I'm right there with you. The bottom fell out of my small business at the beginning of the year, very little new business since, slow pay like I've never seen on work that was billed months ago ... I've had to take a job with a customer to tide myself over; thankful for the pay and benefits, but it's less than half of what I made even last year. I shut down the office, moved the computers and such into my house, and sold equipment that I couldn't bring home, contracting that work out (not that there's very much of it). I'm handling what business I have left during evenings and weekends. Sold my company vehicle, a GMC Acadia that I really loved, early enough to have gotten a decent trade in on it, now driving a Corolla, for the gas mileage. It's averaging close to 40 mpg on my now 30 mile, one way commute, thank goodness. I'm holding my own for now, cut my debt down to just a mortgage. It does keep me up at night, worrying about just what the future holds.
Mine stopped dead in April at the wholesale level. Retail continued quite well until June, which is normal for my industry. My small retailers are totally MIA. Contacts at the retail level tell me that business is *quiet*. Two major distributors merged and the top three (by size) distributors have ordered at half the volume and twice the interval. At least two orders were due to getting in at the last possible moment before an announced June price rise. Two smaller accounts that sell retail at trade shows open to the public, are also MIA. I am pretty sure gas prices and associated costs have kept those retail shows down on volume and traffic.
Luckily, I have had no slow pays. In fact, the collection agency I use called to troll for past due accounts and I didn’t have any.
Third Q will tell the tale, as I usually pick up considerably by the middle of August. Peak season for my industry is September-May.
I have no opportunity to take a job...too old, too far out in the boonies, skill sets not needed by employers locally. DH has one employer he could apply to if worse comes to worse. They would love to have him, but not if he continues in private practice.
Like you, we have cut debt to the bone and we can provide some essentials for ourselves, hopefully enough to make a difference.
My county road is as quiet as it was 35 years ago after 20 years of regular traffic. I had to shoo the dog off the yellow line last week, where he had decided it was as good a place as any for a nap. He’s an old guy and knows about cars, but there simply haven’t been many. Lots of motorcycles, though.
As Gritty said, it will be pain like we haven’t seen in this generation come heating season. I don’t even see a lot of firewood for sale, for the first time in decades. I think people are providing for themselves and their best customers and not advertising. I worry , too, what our enemies will decide to do to us when they see us weakened and in disarray.