Welcome to the latest Fireside Monthly Update - where we take a moment to look back on the last few weeks, share some news, and connect with our community. This month's edition is extra special to us, as it rings in the final blog post for the year!
At the time of writing this, winter has just arrived a little over a week ago, but to be completely honest it sure hasn't felt like winter so far! Here in the North Country, snowy weather comes as early as mid-October and oftentimes you won't see a blade of grass under all that snow until April! But this year, we've gotten rain, floods, and muddy weather that rivals even the springtime. What a wild end to the year!
We shared a post on our Facebook page not long ago asking folks how much snow they thought we'd be getting this winter... if you guessed 0 inches, you'd be right so far!
Existential crisis over the lack of snow aside, here at Fireside we've been keeping busy and working hard to ensure that our communities here in the North Country are staying warm and cozy during those cold nights. From condo complexes and newly built homes to stove replacements and more, we've been hard at work in any scenario to keep everyone warm. Almost another full year's worth of installations, inspections, cleanings, and maintenance is under our belt but to be honest, it still feels like September. Does anybody else think this year went by way too fast?
2023 is winding down and coming to a close with the new year right around the corner, so we'd like to take the time to look back and reflect on what's happened over the course of the year as well as take a glimpse into what 2024 will bring.
Let's jump right into the latest monthly update here at Fireside!
What's New At Fireside?
It's been all hands on deck here at Fireside during these last few months! November and December are some of our busiest months, which is understandable with the changing weather. However, aside from the regular hustle and bustle of the holiday season, we've also been working on a huge project and expansion at our location. If you've stopped in or driven by recently, you may notice a particular building being built behind our main showroom. Take a look!
What you see is a big work in progress on our latest expansion: a large building for storage and quality of life. For the most part, our stock can be found in the basement or in the storage container we have for large-scale deliveries. This building is a huge leap forward for our storage capabilities, and as someone who's been down in the basement moving stoves during our busy months, I'm really looking forward to this project's completion.
We'll be plugging away at this building during the coming months, aiming for a springtime completion date. Stay tuned for more progress shots and updates!
That's not all the expanding we've done this year. The second half of our building became vacant and we have since taken it over to use it as our new conference center and training room (and temporarily an extra storage room, shhh)! We've also been making some waves at the Lincoln Design Center in, you guessed it, Lincoln.
It's been a big year for Fireside and we couldn't be more thankful for the growth we've been able to attain. With 2023 also being the year that Fireside turned 20 years old, we've been feeling extra nostalgic, and we'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has given us the pleasure of working with them. Whether you've been a longtime customer for two decades, purchased a new gas fireplace from us, or walked in once for some glass cleaner, we thank you for your business and your patronage.
With 2023 coming to a close, now seems as good a time as any to share some of our statistics from the last year!
Statistics From The Fireside
It's been a busy year, but we're grateful for all the business! Here are some noteworthy statistics we've gathered from the last year:
2,820 Logged Calls!
That doesn't mean we've only received 2,820 calls all year, but rather a portion of the calls we could not reach due to busy lines, calls outside of our operating hours, and more. For an accurate estimation of ALL the calls we've received (not even counting calls we've made!), take the 2,820 number and triple it, for an estimated total of 8,460 calls!
34.3K Site Views!
And that's from the past 5 months ALONE! With the revamp of our website earlier in the year, we began measuring statistics and results from July 11th, 2023 to December 28th, 2023. By averaging out the results to 6,860 views per month, if the revamp began from January 1st, 2023 and we had begun measuring statistics from that day, we'd be looking at an estimated 82,320 site views! Even more so, that's from Google alone, and not factoring other search engines and other means to visit our site! With 82,320 people, you can fill every single seat in Fenway Park Stadium OVER two times!
An Estimated 2,992 - 4,624 Completed Jobs!
With our team completing an average total of around 11 - 17 total jobs each day, from service to installations, factoring in our 5-day work week for a total of 292 days out of the year, then shaving off a few days to compensate for vacations and sick days, we're looking at an average of 262 - 272 days of work with 11 - 17 jobs completed on most of those days. That means we're looking at an estimated 2,992 - 4,624 completed jobs this year! Not bad at all! With our fleet growing more and more, we're hoping for even more folks on the road in 2024 and more jobs to be completed!
Speaking of more folks on the road, did you know that we're hiring right now? We've got positions open for more Installation Technicians to join our growing fleet. Check out the position here!
Wrapping Up The Year
The holiday season is coming to a close and the year is coming to an end, and in just a few days we'll be saying goodbye to 2023 and ringing in a new year full of resolutions, changes, and opportunities. As for us, we've wrapped up yet another successful Christmas party (I definitely got the coolest gift... maybe) and we're saying goodbye to 2023 with fond memories and the relief that we've jumped over some challenging hurdles. More will come, no doubt, but we've got a rock-solid team both on the road and on the home team, and we'll tackle them! Most of all we are infinitely grateful for the opportunity to help thousands of customers each year stay warm and comfortable all season long. From all of us at Fireside...
Thank You!
That wraps up the final issue of the Fireside Monthly Update. Thanks as always for giving this a read! Feel free to get in touch with us for more info about our products and services. In the meantime, remember to take a break and stretch out, stay hydrated, and have a great day/night! And don't forget to take some time to enjoy the remainder of the holiday season, and maybe catch some fireworks for the new year!
Stay Warm!
Fireside Hearth & Leisure