Slow out there?

[Kathleen Gordon]

Hi,

     Is anyone else really slow in the depo field right now? 

[Janiece Young]

I've been really busy since I started my own firm.  My firm is booking and I've been helping out with overload.  I'm busy enough I'm having to use scopists.

[Audrey Ricks]

I think it has a lot to do with what area you work in.  Generally, this time of August (right before school starts for many) is a little slower than norm due to the fact everyone's finishing their last summer outings with the family before heading back to school/work. Then, after Labor Day weekend, things REALLY pick up, the kind of busy where you are turning away several job offers a week.

I've stayed pretty busy -- July and the first 2.5 weeks of August were crazy busy here in San Diego.  Keep in mind, many reporters in S. California are being laid off by the courts, so the depo world is becoming saturated with reporters, which could translate to "feeling" like it's slow since there are SO MANY reporters looking for work down here.  The phone calls requesting overflow reporters has essentially stopped for me, meaning that those other reporters have contacted the agencies to let them know they are available for work.  Thankfully, I tend to stay busy enough with my regulars.

One of the agency owners here locally just told me that they are hearing from reporters all day long who are in search of work, and a few of them are reporters from the court system, looking to get back into depos.  Some are reporters they've not heard from or worked with in months/years, which means that work is drying up elsewhere and those reporters are now calling in for jobs.

[Kerry F]

I would really like to know how business is around the country.  It seem some places are slow and some places are busy or picking up.  September is still bringing me cancellations.  I wonder if everyone is waiting to see

what the election brings and/or if more cases are settling???

Would appreciate feedback.

[StenoMiss]

Hi Kerry, I guess that all depends on the definition of busy or slow.  I'm happy with two depos a week.  So from my standpoint, when I get three, I feel extremely busy.  I've been at a steady pace all year with my two to three depos a week.  I cover PA, MD and WV.

[Betsee]

Let's see.  As a scopist, I'd say it's slow in California, Washington State, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.  And North Carolina.  Yeah, I think that covers where my reporters are at.  :) 

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Work has really started picking up for September.  I'm working as much as I want right now, which is three or four days a week - all-day depos, multi copies, realtime, roughs, video - the whole shebang!!

[Quyen]

Hi, Kathleen.  We used to have an "Are you busy/Is it slow" group somewhere on here or on the other site that is now closed.  I noticed that every once in a while, a discussion pops up, where someone is wondering if others are busy or slow. So . . .  in order to kind of keep it in one place, I've (re)started the Feast or Famine group. 

Y'all feel free to join and share your feast-or-famine experiences! :)

[Kerry F]

That's a great idea Quyen!

[Quyen]

Once the group gets some feedback on how everyone's doing, it's nice to be able to go back through the comments and see the pattern of busy/slow times of the year in different parts of the country/world.

[Janiece Young]

Kerry, one thing that is working for me is to reach out to other independent reporters in the area and ask to work back and forth with them. 

[Kerry F]

Thanks Janiece, but I know a lot of other independents and they have been pretty slow too.  I've worked in

Colorado since 1978 and business was booming here in the 1980s and pretty good in the '90s, too, but we've had some state tort reforms that hurt the depo business.  The really big agencies stay busy enough, but the smaller firms and independents struggle more.  And because Colorado doesn't have any certification requirements in place,

there's a lot of uncertified reporters that move here.

[Janiece Young]

Kerry,

Last year in KC was very slow.  I am sorry to hear that.  Things have picked up recently. I hope things turn around for you soon.

Janiece