I called this meeting this morning

[rbh]

Ok, thought I would go out on the limb and see if anyone wanted to shoot out some ideas of new trends that they are seeing that may benifit others as well as some diversifacation to businness's.

For example
Scargo has his Donald Trump hat on and he seems to be doing good.
Sorry I can not remember the guy's name that does the yard maintance, is he got anything going when the fall/winter hits????
Eagle Jim paints, does he need a bucket truck for exteriers???
(does he do exteriers)

Chi tea, is that a trend????

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

Seems one of our members it trying to start a trend of relieving the "take a penny leave a penny" trays of any thing silver and shinny.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

Ok, thought I would go out on the limb and see if anyone wanted to shoot out some ideas of new trends that they are seeing that may benifit others as well as some diversifacation to businness's.

For example
Scargo has his Donald Trump hat on and he seems to be doing good.
Sorry I can not remember the guy's name that does the yard maintance, is he got anything going when the fall/winter hits????Eagle Jim paints, does he need a bucket truck for exteriers???
(does he do exteriers)

Chi tea, is that a trend????

Not sure if this was me or not, or, if the question is rhetorical(I believe it is). But, I'll answer it anyway. Spring/fall - lawn cleanup(leaves etc). Winter - snow plowing.

As far as trends, unemployment seems to be a trend. Although, it really benefits no one except claim processors and Job Service personnel

 

[rbh]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

Not sure if this was me or not, or, if the question is rhetorical(I believe it is). But, I'll answer it anyway. Spring/fall - lawn cleanup(leaves etc). Winter - snow plowing.

As far as trends, unemployment seems to be a trend. Although, it really benefits no one except claim processors and Job Service personnel

Wimusky, I had seen the snowplow as your avatar, did not know about the maintance side.
Any thoughts on diversifying??
truck and trailer could be a delivery/hotshot service.
irragation??
Blow out your customers sprinkler lines before the frost hits.
Place / repair irrigation lines, add sprinkler heads ETC.

Do you salt and sand after snow removal???
Do you have a big enough tractor to put a snow blower on for those
heavy/deep snowdays????

Rob

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

I'm going to get back to you on this. I have ideas along the lines of your questions. Need to bring a friend to the doctor. At least she's buying lunch! Yes, a friend. I'm married.....

 

[rbh]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

Morning Bubba-
Yes people in the rurals can certainly take advantage of any property they have to grow or raise food products.
Do you know if there are any gov/organic council regs that have to be followed to get an organic food license???
Hopefully they don't have to jump through to many hoops.
How about you, you have a few acres, what do you do with them??

 

[stic88]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

My father in law is trying to get the funding for sugar cane based ethanol. All the sugar beets here go to the sprinkles sugar factory.

 

[rbh]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

My father in law is trying to get the funding for sugar cane based ethanol. All the sugar beets here go to the sprinkles sugar factory.

As long as there is no contract in place, rock on, and bring the neighbours on line.
Every one benifits if the land is planted.
(as long as the market does not get swamped)

 

[rbh]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

From what I understand one of the biggest cost is the fertilizer.
In canada it comes mostly from from potash.
And potash is mostly potasium.
I do not know any ways of getting around fertilizer if you plant every year on the same fields, maybe relax and flip by yearly.
Or for that matter get a contract from a fellow farmer for his animals dung and role that in???

I am not a farmer, did you guess

 

[captmello]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

You rotate your crop to keep the soil healthy. I'm not a farmer either.

In my state corn is the ethanol cash crop.

As a self employed contractor I've pursued jobs that in the past I would skip over. I now do just about anything. You have to be flexible.

 

[rbh]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

You rotate your crop to keep the soil healthy. I'm not a farmer either.

In my state corn is the ethanol cash crop.

As a self employed contractor I've pursued jobs that in the past I would skip over. I now do just about anything. You have to be flexible.

So what are your skill's????
What is your main income derived from.
Do you want to possibly tackle something alittle different???
That is what this post is all about, let your fellow I boater's help you work through any issues if you want to try something different or diversify.
MAN, there is a lot of knowledge here, let it work for you!!!


Rob

 

[captmello]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

I'm skilled in home remodeling.

Do I want to possibly tackle something different? Like what? You said diversification. I've found myself doing all sorts of different work. I used to do just interior work, now I'll do anything. It actually a rewarding job, but physically, it tough.

Actually, I'd like to work less hard.

Are you looking to diversify? what ideas have you?

 

[rbh]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

My company has been doing telecom work for the last ten years.
We do aerial and underground placing of fiber optics, copper and co-ax.
As well as splicing and engineering of the cable plant (not co-ax).
lately we bought a ditch witch, so I can do trenching or vibratory plowing
(once I get it working to my expectations)
We also have digger derricks, if we are not putting pole's in the ground, how about custom augering and custom screw anchoring!!!!
Bucket trucks for tree pruning, painting, town decarating ETC

The mind is always working, we just have to listen.

Rob

 

[dolluper]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

I'm skilled in doing nothing.....I wake up and do nothing ....then by noon I have done nothing ,,,so by supper I have done nothing so I am a professional of doing nothing...it does get that way some day believe me ...I just haven't quite got there but real close ...thats if nothing breaks before tomorrow ...i don't think so ...the miseryLOL's

 

[rbh]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

I'm skilled in doing nothing.....I wake up and do nothing ....then by noon I have done nothing ,,,so by supper I have done nothing so I am a professional of doing nothing...it does get that way some day believe me ...I just haven't quite got there but real close ...thats if nothing breaks before tomorrow ...i don't think so ...the miseryLOL's

I have two choices think and work my azz off, or loose my house!
I choose work, camping sucks when your broke.

 

[aspeck]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

I've been thinking of selling EVERYTHING except some clothing and a few guns and moving to the woods ... keep moving ... nomadic life ... living off the land ... no address, no phone, no internet, no iboats ... wait, let me rethink this!

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

Wimusky, I had seen the snowplow as your avatar, did not know about the maintance side.
Any thoughts on diversifying??
truck and trailer could be a delivery/hotshot service.
Thought about that. Bought a 8.5'x16' enclosed trailer this spring w/ramp. I could haul almost anything except cars/trucks just about anywhere if someone was willing to pay. Heck, I'd go halfway across the country for the right price. Pic below...
irragation??
Blow out your customers sprinkler lines before the frost hits.
Place / repair irrigation lines, add sprinkler heads ETC.
Not too much of that around here. Would be more in the city. I'm in the bush with lots of lakes.
Do you salt and sand after snow removal???
Thought about this too. Would have to by an attachment for my truck. Then I would have a salt/sand mixture rotting the back of the truck.
Do you have a big enough tractor to put a snow blower on for those
heavy/deep snowdays????Sold it. Did have a 6' blower to widen driveways during the plowing season. With the plow I have now, it's really not necessary to widen, unless we have a year where we get hammered with snow. Then I might as well hire someone to widen the drives.

Rob

I was going to fill this out last nite, but, between supper, 2 hours of Swamp Loggers and that new show Snow Men(wasn't really impressed) it didn't happen....

One thing I didn't mention that I do is cabin/home checks. On a weekly basis, I check on homes after the snowbirds head south. Some leave their heat on, so I make sure that's working fine. If they leave there water on, I run all the faucets etc... Some others do go to their cabins during the winter. I go thru the same routine with those too. Some have me check cabins all year, others just during the winter.

Skys the limit as far as growing the business. A person can get involved with anything outdoors at the very least. One of my competitors did anything and everything. He recently declared bankruptcy and is running his business under a new name.. So you can over extend yourself into a disaster.

When I had my tractor, I was involved with brush mowing trails, grading driveways. Building food plots is a biggy around here now. Could have done that too.

Realistically, without more equipment and/or a crew, I could:

Dock installation/removal
Cabin winterizing
Shovel off roofs - did it, don't really want to do it again
Cut down dead trees - do it on a limited basis
Put up Christmas decorations - some people hire that out, not real interested
Staining - do that on a limited basis
Pressure washing - again, on a limited basis

These are just a couple of things off the top of my head. Like I mentioned, sky's the limit as long as I don't overextend myself. Jack of all trades, master of none(don't want to be there).

 

[rbh]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

Good morning Wimusky, how was the free lunch yesterday.

Sounds as if you have thing pretty well figured out.
The stuff you enjoy, you still do.
And the stuff that you do not enjoy or were hit and miss, you either do not do them or only on a limited basis.

Any goals you have set for yourself??

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

Good morning Wimusky, how was the free lunch yesterday.

Sounds as if you have thing pretty well figured out.
The stuff you enjoy, you still do.
And the stuff that you do not enjoy or were hit and miss, you either do not do them or only on a limited basis.

Any goals you have set for yourself??

Afternoon RBH. The lunch was great. Did a drive thru at Culvers, went to a park close by that overlooked Lake Superior and had lunch..... All her idea. Naw, it's all good......

You nailed it. Although, the main reason I sold my tractor was because I got tired of loading and unloading during winter while I watched guys in their plow trucks driving aroung in t-shirts never having to get out! I had a heated cab that worked well, but...... Add that to, the town took over mowing the x-country ski trails so I lost that account. And everybody and their brother has a skidsteer to the driveway work.

Goals? Always wanted to retire at 55(although, I feel semi-retired with my business). I have 6.5 years to go. Not sure i'm going to make it. I started this business 10 years ago and don't want to do this the rest of my life. But, you know how that can go. We also would like to move south eventually. But, there again.. I was a IT Manager b/4 we left the big city. The wife is still a Business Analyst who tele-commutes.

If I change professions, I would like to find something that would really trip my trigger and bring me to retirement. I feel I'm far enough thru life that I don't want to settle with anything that comes along. So at the moment, I keep an eye out for something exciting, at least as far as I'm concerned.....

Now I get to put my "longies" on and go mow a school. It's a whole 43 degrees! Brrrr.......

Boy, I feel like I just told my life story. I bet to others, it's like watching someone elses home movies!

 

[aspeck]

Re: I called this meeting this morning

Put up Christmas decorations - some people hire that out, not real interested.

Just a few weeks ago a young girl (21) asked me what my thoughts were on her starting a business of putting up people's Christmas Decorations. I had lots of questions for her about her plan ...
1) Would she be using the decorations and lights of the owner?
2) What about liability, if one of the light strings caught on fire?
3) What about tangles and strings of lights not working?
4) If you supply your own lights and decorations, can you make enough to cover the cost of labor, insurance, and new lights each year (cheaper for new than trying to repair light strings that are not working)?
5) Is there enough of a market in the area to support this?
6) How many houses can you do in a day?
7) This time of year doesn't give you many daylight hours, are you going to quit your present job to do this during the season? If so, what are you going to do after the season is over?
8) What are your limitations for high and steep roofs? Will you rent a lift for these?
9) How would you charge? By the hour or by the job? What cost would the market bear?

I told her to think about these questions and others that may come up, maybe do some informal surveys or analysis and get back with me. Waiting to hear from her again.

This is something this girl would be good at doing, but she definitely needs to think out the plan ... any input from any that do this as part of their business would be appreciated. I certainly don't see this as a "Stand Alone" business, but there are other holidays that you can decorate for also ... still think you would need something else to suppliment, especially in our rural market.