What's happened??????????????

[River Valley Computer]

Is it just us?????? Boy the last three weeks has been DEAD. And I mean DEAD. Between both stores we have sold only 2 computer systems and one virus cleanup.
Admittedly - we are in rural Arkansas and only have a handful of business clients but even they are quiet. Our main clients are very small business customers and residential customers. Both stores have universities in them but hardy anything from students either. I know classes are over now but even before it was very dismal for our student clientele. We give them along with Seniors a discount. I know the economy is terrible right now and I'm sure that has a lot to do with it but.......

Anyone having similar experiences???

 

[ThatPlace928]

May was a bust for me, too. I had so much down time that I started going through my stack of broken [shop] laptops in repair and buying the parts to fix them up..... they've been sitting here for well over a year and some are really good ones....... lol

 

[River Valley Computer]

May was a bust for me, too. I had so much down time that I started going through my stack of broken [shop] laptops in repair and buying the parts to fix them up..... they've been sitting here for well over a year and some are really good ones....... lol

We are doing the same. We are experimenting with setting up some with a Linux OS to sell inexpensively but we worry about support after the sale.

 

[GTP]

Both stores have universities in them

Wow you have huge stores!

 

[GTP]

setting up some with a Linux OS

If you choose a distro like Mint - with MATE Desktop - and the client needs to do "Windows" stuff like internet searches, email, watch Youtube, Fakebook, Instascam etc you won't have too many support issues. Just make sure you tell them "you cannot install a Windows program/app unless you get an eqivalent from the Software Manager etc.

This was my biggest issue with converting people to Linux - they tried to install windows apps.

If the client is a bit more savvy they can install Windows apps with WINE. That's quite easy to do.

And don't forget Windows games (mostly) run on Linux without issues.

 

[River Valley Computer]

Wow you have huge stores!

Obviously I didn’t proofread.

 

[sapphirescales]

May/June are our slowest months. I freak out about it every year. I'm talking between a 60%-80% reduction in revenue. It's insane. I'm constantly checking our phone system/website to make sure something isn't down. I have no idea why things slow to a crawl during these months but it drives me insane. I only made $6,000 in May from my home based business (separate from my main business). I expect that to be about $3,000 in June. A normal month for me is in the $10,000 range.

 

[lan101]

Last week I was slow all week. Was actually busier over the weekend lol. I'll work on weekend days if I got nothing else going on. Summer months are normally slower but I don't know if there's any real reason for it. I'm always a lot more motivated to work weekend days if that week was slow though lol.

 

[ThatPlace928]

I have a feeling that people spent money on graduations, gifts for grads, and saving for Summer vacation. Now they'll be spending what they have on their Summer vacations and putting off other things to do that. Here in Bullhead, Arizona, everyone that lives in cooler climates have gone back to their homes, now that Summer's coming. We call them snowbirds and I get a lot more of their business in the cooler months than the hot months.

Funny, though, I don't remember being this slow last year at this time. So maybe it's just the economy.

 

[fabs]

Same here. Business is dead nowadays. Just like @sapphirescales, I constantly check website worrying about something not working but there is just no visitor. May sales were half what they were in May 2025. This may be due do very bad PC market : nobody buys computers so, nobody needs a Fab's licence. As simple as that...

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Pretty busy here....
Down here in the SW FL office I picked up 2x medium sized biz clients in the past month...
Up north at the main CT office...we scored a huge mega "ranch" campus area network project...huge Ubiquiti project....top notch stuff the owner is doing there, mega central mansion, farm hands quarters, maint facilities, barns, paddocks, several guest cottages...all around a lot of land.

 

[britechguy]

It's been very slow here. I've definitely noticed a slowdown as prices of everything, and particularly fuel, have increased. A lot of my business is not repair, but setup of replacements and data transfer. People are definitely putting off discretionary spending, and keeping "the old girl going" is happening a lot more right now.

All that being said, it's not unusual either. I've always had "feast or famine" since first hanging out my shingle.

 

[phaZed]

Gas and jobs here. Lot less traffic in the past months on the road. So, spending is depressed due to higher general costs on goods - computers or otherwise. With all of the layoffs and job losses, combined with inflation and whatnot it's been a doozy.

So, it does always slow down around tax time. This year, it didn't "spring back".
Usually we see a decent increase in sales and tickets after people get their refunds, and while we did see a small comeback bump, it was tiny and uncharacteristic.... and it's still slower than usual. It's June now: not normal.
And this after 8-10 months of absolutely gang-buster sales of PC's due to Windows 11, all the way up to December. Once January hit, everything died quickly!

The economy is not doing well for many. It's doing OK for others (That K-shaped economy).


If it were not for my recent large intentional pushes into business clients over the past 6-8 years, Biz Software and creating my Website and hosting business, I'd likely be out of business or severely struggling. (Thanks forum, for your helps)


Keep your heads up people - every customer is an opportunity in more ways than one:

I have had a long-time home user customer that comes in every year or so with some general Windows issue or a dead drive, etc. Well, his son came to pickup his PC and we got to talking... and we talked ourselves into working together on a $20K (Payout, not project cost) AI automation project for a business - with the potential for plenty of other customers. We'll see how it actually works out.

I think we're at a somewhat critical time - if you are only break-fix at this point, you're in serious trouble and to the point of being almost "too late" to transition and divest into other things. Get on it!

AI, and I think specifically local AI, is going to be taking over the business world. Those that can provide it are going to thrive. Those that can't are going to be playing a very difficult game of catch up and second-best... and the party won't last forever (time-limited deal).

 

[Metanis]

I suspect there are many things leading to consumer and small business uneasiness right now.

1. Sticker shock due to semiconductor prices.
2. Win10 ESU pushed back some sales to later this year.
3. Constant doom & gloom in the "news".
4. Continued migration to phones and tablets.
5. PCs and OS'es continue to get better.

I'm sure there are more.

 

[Blues]

I think #5 Is PCs are staying the same and Windows is continuing to get worse

I have had a brief uptick with a couple data backup/transfer requests where people are finally dumping some old hard ware or at least wanting the data from old hardware conveniently accessible from the current/new hardware.

 

[River Valley Computer]

I suspect there are many things leading to consumer and small business uneasiness right now.

1. Sticker shock due to semiconductor prices.
2. Win10 ESU pushed back some sales to later this year.
3. Constant doom & gloom in the "news".
4. Continued migration to phones and tablets.
5. PCs and OS'es continue to get better.

I'm sure there are more.

I agree with all of these but I feel 4 is probably the biggest issue now. People have found out they can do a large percentage of work on phones and tablets.

 

[Metanis]

I think #5 Is PCs are staying the same and Windows is continuing to get worse

I guess I'm taking the long view. I can vividly remember how many failed Norton AV installations I fixed back in the Windows XP days. And Windows 7 had so many instances of locked updates. Windows 11 has nuisances and continues to disappoint but it's been remarkably reliable for me.

 

[britechguy]

@Metanis,

Your experience mirrors mine. For myself, I have found Windows 11 to be the most reliable Windows so far. I've never looked back once I started using it. All OSes have their nuisances, and Windows is no exception.

 

[frase]

I have been busy this week in regards to our Telco [Telstra] with their newer Telstra 4 5G Modems they supply to customers.
The issue is printers, as these devices are 5G so have had to split the channels via disabling Band Steering disabled to enable 2.4Ghz.
As they say in Aus..FKn Telstra

 

[Metanis]

I have been busy this week in regards to our Telco [Telstra] with their newer Telstra 4 5G Modems they supply to customers.
The issue is printers, as these devices are 5G so have had to split the channels via disabling Band Steering disabled to enable 2.4Ghz.
As they say in Aus..FKn Telstra

Oh the printer nightmares!

I had a good one a couple days ago. Long term customer is getting old. She disconnected her USB printer cable and let it fall down on the floor behind the printer. I even asked her on the phone before dispatching if she'd checked the cable!