As you know, as the self-proclaimed most talkative equipment broker around, I am reaching out to lots of medical imaging dealers every week.  Owners, salespeople, support staff, some end-users and anyone who will take my calls.

I’m hearing lots of complaints about business being slow (not everyone… dealers in the southeast seem to be having more fun).  Lots of “it’s summer and everyone is on vacation” and “it’s always like this in July and August” and “it was going great until June and then it really dropped off”.  I’ve been using the “it’s always like this” excuse myself for the past couple of years, but when I look back at the facts, it’s actually just been happening to our company for about four years….and I’ve been doing this work for a lot longer than four years.

So, one of my good clients from the northwest (which most people think of as somewhere near Outer Mongolia when I try to get them to buy an x-ray room from this guy), asked me to ask you, “how’s business?”

Please give me just a few quick answers by return email or by leaving a comment. Then feel free to add as long a complaint, editorial, demand, compliment or other impressive literary composition as you wish….AND I’ll publish the results. 

  1. Are your revenues in 2019 through August up or down?  A) more than 10% up, B) 3-10% up, C) basically flat, D) 3-10% down, 5) more than 10% down.
  2. Is your profit (salary + company profits if you are an owner) up or down during the same period?  A) more than 10% up, B) 3-10% up, C) basically flat, D) 3-10% down, 5) more than 10% down.
  3. Do you think sales (not service) in the summer months have been slowing for you in recent years? A) Yes,  B) No, c) Sometimes Yes and Sometimes No
  4. Do you think your numbers will be up or down in 2020? A) Mount Kilimanjaro way up, B) Three steps up and two down, C) flat as a pancake, D) bunny ski slope down, E) major inverted yield curve down
  5. If you provide service, is this becoming a more important part of your business… Yes or No?
  6. Please give me you city, state and country.

Assuming I get more than 20 answers (my college statistics professor said that you only need 20 data points to get a normal distribution curve),  I will publish this highly accurate poll.  If I can figure out how to do it I’ll even make graphs and maps.

Here’s my prediction:

  1. Urban dealers will say business is worse than rural dealers (less competition).
  2. Southeast dealers will have stronger business than other areas of the country.  Nothing political here…but I’m just saying…

Let’s see what you say…or wine.