Friday - late morning

When I realized I had no work for the trucking company to do today, I decided last night I would sleep in, wake up, and lay there and do nothing.

Exactly what I did.  It's a quarter after 10:00 and I just got out of bed, lmao.

I'm going to guess they will schedule me for tomorrow to work Saturday and Sunday, but who knows.  Or something happened at the plant...or or or....I don't call them to find out.  I don't really care, if they want to work me, work me, if they don't have anything, I'll find other things to do. I've already made a list for today that will take me well into the afternoon.

As it stands, a man moved in yesterday, I still have yet to go over and collect.  That's my doings, not his.  I also have another person saying they "might" want to move in Sunday or if not, 2 Saturdays from now.  I said I can hold the lot for him until Sunday, but if he wants me to hold it until next Saturday, he's going to have to put a deposit down.  I'm doing that now.  I can wait a few days, I'm not going to wait 10 for someone who may or may not show up. If they put down $200 non-refundable deposit, that will motivate them to come. If they don't show, I've got $200 and move on.  

At least the Facebook ad is working.  I've got his phone number, if someone else calls about the lot and wants it, I'll call him back and ask him his decision.  For I have lost enough business from wishy-washy people who have no stake in the game and don't stand to lose money if they decide they aren't going to come.  It's deposit time or if you need to, go find another place to stay.  The guy said "let me check my schedule", which means to me "Let me call every other place around town and see if they have a better deal". 

I don't blame people for doing that, but I think they should just be up front about it. I'm not going to scold them for comparison shopping for rates.  I'm not going to tell them about the horror stories I've heard about some of these other places.  Or the fact that the new park is well outside of town. Some people are fine with that, others want to be able to get to town quickly to get their needs so they can get back home quickly.  

I would be wiling to bet the weird people moved to the new competitor.  I say that because it's a little cheaper over there and even tho it's well outside of town, those people rarely leave their coach.  I did find it amusing that the new park already has 9 google reviews. some of them dating back 2 months. Oh it's so wonderful here!  Liars.  That park hasn't been open for 2 months, they had the gates closed and locked!  I'm going to go over there soon and see how many RV's they have in there. I suspect they're pulling them from what used to be my main competitor.  

I say used to be because this new guy on the block is undercutting everyone still and I don't wonder if that will go on for awhile. I just did a check for rates on their site, it goes down to $369 per month.  That's cheaper than me, but I have location as a huge extra added plus.

As the experts in the RV industry always say, location location location.  But the other place - well they have 2 of them - they are probably suffering, at least from what I have heard.  Their reviews are full of people telling the tale of sites that are too small for big rigs or even larger sized rigs.  Too little room to maneuver in and people complaining they ended up in a site that doesn't fit their rv.  It has gotten so bad for them that they are advertising 2 lots for one price.  In other words, a lot more room.  

It's an ongoing battle to look up other rates and see where I stand competitively.  I wasn't sure what the new place would do, but I had to figure they were going to undercut everyone.  How they are making money after spending on a million dollars? They aren't. The ROI simply can't be there.  This is a ploy on their part to get people in there and then jack up the rates, that's the only way I can see them playing this hand out.  They might add some amenities that we all don't have and namely: a jacuzzi and a swimming pool. 

These are things that are still high on my list of amenities I need and want in my park. I could raise the rates significantly.  People want pools and jacuzzies and are willing to pay more for it.  That's what I've heard over and over.  Yes! A pool!  I would up my rates at least $75 per month if not more.  Or give options.  If you want access to the pool, this rate, if you don't, that rate.  The pool can have a keypad security and a camera to identify who is going in and out. Tenants who aren't paying for the pool option but are using it? Will be evicted.  Or even make it a club so that it's exclusive. Pay extra for the club.  I can already see the pool and jacuzzi area replete with a small bathroom and an outdoor shower.  A covered area with a table  and covered pool side tables.  

This would up my game substantially.  It would set me apart from literally every other park in this area.  No one has a pool, not a single one.  There is one place that is a group event type of thing, they rent a few RV spaces on the side that has a pool. But, the caveat is that RV'ers can't use the pool when groups are using it as well as everything else.  

So, more spaces and a pool setup are my next objectives.  Impossible with my current credit score, so that's kind of where I'm at. I haven't paid a single dime down on debt for I haven't made that much money yet and the money I have received from the job I've spend on bills. As I said long ago, I knew that by September, after paying exorbitant electric bills, that I would end up needing supplemental income. ]

Thank me for reminding myself, lol, that the electric bill is due, well, there's 2 bills.  I broke it down, it's about $57 per month per lot in electric usage. That's not bad. The bill is high, of course, but getting the picture of how much is being used on average is a little easier to digest.  

Now then, for today?  I'm headed to the sign shop, Harbor Freight and Walmart.  Sign shop for a sign I had made quite a while back that I never went and got. Harbor Freight for a camera for the doggy park and walmart for miscellaneous stuff I need for both the park and personal.  After that, to the park to collect the rent from the new person and maybe, if there's time, go ahead and work on more potholes.  Get those potholes filled up. It actually lasts quite a while as long as I don't fill them immediately before rain.  

If it rains before people run over it and smash it in there good, it will just splash out a gooey mess as people drive over it and the soil becomes muddy.  There is a slight chance of rain today, there was a 70% plus chance tomorrow, it's now down to 40%.  Kind of iffy on that one.  

Anyway, I'm getting nothing done sitting here and lazy-time has been completed. Enjoyed it thoroughly, especially being that there is no one else in the house. No noise besides cats getting into things and dogs barking out back. James is doing his side job, Taylor is back to work and the kids are in school. It's the verge of the weekend and I will be quite interested in seeing what this company has me doing.  I can say I needed today off and didn't even know it.  Just need the break.  

G'day