Below is a new list of 7 things that consumers are still doing.  People are fixing their cars, remodeling their homes, and still making trips to the dentist.  While some consumer behaviors have changed, it is nice to hear that the world hasn’t stopped in the current economic climate.

 7 Things Consumers Are (Still) Doing:

• Auto repair shops grew their sales by an average of 2.4% over the last 12 months.
• In contrast, car dealerships saw their sales decline by 9.7% in the same period.

 2) Remodeling and fixing their homes instead of moving.

• Building equipment contractors (such as electricians, plumbing and heating contractors) saw their sales increase by 4.6% in the last 12 months.
• In contrast, home builders saw their sales decrease by over 5% in the same period.

 3) Shopping at grocery stores more than eating out.

• Grocery stores experienced average sales growth of 6.7% over the last 12 months.
• Sit-down restaurants saw growth of 3.9% in the same period.

 4) Attending technical and trade schools.

• Trade and technical schools saw their top-line sales grow by 7.8% in the last 12 months, compared to growth of 5.9% in 2007.

 5) Going to the dentist.

• The average dentists’ office experienced sales growth of 6.9% in the last 12 months, up from 4.9% in 2007.

 6) Getting personal care services such as haircuts and manicures.

• Hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, and skin care providers experienced an average of 4.5% sales growth in the last 12 months.

 7) Visiting an accountant.

• Accounting firms saw average top-line revenues grow by 10.2% over the last 12 months, putting the accounting industry in the top 20 industries in the country by sales growth.

With all of the talk of H1N1 Virus/Swine Flu, doctors are probably no longer worrying about navigating their practice through the economic downturn.  People who may have been trying to cut expenses by putting off their trip to the doctor are unlikely to be doing so if they think their illness could be related to the new virus.

Data from Sageworks shows that doctors’ offices are actually doing pretty well in the current economic climate; offices of physicians saw their top-line sales grow by an average of 5.7% over the last 12 months.

To celebrate Earth Day Sageworks recently released our first set of environmentally-friendly business data.  As you can see, sales of recyclable materials have increased over 14% in 2008 despite the recession, and their profits have increased markedly, up 32% from 2007. It seems that going green is gaining popularity. 

There is also data included above on how nurseries & garden centers are doing.  Earth day may have come as a welcome relief to the greenhouse and nursery industry; these businesses have seen significant decreases in both sales and profits over the last year.

The WSJ posted a blog referring to recent lay-offs in the legal profession as the “darkest day ever for big law firms“.

The numbers below show a significant decrease in revenue growth for legal services and offices of lawyers over 2008. The industry maintained strong profit margins, and may suggest that high fixed costs such as expense accounts, salaries, and other overhead costs were reigned in over the last year prior to the increase in lay-offs.

It looks like schools providing trade and technical training are growing despite the current downturn.  Their revenues have grown at an average rate of 7.8% over the last 12 months compared to 5.9% in 2006 and 2007. 

 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Education Pays Survey), earnings increase substantially and unemployment decreases substantially with greater levels of education. It may be that people are looking to use trade and technical training to set themselves apart as candidates or even to change career paths in the current economic climate.

It may be a struggle for many small businesses to keep afloat during a downturn, but here is some hope. Sageworks has compiled a list of 5 financially healthy types of small businesses over the last 12 months. These industries may be worth while for job seekers to look into. They have all seen their top-line revenues increase by between 8% and 11% and their net profits increase by between 3% and over 30%.

This list was compiled looking at financial statements of businesses with less than $10 M in annual sales.

Recent commentary suggested that Chrysler’s closing could set-back auto parts suppliers even further, and that their future hinges on whether or not banks will continue financing the companies through the impending revenue shortage.

The table below lists the debt to EBITDA and interest coverage ratio for both publicly traded and privately held parts suppliers. Overall, debt to EBITDA has increased for the private suppliers, and the ability to pay interest based on income has decreased for both sectors.