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onesubdrvr
06-12-2005, 06:40 PM
Well,

As I'm sitting here drooling over more and more boats,....most recently, a Formula 272-SR1

And have come to the realization, that as of right now (and for probably many years until the kids are gone), that Momma doesn't WANT more than 1 boat,....understandably, as of right now, come retirement time, we will be sitting very pretty, and the kids will be well taken care of, but,...

I've been thinking of either doing some work on the side, or starting a small out-door furniture business to supplement my boat income (ie. Andirondaks, bannana lounges, picnic tables, gazebos, etc).

Does anyone here have experience in the latter (as far as setting up the business / how successful)?

Has anyone else had to do this (supplement boating income), or is there a special potion to make my wife drink to come around??

Thanks
Wayne

Formula Jr
06-13-2005, 03:52 PM
Wayne wish I could help you with the small business idea, I've started more than I care to say. Take a look at what Walmart offers. You can't even buy the materials for what they sell for. There is a market for stone garden benches; cast concrete, with embellishments, interior custom free standing lamps, restoring English three speed bikes and old pinball machines.
Don't sweat the requirements for starting a small business. Just do it and see what sells first. But don't invest at first. Then you can get all the tax stuff and "official stuff" done once it seems to work and you find you like doing it. eBay is a great oppertunity to start a "Store Front." But just know that what ever enterprise you start there you have to think about shipping so the item can not be that big and can't weigh much. eBay works best for small, high value items. Try to move as quickly as you can from being the builder and vendor to just the builder and find other vendors that you can be a supplier to. The sales effort will take as much time as the building effort. Its just easier to sell a gross of one item to a vendor than trying to do one on one retail.

onesubdrvr
06-13-2005, 05:03 PM
Wayne wish I could help you with the small business idea, I've started more than I care to say. Take a look at what Walmart offers. You can't even buy the materials for what they sell for. There is a market for stone garden benches; cast concrete, with embellishments, interior custom free standing lamps, restoring English three speed bikes and old pinball machines.
Don't sweat the requirements for starting a small business. Just do it and see what sells first. But don't invest at first. Then you can get all the tax stuff and "official stuff" done once it seems to work and you find you like doing it. eBay is a great oppertunity to start a "Store Front." But just know that what ever enterprise you start there you have to think about shipping so the item can not be that big and can't weigh much. eBay works best for small, high value items. Try to move as quickly as you can from being the builder and vendor to just the builder and find other vendors that you can be a supplier to. The sales effort will take as much time as the building effort. Its just easier to sell a gross of one item to a vendor than trying to do one on one retail.
Thanks for the input,....

even more frustrated now, as existing boat is gonna cost me about 4k out of pocket to fix!! AGGGHHH

Wayne

gcarter
06-13-2005, 07:32 PM
Don't despair Wayne, I was at the local UPS office one day and saw a man boxing up small strips of wood in the back of his van.
I asked him what they were for, and he told me they were trellis kits.
Now you could do the same thing with outdoor furniture. Just offer it knocked down, with complete assembly instructions. Shipping could be much more manageable, and less work for you!
Just an idea. :)

onesubdrvr
06-13-2005, 09:15 PM
Don't despair Wayne, I was at the local UPS office one day and saw a man boxing up small strips of wood in the back of his van.
I asked him what they were for, and he told me they were trellis kits.
Now you could do the same thing with outdoor furniture. Just offer it knocked down, with complete assembly instructions. Shipping could be much more manageable, and less work for you!
Just an idea. :)
That's a real good idea, I'm computer literate, and like doing the cad drawings, would be pretty easy to put an assembly sheet together,....

I've also looked at doing things like directors chairs (with silk screened backs (ie Donzi logos / the like)), camping chairs / etc - things that fold up pretty flat. One down side, like F Jr. said is that most people don't like to spend the $, they don't look at quality as much anymore, he's right, you can buy a piece of machined outdoor furniture from a "Super Store" for less than I'd pay in materials. I need to target the higher end beach front living group to get the right clientel. The trellis idea is pretty cool, and I've also looked at making those copper ornamental sprinklers - easy to make, light easy to ship, a little shaping, drilling, and soldering. Lot's of ideas,.... With the boat down, I'm half tempted to rip the engine out, sell the hull, and start production of my first boat, a 16' crackerbox, hmmmm, mat'l $10k, engine / trans $10k, 3 mos continuous labor,....$40k total, anyone interested in an WH original?

Wayne

Formula Jr
06-13-2005, 09:46 PM
If you have thought about getting in the boat building business, think small.
canoes, Kayaks, dingys. These don't require a lot of startup costs, or regulatory certification. Nice blend of woodwork and glass and there isn't much thirdworld competition yet. If you like design, there is a market for a better paddle boat rental. All the designs out there are crap right now. A better mousetrap awaits. This has that built-in advantage of resorts buying 10 or more at a time.

onesubdrvr
06-13-2005, 09:57 PM
If you have thought about getting in the boat building business, think small.
canoes, Kayaks, dingys. These don't require a lot of startup costs, or regulatory certification. Nice blend of woodwork and glass and there isn't much thirdworld competition yet. If you like design, there is a market for a better paddle boat rental. All the designs out there are crap right now. A better mousetrap awaits. This has that built-in advantage of resorts buying 10 or more at a time.
Canoes and Kayaks very cool, did alot of research on strip built canoes about a year ago, 1 set of frames good for infinate # of boats, tedious work, but BEAUTIFUL!! But once again, tough to sell a canoe worth every bit of $3k when they can buy a plastic / glass one for less than 1/2, but at least there you can truely SEE the quality difference.

Paddleboats,.....VERY cool idea!! I Really like that, me thinks I may play around with the CAD a little this weekend!!

Wayne

Formula Jr
06-13-2005, 10:44 PM
If you do come up with a good design, don't show it to us. Don't post it. Patenting also gives you no protection any more. Branding is what works
and then expect to sell everything, your trademark, molds everything in three years, just as the business seems to take off. You have to plan an exit stratagy.

onesubdrvr
06-14-2005, 04:35 AM
If you do come up with a good design, don't show it to us. Don't post it. Patenting also gives you no protection any more. Branding is what works
and then expect to sell everything, your trademark, molds everything in three years, just as the business seems to take off. You have to plan an exit stratagy.
Definately sounds like you've been there, done that!

Thanks for the input
Wayne

Formula Jr
06-14-2005, 05:38 AM
you are posting through a telco switch I venture funded. I haven't seen a dime back. In the courts forever. And may not happen in my life time. Yes, I have been there and done that. I would rather make bird houses now, and sell them on the corner.

Zudnic
06-14-2005, 10:23 AM
If you do come up with a good design, don't show it to us. Don't post it. Patenting also gives you no protection any more. Branding is what works

and then expect to sell everything, your trademark, molds everything in three years, just as the business seems to take off. You have to plan an exit stratagy.



Good advice. We venture funded a company and the main competitor sued us for having a similar feature on our product. Instead of using the money we raised for funding the company it ended up in lawyer’s hands!!!



My side job I've thought of is acting as a food broker might as well use my buyer connections at chains for my sole benefit. Get a couple new products to rep on the side. I can also get stuff in Asia, teak furniture for almost next to nothing out of Thailand. So I've considered putting together build your own kits for Costco, Wal-Mart (Sams Club) etc.... Combined with my actual job, I would be putting in long hours that would make it not worth it. Instead I put that money into real estate. Would put into the stock market but I do not have the time to look over start-ups that are worth risking the bet on!



The thing I've learned; nothing is part time unless your wife or other trusted individuals help on the part time business it will be tough to make it pay and therefore make it worth doing!!!!



I'm considering buying an existing business in Pikes Place Market. The only reason even thinking about it; I will have a partner that I trust to help run it! Experience with bringing on partners is they look out for themselves first. If they put in more time they sometimes take more out leaving you with almost nothing. You are more screw able, even more dangerous with a mostly cash business. Without a partner most business are also cash cows, without your full attention, your cow eats more!!!



One of the few part time ventures I know of that pays and is worth it. The full time manager is leaving. I told the semi-retired owner to sell before the guy leaves!!! Good employees are hard to find and replace. One of the many part time venture I’m aware that’s failing has a good manager, at least he’s good at handing out free food coupons for not meeting the franchise’s customer satisfaction requirements! The latter business also closes early when the manager or higher is not around.



I could go on just touching on the surface of the many issues I can think of in this area. Not trying to scare you out of doing something either. Just make you think of and answer the biggest question. Is it worth risking comfort in retirement on for some extra pocket money to feed your addiction?

Cuda
06-14-2005, 11:05 AM
I'd sure like to have another business so I didn't have to travel so much. I want one with NO EMPLOYEES, and the asscociated problems. Thinking of a car wash or a laundry mat. :)

gcarter
06-14-2005, 08:51 PM
I have some customers with laundromats and car washes. They seem to have more than one each. Their very careful not to publish any phone #'s.
We put an ad in one of the laundrys for water treatment, and it has our # on it. We get one or two calls a week about people loosing money in the machines.
I don't know how well these people live, but they pay their bills.

harbormaster
06-15-2005, 09:04 AM
As for the furniture business,

They have cutting tables that you can by and assemble. The have multible routers on them and are hooked up to a computer. You could cut out multiple copies of your chair kit in a matter of minutes.

They also offer the wame thing with plasma cutters to cut out steel stuff.

ChromeGorilla
06-15-2005, 10:03 AM
laundry mat is a pretty hands off relativly speaking. nice supplemental income unless you own a few. Cash business as well.....if you catch my drift.... :wink: Vending is one where you can definatley make some money if your willing to be the one to stock and collect the machines.

Formula Jr
06-15-2005, 01:29 PM
They have cutting tables that you can by and assemble. The have multible routers on them and are hooked up to a computer. You could cut out multiple copies of your chair kit in a matter of minutes.

Scot, do you have a link or a contact for these?

Zudnic
06-15-2005, 03:54 PM
Scot, do you have a link or a contact for these?

A local business that manufactuered custom stuff like some machine/table for animation filmaking for example, went bankrupt. My company was offered the building they occupied by the county Port Authority. For some reason the bank offered that is on the hook for that business loans offered to sell us the loans with the equipment. I'm pretty sure this type of stuff was on the list of equipment, the bank plans on auctioning off because we don't need CNC water jet cutting, machine shop type of things! If you are I can contact the head of the port authority, they have liens as land lord on some stuff as well. Could put you in touch??? If still available.....

onesubdrvr
06-15-2005, 05:32 PM
As for the furniture business,

They have cutting tables that you can by and assemble. The have multible routers on them and are hooked up to a computer. You could cut out multiple copies of your chair kit in a matter of minutes.

They also offer the wame thing with plasma cutters to cut out steel stuff.
I've seen some of those Scott, awesome tool, it really is, works best with sheet material such as plywood and MDF, so really good tool for cabinets / etc. I'm going to do a little more research on them.

Thanks
Wayne

onesubdrvr
06-15-2005, 05:35 PM
Scot, do you have a link or a contact for these?
Best to do a search for CNC Routers, one example is
www.shopbottools.com (http://www.shopbottools.com)

Wayne

Cuda
06-15-2005, 07:45 PM
laundry mat is a pretty hands off relativly speaking. nice supplemental income unless you own a few. Cash business as well.....if you catch my drift.... :wink: Vending is one where you can definatley make some money if your willing to be the one to stock and collect the machines.
That's what I'm thinking, maybe start one as a supplement until I can quit doing what I do now, then if it's working out good, I'll look for more.

gcarter
06-15-2005, 08:08 PM
That's what I'm thinking, maybe start one as a supplement until I can quit doing what I do now, then if it's working out good, I'll look for more.
I can do your water treatment. :propeller

onesubdrvr
06-15-2005, 08:13 PM
I can do your water treatment. :propeller
George,

Surely you need remote technicians for your equipment :propeller

Wayne

gcarter
06-15-2005, 08:48 PM
George,

Surely you need remote technicians for your equipment :propeller

Wayne
The pay here in Central Florida reminds me of what workers said about their former employers after the Iron Curtain fell in 1990;
"We pretended to work and they pretended to pay us!" :D :hyper:

Zudnic
06-15-2005, 09:16 PM
Spoke with the head of the port authority they had CNC routers and water jet cutting machines, all sold at auction last week. A place called Millwork Warehouse in Seattle bought most of the stuff, he believes that was the name they were not invovled in the auction.

onesubdrvr
06-15-2005, 09:50 PM
Spoke with the head of the port authority they had CNC routers and water jet cutting machines, all sold at auction last week. A place called Millwork Warehouse in Seattle bought most of the stuff, he believes that was the name they were not invovled in the auction.

Hey, Thanks for checking!!
Wayne