windows
Hi everyone. I have been thinking about starting my own business. Tired of relying on everyone else. Here is my current position:
Computer degree 2 yrs A+ certification (fix, build, install operating system, install memory, virus removal, spyware removal, stuff like that...)
Valet service. 6/hr plus tips. Tips come easy enough. I would say 10/hr with tips included. Have some savings but not much. Bills, roof over my head, car maint, STIHL tool maint, keeping house up, gas in car, etc takes a lot.
Basically I am sick of relying on other people for a paycheck, asking for help when other guy is out (2 man operation plus a cleaner guy plus boss plus another guy comes in when someone out).
I need a change.
So Im thinking why not start lawn care business? North of Atlanta (suburbs) enough older people here need help in yard. I got the right tools (fs90r trimmer, kombi with pole saw, brushcutter, edger, ms361, 066, 211 chainsaws, hedge trimmer, lopper, hand saw, hand pruner, rake (dirt and leaves) shovel. Car with small trailer. And will be getting a lawn mower soon enough...
Other option is Geek squad or one of those bigger computer places.
Or I could do that and lawn care part time...
Just exploring my options right now.
WHere would I start? what would I need to do?
Thanks
As long as people run windows and absolutely insist on remaining clueless about security you can make money. (I'm a nerd like you so I know you know what I am saying...) As long as you like fixing machinery of any kind, you can make money, and specialization is king there, because you get *good* at it fast when you can focus. . As long as you like doing outdoor work, and are prompt, efficient and make your customers happy and don't price gouge them, you can make money.
Hey, you never know on some things, say you establish a customer base for lawn care..how many of those folks also own computers that they screw up..or burn firewood? See? Drop off a little load of firewood, then do the lawn and shrubs, then as you leave pickup one of their machines to take back home and fix...and those folks will tell their neighbors about your services... There's money on the table there in several places and if you can combine trips and do good routing for your services....
All of that is a variable of course, overlapping variables of course, and it is possible to do all three in your spare time, then see which of the three or all of the three you like the best or what fits the best for you.
And then there's the old saying, don't put all your eggs in one basket. I think it could be possible to run a few different part time businesses all the time, at least until you determine which you should prioritize on the most. Say your lawn care, you won't have enough customers right off the bat to fill your plate..then what?
If you can get enough to schedule one or two days a week to knock out what customer's needs you have, that frees up the other days to do something else. Well, you can de-malware computers at night at a bench, several at the same time, you know running scans you are just sitting there waiting.. or work on chainsaws and small equipment at another bench. During the day when/if you have a lawn to mow or hedges trees to trim, go do that, along with delivering your firewood or picking up small engine stuff to fix.....
What I am saying is, having a widely separate income stream helps to future proof you so you always have some income. The economy is sucky in a lot of ways now, and I know I have been burned in the past relying on just one job for income. Had some factory jobs poof to asia for instance, no notice other than a layoff notice at the end of the day.
There's so many empty houses sitting for sale now, might want to check with real estate agents on doing minimal "keep the yard spiffy so it looks good" lawncare.
Doing the computers if you offer pick up and delivery back, that might be an option other than having to sit in a retail office all day long waiting for customers to walk in..maybe the same with small equipment repair. A flexible schedule and a few hats to wear..you should get by and stay busy.
Then there's gardening for yourself, then maybe expanding into niche market gardening, such as supplying fancy restaurants with gourmet veggies,or just to individuals who will take a delivery once a week for whatever you got spare out of the garden.
I know that I "make more money" gardening than from my regular job, if you look at food prices at the store compared to how much of a return on investment you get with a garden for yourself. I don't sell anything yet (thinking about it heavy though...), but just knocking our food bill down to almost zilch a big part of the year..man that pays off, it's way more than what I make with my small farm salary (as an employee), hour to hour labor comparison. You got money coming in, then you can work on eliminating *money going out* as well, that's just as important.
There's a lot of times during the year for our once a week trip to town the only thing we get there is stuff like bread, don't have the space now for massive wheat so I just buy my bread, and like T paper, dishwash and laundry soap, etc. In fact, we spend more on petfood then we do on people food. I don't have to drop any coin whatsoever to keep us two humans here fed most of the year. Adds up! Then say your lawncare biz, if you are working on small machinery as well, you know you can accumulate busted equipment for free for hauling it off as well...you fix that stuff, and that's the stuff you use for your business eventually, so your out of pocket for gear is minimal. Same with a work truck, you could find deals needing repairs, fix those, keep reselling them for more after fixing, and always have a couple or three "runners" to use at any time so you don't have to worry about it. I forget now exactly in georgia but I think it is like either six or 12 vehicles sold per year before you have to even register as a business for that (although you are still responsible for income taxes of course)
The MAIN thing is..do what you like! If there's one thing I'll tell a younger guy is, don't waste your life working a job you hate, and always strive for more than one income, in separate fields, that covers sudden unexpected eventualities.
