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Good Business to start or buy

The problem with food is you have to sell an awful lot of samiches to make any money. Even if you clear a dollar a samich after rent etc. One of our many original plans was to move to a city with a large university town. And look for an opportunity to buy an existing enterprise.There is always fresh money coming into town every semester. One plan was to sell the most disgusting fat laden, unhealthy foods to college kids.
 
I don't get up to I-78 much anymore and when I do I can't recognize anything anymore. Midway was a big name, something about New Smithon rings a bell but not too clearly. I recall eating at one place that sat on the north side of the highway (as most of them do throughout that corridor) and you could overlook the highway if you had a good spot. It was a good restaurant. That place looks about dead now. Only one seems to have any life to it and I don't know it's name either. It sits up high and right off the exit ramp. I think Trexler's is in the history books as well. It's interesting how all those things changed since my road days. That Foglesville area is loaded with warehouses now and I am surprised that no good truck stops have sprung up. That might be one for Stan to look into but I'm sure getting started would be a big investment.
 
I got an idea for a business from another thread here...Buy a lie detector and do parties for hire. Low start up costs, do it in spare time, quit if it doesn't pan out.
 
They say you should try to take your hobbies or interests and build a business on them, not out of your field of knowledge, most likely could be done partime to begin with, on-line with low overhead ebay, craigs, out of your garage, or your own site, and most importantly under the table. Chasing women and drinking is a life style, not a hobby, very important to remember.
 
sharpshooter said:
Shooting range..never enough of them, yuppie subdivision people need places to shoot.
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that's right..

they need a place to trailer thier big Harley's and park'em and just look like they rode them there, wearing all the Harley clothes.
 
Getting a bit off topic here, but Daisy Dukes diner. Exit 30 off I-84 in Tennessee. Lots of truck parking, great food, and the waitresses all wear the Daisy Dukes like the gal in that TV show Dukes of Hazard. A good (truck driver) friend of mine from North Carolina told me about the place, then met me there for lunch one day.

Good eats.

Great view.

If you haven't eaten there, you need to.
 
Not I-84, that runs from Scranton, PA east...I-40 maybe I-81?
 
Smoov said:
Esthers is still there. It's best not to go there now, it will ruin your fond memories of good food. The same goes with the Midway Diner ( and I am a true blue Midway diner man). I was a big fan of the Cross Keys Diner in New Oxford too.
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Thanks Smoov, that's sad news. I've been looking forward to the day I travel that way and make a stop at Esther's. I used to go into the Midway back when it was just the small original dining car.
 
RacerX69 said:
Getting a bit off topic here, but Daisy Dukes diner. Exit 30 off I-84 in Tennessee. Lots of truck parking, great food, and the waitresses all wear the Daisy Dukes like the gal in that TV show Dukes of Hazard. A good (truck driver) friend of mine from North Carolina told me about the place, then met me there for lunch one day.

Good eats.

Great view.

If you haven't eaten there, you need to.
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I'm only interested in the great view. : )
 
kboomarang said:
They say you should try to take your hobbies or interests and build a business on them, not out of your field of knowledge, most likely could be done partime to begin with, on-line with low overhead ebay, craigs, out of your garage, or your own site, and most importantly under the table. Chasing women and drinking is a life style, not a hobby, very important to remember.
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Good points and thanks for the feedback. My BIL owns n runs a bike shop/dealership. He said don't do anything that is a hobby because it won't be a hobby anymore.
 
Not exactly , the hobby turns into a job you love.
Who is making money?
Last week I was at a large house that had house painter trucks, the invisible fence truck, the house cleaners and me, the dog walker. We were all getting paid by someone wealthy who wants service...period.
My advice is do not gear your business to people who are thrifty or cheap.
Look to service the wealthy.
I go pass a house in the summer and the guy's only job is he is a gardener (not a landscaper) he just grows their plants and vegetable garden.
There are people who pay for this
Same with making house calls to wash and detail cars.
Nannies, house cleaners,poop patrolers I see them all day
,every real estate agent has a "handyman" on call
taking old people to the various doctors
there's a lady who charges 35.00 to grocery shop for you
that's just a start
 
I know of a couple of handymen who work exclusively for widows. There are plenty of them out there who need odds and ends done and are willing to pay less than the tradesman's prices for the work. I am actually considering doing a little of this if/when I retire. My g/f is a widow and has her own house. I see first hand what she goes through when something has to be done before I can get to it or it is out of my league. They have no problem paying $25/hr cash to have limbs cleaned up, bushes trimmed, leaky faucets fixed, etc. And both of the guys I know are busy as hell doing it. And widows hang out with widows so your advertising is free once you get going.
 
Smoov said:
The problem with food is you have to sell an awful lot of samiches to make any money. Even if you clear a dollar a samich after rent etc. One of our many original plans was to move to a city with a large university town. And look for an opportunity to buy an existing enterprise.There is always fresh money coming into town every semester. One plan was to sell the most disgusting fat laden, unhealthy foods to college kids.
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One thing a freind of mine found out being next to Mesa State in Grand Jct. Co. Is that the students have money at the begining of the semester but they are eating top ramen from the middle to the end of the semester so his sandwich/ hotdog/hamburger place did well at the begining of each semester and slowed down in the middle to end of each semester.
 
Everyone fixes stUff..... more will be added to the gAme sO prices will drop for service work. Lets compete with Rodriguez now..
GO get Em'...

I like zEro ideas suggested to Stan The Man.... please, keep goWing


Hay Mud...
Go Blue !!
 
ABFer said:
I know of a couple of handymen who work exclusively for widows. There are plenty of them out there who need odds and ends done and are willing to pay less than the tradesman's prices for the work. I am actually considering doing a little of this if/when I retire. My g/f is a widow and has her own house. I see first hand what she goes through when something has to be done before I can get to it or it is out of my league. They have no problem paying $25/hr cash to have limbs cleaned up, bushes trimmed, leaky faucets fixed, etc. And both of the guys I know are busy as hell doing it. And widows hang out with widows so your advertising is free once you get going.
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Paying cash works wonders.
 
Stan Smith said:
He said don't do anything that is a hobby because it won't be a hobby anymore.
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While there can be a lot of truth in that statement, there doesn't have to be. You must enjoy whatever you want to do for a business or you will dread putting in the time required to be successful. You may not want to pursue the same hobbies in your down time, but you'll develop new ones AND you will enjoy your work.

My advice would be to start a business that provides a SERVICE. Those can require a lot less money to start and not having any debt means much less financial stress.

I don't know how shooting ranges stay in business. The property lease, the liability insurance would just seem to make it cost prohibitive. The range I go to is $10/shooter per day. People don't seem to be willing to pay a whole lot more than that.
 
Handyman for elderly/widows/landlords/business owners can keep you busy. Especially if in area you don't have to drive far. Like said, do what others don't/wont do. Especially if you already have accumulated basic tools over time. Did this for 5-6 years on Wed and Sat/Sun while kids were at home. Both my kids did same, when not in school/activities. Average $15 to $20 an hour 10 years ago. Always a list of people with odd jobs to get to. Word of mouth. Now, we were/are small town were everyone know you. Live by your rep. Ex: Fix a leaky toilet flapper. Lady pays for or gets flapper kit, 30 min max, $10 if fixed income, $20 if not. Always get piece of pie or cookies or other homemade goodies from elderly. Amazed how swamped you can get, yet wasn't full time, just when not driving/farming.
 
Hopefully Stan is a repairman ? In Dayton ..there are just to many who do this.
Maybe I'm just wrong about everything, and should just stfu...lol
 
Right on bigger areas, and people who don't know you. Like, I said (small town world)
Woody said:
Hopefully Stan is a repairman ? In Dayton ..there are just to many who do this.
Maybe I'm just wrong about everything, and should just stfu...lol
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