Ideas for business to start

[Kali]

I'm trying to figure out a good business to start to diversify a bit.

I seen some pool cleaning routes for sale...would be easy enough to run just hire one good employee to do all the work, for starters.

Any ideas out there? Something that can be run by a small number of people and the less skills needed the better.

[Heimdhal]

I'd look into why exactly those pool routes are for sale. They might be so low on customers they cant afford the gas to drive from place to place. Not many people "splurging" these days.

Honestly, if dont mind dealing with the shadier side of society, pawn shops are doing pretty damned good from what I understand.

Cheap meals are always a bonus. The number 1 business during the depression were hot-dog stands because people cause feed their entire family for less than 50 cents (back then). Mobile, or even small hole in the wall, kitchens that serve cheap, and filling food can potentialy be gold mines depending on the area. I've thought of doing it myself. If you work it yourself with maybe one other person, you'd have pretty low overhead. Serve things with lots of beans/rice/grains all made from scratch you can make large portions very cheap. This is something I learned from my familys temp company business, since most lunch trucks are gettin very corporate and are starting to cost upwards of 8-9$ for a crappy meal and the workers just cant afford to pay near 10 bucks for a crappy sandwhich, chips and a soda.

Just some ideas.

[the biss]

Here's one I just started for less than $6K.

http://www.thegrainmillwf.com
http://www.facebook.com/thegrainmillwf

I started with the concept of offering bulk grains and milling services to the community from the mother-in-law apartment located in my basement. In the near future I will be adding beer making and bee keeping supplies to my inventory.

A value add is that in the event that the SHTF, I literally have tons of barterable product available that I bought at wholesale.

[Heimdhal]

Here's one I just started for less than $6K.

http://www.thegrainmillwf.com
http://www.facebook.com/thegrainmillwf

I started with the concept of offering bulk grains and milling services to the community from the mother-in-law apartment located in my basement. In the near future I will be adding beer making and bee keeping supplies to my inventory.

A value add is that in the event that the SHTF, I literally have tons of barterable product available that I bought at wholesale.




Thats a great idea Biss. I like your style my friend. Maybe next mayoral elections, your town will see the light ;)


And, speaking of grains, I think you need an on staff baker/pastry chef, ya know, just to make sure the grain can be baked into delicious goodies and quality control, ya know. I happen to know one...... ;D ;D ;D

seriously though, a product like this to serve your community is a great way to get them thinking of prepping and just simply networking and helping your local economy in general. Just be carefull they dont "remember" you when the world ends.... Did I mention that pastry chef is also pretty damned handy with guns too?! 8)

[the biss]

Oh you can betchya that we're armed to the teeth Heimdhal. Every member of my household has rapid access to a firearm (GUN!) that they have been trained upon, including my three daughters (ages 12, 9 and 7). I was a NC Hunter Safety instructor there for a while about 10 years ago.

[bkfm]

Vending route might be a good all cash business, might even find some silver.

[Glass]

Donut machine - in a van, on a sidewalk, mall etc.

Valet parking - I saw this when I was in florida. You get valet parking at the mall. You can get a car wash etc while you are inside. I have now seen people doing it in my home town. I thought about it. ATM they are only doing the cleaning not the vallet. Aussies are tighter than a frogs whatsit so valet parking is a toughie here.

Hire a bunch of electric unicyles down the local park/boardalk.

[Ironfield]

Not to thread hijack but The Bliss +1 mate to you and your wife. You guys seem to be doing an amazing job there with The Grain Mill of Wake Forest. If I wasn't so far away, I'd love to go in there for some of that grain for fresh bread. Not to mention that delicious looking honey to go with it.

-Ironfield

[Skirnir]

Vending route might be a good all cash business, might even find some silver.


I particularly like this one; junk foods tend to be recession-proof, no labour cost, and if the count comes up light, someone shook the thing and a few drinks came out.

[Kali]

Thanks for the replies...

I thought about the vending machine routes...see them advertised every once in awhile.

Been looking around for past few hours...so far pool cleaning biz seems best.

If I can find 1 experienced person for this I'd be set.

Thought about lawn service too but that's a lot more work and we have tons of foreigners here who do yards for ten bucks or so to compete with.

Still looking around.

[gunDriller]

what state are you in ?

i went to the High Times "Med Can Cup" yesterday - the first time they've run in San Francisco the same contest they run in Amsterdam.

it's a wierd combination of science & debauchery.

i met a few of the business owners and i would have to say it's one part of the economy that is increasing. the industry worldwide is $50 to $100 billion (hard to get numbers).

for example, in between all the "flower-children" ish folks, one of the guys i met was the owner/manager of a chain of shops in - Colorado.

i don't think that the industry is growing, as much as it is in the process of "re-legalizing", transitioning from an underground status to an above-ground status.

anyway, after seeing so much of the economy implode, it's interesting to see part of the economy grow - sort of.

of course, the cost of entry is steep - you probably need to be an end-user of the product, or it's hard to understand the industry.

[Neuro]

I did this in the recession in Sweden in the early 90's:

I bought these baguette breads and rolls from a bakery early in the morning. I prepared them with different fillings like cheese/ham/meatballs/tuna/smoked salmon/roast beef/shrimps wrapped them in cling film, put them in bicycle baskets, biked around 2-3 hours before lunch to offices, shops, factories and sold to the people working there. I just prepared a price list before I started and went around asking if they were interested in this service. I put on about 200% of the cost of the ingredients when I sold the baguettes, so if a Baguette costed me a dollar to prepare I sold it for about 3. I worked for about 5 hours per day 5 days a week and earned about 3-4000 dollars per month... No permits no taxes, no initial investment... Good luck!

[Kali]

Im in Northern CA

[gunDriller]

Im in Northern CA


i think one other business that has a low cost is coffee. people are willing to pay $2 for hot water with a little caffeine, cram, sugar, flavoring.

then it's just location & timing.

of course you still got to keep an eye on the tips jar, which i've noticed a few stores having problems with, people stealing the jars that is.

good coffee practically sells itself.

also if you have a cash business, it's not that hard to declare the income, if you choose, which there can be advantages to. essentially "booking the income" vs. not reporting it.

the IRS is becoming fcuking aggressive. these days even a small transaction like a coffee stand or selling an ounce of metal, the parasite tic governments (fed, state, local) want their cut.

a coffee stand could be so simple. but if cops hassle you because you don't have a vendor's license ... how do you know it's worth investing in the license ? i guess you could set up a professional looking coffee stand and not worry about the permit. it you end up with a nice wad of $1's at the end of the day, i guess it's worth the business license.

damn life is getting complicated.

i wouldn't say i'd want to live in the old old days, like a hundred years ago, because dental care was not great for the general public.

but, in the '60's and '70's ... you could just start a coffee stand without getting hassled. and it would be profitable. that's sort of how Peet's started, basic hole-in-the-wall coffee shop with a huge market, Silicon Valley high-tech workers.

[sunshine05]

Here's one I just started for less than $6K.

http://www.thegrainmillwf.com
http://www.facebook.com/thegrainmillwf

I started with the concept of offering bulk grains and milling services to the community from the mother-in-law apartment located in my basement. In the near future I will be adding beer making and bee keeping supplies to my inventory.

A value add is that in the event that the SHTF, I literally have tons of barterable product available that I bought at wholesale.




That is awesome! You are right in my home town:). I will have to stop by your store one of these days.

[sunshine05]

Kali - what about a pet sitting service? A lot of people prefer to have their pets watched in their home rather than placing them in a kennel. I'm always looking for someone trustworthy to watch my dog. You could even offer walks for people who work a lot or have trouble getting out.

[Brio]

Kali - what about a pet sitting service? A lot of people prefer to have their pets watched in their home rather than placing them in a kennel. I'm always looking for someone trustworthy to watch my dog. You could even offer walks for people who work a lot or have trouble getting out.


What I was going to suggest, add a concierge service (house sitting, shopping etc) a cousin and a friend of mine does that is very busy. Also dog training, So many people want a well behaved pet but don't bother with the time it would take to have one.

[mamboni]

Cash business......

[Heimdhal]

Cash business......



:ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL:

[Liquid]

LOL Mamboni...

Here's a few ideas from my area. If you live in a city.

There's a guy that parks in a high traffic area with a commercial waxer/buffer. He charges $15 a wax job, and I think he can get a car done in 15 minutes. I saw him start and end a job running a quick errand.

Next to that guy, is a hot dog stand. Quite the combo, get your car wax, and enjoy a dog while you wait.

Both cash businesses.

Also, there's a guy that goes around with a product that restores faded paint jobs for cars. He does great work, don't know what he charges, but have a friend that restored a faded red sports car.

Great thread, it's a reminder for me to patronize these guys. We need to restore the small familyy businesses in our country. Mad props to all that do, and that can run a successful one, as well.

[Grand Master Melon]

While it may work for some or even many I would stay away from buying any sort of route. If you think there is money making potential with pool or vending services then I would instead start my own outfit.

Other possiblities:

Repo man

Tow truck operator

Hot dog , snow cone, pretzel or any other kind of small food stand

Pedicab

Horse & Buggy rides

mobile petting zoo

None of the above mentioned ideas would require more than a couple of people to run the business and many could be started real cheap.

[Liquid]

Repo man



In the near future, this could quite possibly be the biggest job growth in the nation. #1 top jobs, repo man. ;D

Just be prepared to be shot at on occasion.

[Liquid]

Another one, what about a small business hauling people's junk to the dumpsite?

All you need is a truck. Lot's of old folks would appreciate it. Show up, load the junk in the truck, and off to the dumpsite.

[wilhelm]

I own a pools service company in No Ca - would be happy to answer any questions

[Shami-Amourae]

I'd recommend starting a gluten-free food business. A half a year ago I found out I had a major allergy to gluten, and because of it my eyes have quickly been opened to the growing niche market in gluten-free products. There is a large number of people discovering they have celiac disease, or a gluten allergy.

Basically you can make anything from breads, candies, cookies, pretzels, and so forth without gluten, and charge a much higher price. Because you can set a much higher price you can run it as a small business operation, and have a sizable window to profit. This market is growing VERY fast because humanity is starting to realize how bad wheat really is for us.

Here's a 2.6 oz. package of black licorice @$3.60:
http://www.glutenfreemall.com/catalog/images/candy_tree_licorice_vines.jpg
http://www.glutenfreemall.com/catalog/candy-tree-black-glutenfree-licorice-twists-p-967.html

Or a pancake mix @$40:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518k8OwMm-L._SL500_AA300_PIbundle-3,TopRight,0,0_AA300_SH20_.jpg
Link to Product (http://www.amazon.com/Pamelas-Ultimate-Baking-Pancake-4-Pound/dp/B000NMJWZO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1277199376&sr=8-1)


EDIT: Changed long link to named link to prevent horizontal scrolling. -Gaillo

[Half Sense]

I know guys that just pick up dead appliances and turn them in for scrap. They run an ad on Craigslist for free pickup and also just go out on trash night and pick stuff up off the curb.

[JDRock]

Cash business......


Epic......im speechless :lol

[Kali]

I own a pools service company in No Ca - would be happy to answer any questions


Thanks. I'll be in touch when I have time to ask some. I am waiting for a laid off friend to figure out if he wants to be part of this. His options are running out.

[Saul Mine]

You could sell milk on Ebay.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews


2,997 of 3,047 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Make this your only stock and store, July 8, 2008
By Edgar (Baltimore) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon, 128 fl oz (Misc.)
Once upon a mid-day sunny, while I savored Nuts 'N Honey,
With my Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 gal, 128 fl. oz., I swore
As I went on with my lapping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at the icebox door.
'Bad condensor, that,' I muttered, 'vibrating the icebox door -
Only this, and nothing more.'

Not to sound like a complainer, but, in an inept half-gainer,
I provoked my bowl to tip and spill its contents on the floor.
Stupefied, I came to muddle over that increasing puddle,
Burgeoning deluge of that which I at present do adore -
Snowy Tuscan wholesomeness exclusively produced offshore -
Purg'ed here for evermore.

And the pool so white and silky, filled me with a sense of milky
Ardor of the type fantastic of a loss not known before,
So that now, to still the throbbing of my heart, while gently sobbing,
I retreated, heading straightway for the tempting icebox door -
Heedless of that pitter-patter tapping at the icebox door -
I resolved to have some more.

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
'This,' said I, 'requires an extra dram of milk, my favorite pour.'
To the icebox I aspired, motivated to admire
How its avocado pigment complemented my decor.
Then I grasped its woodgrain handle - here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there, and nothing more.

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams of Tuscans I had known before
But the light inside was broken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only words there spoken were my whispered words, 'No more!'
Coke and beer, some ketchup I set eyes on, and an apple core -
Merely this and nothing more.

Back toward the table turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
'Surely,' said I, 'surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!'

From the window came a stirring, then, with an incessant purring,
Inside stepped a kitten; mannerlessly did she me ignore.
Not the least obeisance made she; not a minute stopped or stayed she;
But, with mien of lord or lady, withdrew to my dining floor -
Pounced upon the pool of Tuscan spreading o'er my dining floor -
Licked, and lapped, and supped some more.

Then this tiny cat beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grand enthusiasm of the countenance she wore,
Toward the mess she showed no pity, 'til I said, 'Well, hello, kitty!'
Sought she me with pretty eyes that seemed to open some rapport.
So I pleaded, 'Tell me, tell me what it is that you implore!'
Quoth the kitten, 'Get some more.'

Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 Gallon, 128 fl oz (http://www.amazon.com/Tuscan-Whole-Milk-Gallon-128/dp/B00032G1S0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1277275027&sr=8-1)

[Saul Mine]

Here's another idea I just remembered. (http://gold-silver.us/forum/cooking/brewing-thread/msg12572/#msg12572)

[Neuro]

I own a pools service company in No Ca - would be happy to answer any questions


Thanks. I'll be in touch when I have time to ask some. I am waiting for a laid off friend to figure out if he wants to be part of this. His options are running out.

I would be wary doing this together with someone whose options are running out and still has to make up his mind, he doesn't appear to be a driven person. If a you want to help him, and you think he is a good worker, hire him after starting the company, don't make him a partner. I would also be wary of buying a route, especially if the price is low. Probably the business in this route has been sliding for some time, and it doesn't look any better for the future...