A client from 10 to 12 years ago absolutely hated the Bush administration. In her eyes, they could do nothing right. However, at one point she interrupted her grousing and admitted the economy must be pretty good because “everybody” was taking off the last half of December.
I’ve been saying to people this summer the economy must be in great shape because so many people are not around and those who are around take one to two weeks to do what takes one to two days in May or October.
I’ve also noticed when the the economy is great, customer service from small businesses goes down (it’s usually always low from large companies, right?). Our cabin still has a few “loose ends” from some work done before the Great Recession (noticeable only to me, but still annoying). This summer I’ve had a few instances of slow service, unresponsiveness, etc.
It puzzles me because one would think when times are good and things are busy it’s time to do great work and raise prices.
The same applies to selling a business. The experts in my industry all believe we’re closing in on a peak (the economy tends to stall the year after a new president takes office and that’s only 18 months away). In this case I can understand the slowness rationale. Business owners have short memories, “recession, what recession,” is their mantra.
The smart owner will recognize the trends and take advantage of the situation. Sell before the economy turns, values decline, and interest rates increase.
“It’s amazing what you can get if you quietly, clearly, and authoritatively demand it.” Meryl Streep