2019 year-end numbers

[Kevin Slater]

Per annual tradition:

 

Revenue decreased 6% from 2018.

 

35% of 2019 revenue came from the year’s top three clients, down from 47% in 2018. Revenue from all other accounts rose 20%.

 

http://www.laterslater.com/2019YE.jpg

 

Kevin Slater

[+ nycman]

I think I’ve found my newest kink.....

 

Kevin Slater Graphs.

 

Promise me you’ll spend hours explaining them and

then spread them all over the bed before we fuck?

[+ honcho]

I think I’ve found my newest kink.....

 

Kevin Slater Graphs.

 

Promise me you’ll spend hours explaining them and

then spread them all over the bed before we fuck?

 

In the interest of not passing up a good pun, and in no way meaning any disrepect to the inestimable Mssrs. Slater or nycman, that gives a new meaning to spreadsheets.

[Milo Farnsworth]

What's that in dollars?

[+ Topseed]

In dollars? My guess: -6%. ?

[+ DERRIK]

Hmm. I would like to see Kevin Slater’s pivot table

[BaronArtz]

@Kevin Slater great analysis, as always. You stated that 35% of 2019 revenue came from the year’s top three clients, down from 47% in 2018. I have a few questions:

 

- were the top 3 clients in 2019 the same clients as in 2018, or was there a rotation?

- are your top 3 clients in 2019 hiring less frequently, or hiring for shorter time periods?

- did your fee structure change in 2019?

- is it your strategy to actively recruit new clients and be less dependent on the top 3, or is it just what happened?

 

Thank you.

[Kevin Slater]

were the top 3 clients in 2019 the same clients as in 2018, or was there a rotation?

 

There's always a rotation. The biggest drop is that Mr. Green seriously cut back his hiring (partly becasue he's only in NYC part-time now).

 

http://laterslater.com/2019top3.png

 

are your top 3 clients in 2019 hiring less frequently, or hiring for shorter time periods?

 

The top three from 2018 cut back both their frequency and duration in 2019. That's the driver here.

 

Mr. Blue rose from second to first despite decreased spending.

 

did your fee structure change in 2019?

 

Nope.

 

is it your strategy to actively recruit new clients and be less dependent on the top 3, or is it just what happened?

 

Natural attrition. If anything, I'm not as eagerly pursuing new clients.

 

Thanks for asking.

 

Kevin Slater

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

I always love a good spreadsheet and charts.

 

It is also fun to think about being represented on the chart.

[+ ArVaGuy]

Always look forward to these annual @Kevin Slater charts.

 

I bet Kevin even has a chart for the number of pissed off Tommy De Luca clients he’s seen. :D

Edited January 19, 2020 by ArVaGuy

[Pepper Young]

It's good to see a provider take this business seriously. Good job, Kevin.

[Quincy_7]

What is your actual total revenue? If you can't go into details, are you at least hitting 6 figures?

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

What is your actual total revenue? If you can't go into details, are you at least hitting 6 figures?

 

Any smart provider would never answer that question publically.

[Quincy_7]

Any smart provider would never answer that question publically.

 

How come?

[MikeBiDude]

Really?

How come?

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

Really?

 

[MEDIA=giphy]12FfNKPlSR5k2c[/MEDIA]

[+ purplekow]

What is your actual total revenue? If you can't go into details, are you at least hitting 6 figures?

Asking people how much they make is generally considered déclassé and rude. Other than that, it is really not anyone's business. I think Kevin shares the data but not the scale because there are data freaks out there and for some of us, the information is just interesting. Also, it is an example of how much attention to detail he gives to his business and by extension, to his clients.

[HotWhiteThirties]

Asking people how much they make is generally considered déclassé and rude. Other than that, it is really not anyone's business. I think Kevin shares the data but not the scale because there are data freaks out there and for some of us, the information is just interesting. Also, it is an example of how much attention to detail he gives to his business and by extension, to his clients.

 

The fact that this must even be explained boggles the mind. Thank you for stating it eloquently. I had prepared a response, but didn’t post. This is well said.

[+ peterhung85]

As for me, 2019 was absolutely amazing and exceeded my wildest expectations. My income from 2018 was up by 14.8% and I ended up breaking record in 2019 as the year where I outperformed my best-ever year by 10.02%. Digital cheers for an even more amazing 2020!!! :-)

[+ Steve yabsley]

@peterhung85 , @Benjamin_Nicholas

 

thank you both for your posts and your transparency. I am delighted to hear that even given all the concerning changes in the US, your income is going well.

 

The price of democracy is participation - and I hope we can slowly shift our culture to be more open and inclusive society and I appreciate your efforts to provide what you do.

and as others have said, thanks for your participation here!

[sexymonk]

As for me, 2019 was absolutely amazing and exceeded my wildest expectations. My income from 2018 was up by 14.8% and I ended up breaking record in 2019 as the year where I outperformed my best-ever year by 10.02%. Digital cheers for an even more amazing 2020!!!

You deserve it! Wish you best wishes in future years! I understand that numbers are used to quantity lots of things! Your success here is beyond the number thingy!

[+ bashful]

Asking people how much they make is generally considered déclassé and rude.

 

I agree, in the United States, don't do that. Just part of our culture. However, it depends on where you live. When I've been to Sweden to visit family, everyone's income is public knowledge. So much so, back in the early 90's, everyone's incomes were published in the local papers.

 

As far as other financial information, I think it's more transparent in the United States. In Illinois, property prices are public knowledge. There is a website where anyone can see what the buyer paid for my last house, and see what I paid for my current house.

[Islesguy]

Asking people how much they make is generally considered déclassé and rude. Other than that, it is really not anyone's business. I think Kevin shares the data but not the scale because there are data freaks out there and for some of us, the information is just interesting. Also, it is an example of how much attention to detail he gives to his business and by extension, to his clients.

Actually, and this doesn't apply to self-employed people, the lack of discussing incomes among employees is one the ways employers maintain control over their employees and keep them from receiving fair compensation. It's one of the ways they keep the wage gap going between men and women, whites and minorities, etc. Almost every unionized workforce knows the exact salary structure at work and employees regularly talk about wages. This provides them ammo in contract negotiations.

 

People should remove the stigma of discussing pay at least within a single company though I would say people in the same field but different companies should also talk about their pay and benefits.

[+ purplekow]

Actually, and this doesn't apply to self-employed people, the lack of discussing incomes among employees is one the ways employers maintain control over their employees and keep them from receiving fair compensation. It's one of the ways they keep the wage gap going between men and women, whites and minorities, etc. Almost every unionized workforce knows the exact salary structure at work and employees regularly talk about wages. This provides them ammo in contract negotiations.

 

People should remove the stigma of discussing pay at least within a single company though I would say people in the same field but different companies should also talk about their pay and benefits.

There is a difference between coworkers being informed of the salary structure of their company and asking someone publicly to reveal how much they earn. Your point is valid but not really applicable to this conversation, though detours are what these threads are all about.

[Islesguy]

There is a difference between coworkers being informed of the salary structure of their company and asking someone publicly to reveal how much they earn. Your point is valid but not really applicable to this conversation, though detours are what these threads are all about.

Which is why I stated that in my first sentence. The only reason I made the comment was the thread had shifted to a discussion relevant to my particular point.