

Your licence shouldn't do anything about it.

 

[Appleby]

Been slow. 1st half of January was booming! 2nd half was dead, evened out the month. February was ok (not great) the 1st half and dead the 2nd half. First week of March as been dead. I haven't been this slow during the first quarter in about 2-3 years.

Funny though, when I do start getting busy I get swamped all in one day. I'll be going non-stop and can barely fit everyone in for the day and the next day I get 1-2 customers? Weird.

 

[SprinterTech-WI]

No I agree,

I should clarify. I'm not having a problem where I'm trying to register. I'm having the problem that I don't have a business address.

Got it!
Although it's funny how many people I run into who seem to think that they should be allowed to list on google places and many other similar sites but hide the address...

 

[carrcomp]

Got it!
Although it's funny how many people I run into who seem to think that they should be allowed to list on google places and many other similar sites but hide the address...

I assume the conversation as follows:


"Hey, can you show my business on a site specifically dedicated to show where businesses are without actually showing where it is?"

"And how do you suppose you'd like us to do that?"

" ..... can the whole city have my marker on it.....?"

 

[ell]

Your address has to be registered as a business for google places to even show you in there.

I'm having that problem.

My google places went DOA for about a year when it merged with another business, my biz revenue dropped 40%! Now its back the phone is ringing again, but still not as good as 2010, things are slowing, kids are using their smartphones when their laptops crash and the new ipads aren't helping either, if you want to see the trend in the terms "computer repair" plunk it in here and you'll see what I mean http://www.google.com/insights/search/

 

[ell]

The AT&T phone book came out at the end of February with my ad in it. So far I have gotten ONE call, and she wanted a free diagnostic, openly saying that she didn't want to pay my $29 fee for a diagnostic for a problem that was not readily identifiable. I told her that I've got bills too. Reading through TN, I see that the board is kind of slow, with few if any TN members reporting malware issues, for example. That makes me think that it isn't just me, that business is just sort of in a lull right now while the Russians plan their next malware attack. I know that some TN members had a busy January and February, but March seems to have started like a lamb. Any comments?

big word of advice, google is your friend, if you don't get on page 1 your not found, without my places page (it went down once) revenue dropped 40%!! its all free, i have never paid for advertising, google has already scraped a listing for you http://g.co/maps/2rb63 claim it and fix it, add pics, etc, BUT before you do read over the quality guidelines, they are very strict, (to prevent spammers) it usually takes a couple months for things to update so don't be impatient, and don't edit more than once, otherwise it rolls you back in their que.

 

[ell]

No, you are in a residential zone.

I'm in Canada, so things work differently here, but this basic rule should be the same (someone stop me if I'm wrong)

Your house is zoned as residential, otherwise you couldn't live there.

Google will only list commerial or retail zones, not residential.

Your licence shouldn't do anything about it.

google places supports in home business totally, you simply hide your home address, or they will pull you.

"If you don't conduct face-to-face business at your location, you must select the "Do not show my business address on my Maps listing" option within your dashboard. If you don't hide your address, your listing may be removed from Google Maps."

see here> http://support.google.com/places/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=107528
Many pc repair places I know of work out of their homes, but you must have a physical address to list with, no po box

 

[angry_geek]

We've already got about 20 structured cabling jobs done for 2012 and another 2 dozen or so either scheduled or bid out. This year looks like it's going to be our busiest yet. We are currently in the process of expanding into business voice systems. If you're just sitting there waiting for calls, you can expect to never make a dime. You have to be out there constantly! If nothing is happening in the shop, you take to the street, knock on doors, look at other avenues of generating money, etc. You should never have enough time to just sit on your hands.

By the way, I have never advertised in the phone book. Complete waste of money unless all you want are senior citizens or low paying residential calls that want everything for nothing. Go out on the street and start asking random people when the last time was they looked for something in the phone book. I've actually done this, that is why I don't advertise there.

 

[NWPhotog]

and to be honest that is the way it should be, google places is for companies who have stores/offices.... so if everybody who worked from home had a listing it really confuses customers and google places is there FOR those of us who have locations.

Chris

In my area all the home based businesses are listed on Google places. Are you sure it isn't the same there?

 

[SprinterTech-WI]

Chris

In my area all the home based businesses are listed on Google places. Are you sure it isn't the same there?

I don't think so.... but two of the computer places out of their home around here have signs out front and a separate entrance etc.... so that is different, the few on CL who are mobile only aren't on google places.