slow at work ?

I'm a mobile mercedes mechanic.

I stepped away from the dealership because I got tired of making someone else money and I've been doing it full time for about 5 years now.

The industry as a whole is up and down like a roller coaster and this year has been particularly hard on the poor saps that have to try to sell new cars, and the service departments have been losing alot of their customers to independents.
This helps me as an independent that is also mobile to their door, but when the phone rings for a price quote, you have to try to sell yourself a little harder now days and customize your pricing a bit from time to time.

I have been steady, dead, slow, steady, busy, dead, ...just like that for the past couple years so It's nothing I'm not used to.

It's nothing like the great depression, but everyone is looking for better deals and cutting back on things like car maintenance.

My Brother in law also worked with me as a tech at a mercedes dealership, and he started his own business installing factory and aftermarket audio video gadgets in mercedes and other vehicles.
He does it on a mobile business by himself and makes about $300-k a year.

This has been his slowest year ever and the first time I've heard my Sister complain about his spending, so I know if he's feeling the pinch something must be off.

I keep telling younger kids now days to become multi skilled and have a do it yourself attitude toward things, not only to save money, but to hone different job skills if you need to find a different career path.

My Wife has not worked a paying job for years while we were raising these kids, but she is going to nursing school and hopes to be working in the nursing field in another year or so.
That will take some of the pressure off of me for a change.