[springfever]

I am one of the few who hate pushing snow and refuse to do it. I generally would rather sit at home poor than push snow to make money. However, I have been thinking about a winter idea. I was considering giving limo rides to see christmas lights. You can find pretty cheap late model limos for sale. Maybe someone out there knows of a place to lease one for a couple months. The theory: provide group tours to see elite neighborhood christmas lights. Maybe provide a dinner or refreshments in the limo. The drawback would be late nights of course, but the payoff has some potential. If you bought a limo, maybe you could give garden tours during the summer. A limo with your logo on the side would definitly draw some attention and recognition. Any thoughts?

[Stonehenge]

How would you successfully compete against full-time limo companies?

For such a short season, you'd need to really dump a lot of money into marketing for something that would only have a 1 month season, as opposed to full-time outfits who could just roll that into their other limo offerings (and they do around here).

[PSUscaper]

First thoughts are insurance.......what will it cost? Second is licensing.....1st would be a limo license (class c?). I think there are different categories, one for taxis, one for buses, and one for limos. Think it is based on number of passengers, and think you need the proper endorsments to do so. 2nd would be state licenses....I think our state requires you to register with the state's 'limo' department or what not....I'm sure there's all sorts of rules and regs to follow.

Sounds good, but I remember my days driving a van for a taxi company and will say it was not all that much fun. I felt like and was treated like a sub-human half the time.

[GLAN]

I am going to be brutaly honest.


I don't like your idea.


Now let me ask you this.................what do you think about wood working.........do you have garage space?

maybe you can make signs for your customers homes.....Their name or house number. Maybe bird houses and feeders or what ever your imagination comes up with.


Years ago I did just that a couple winters, well wood working. I had gotten traceable plans for gnomes. I could have just cut the shape of the entire thing......but I took it a step further......where I traced the gnomes features of the arms, legs, clothes, face, etc....I individualy cut them out on a scroll saw and sanded edges and created depth.....painted the individual pieces and glued them to a piece of luan then polyurethane.............they came out awesome.................I didn't sell any............I ended up making them for close friends that were at the time starting families and they hung them on the walls of the babies rooms.

I know a guy local to me that is a landscaper.........he made all his furniture for his house......most all of it

[PSUscaper]

Glan, I like your thoughts. I've been acquiring so many wood working tools anymore for my jobs, that I just about have a full wood working shop anymore.

For the past few winters, I've been working with a friend fixing up houses. It's a nice change of pace.

As winter approaches, I've been thinking up ideas of things to do. I've thought of similiar ideas as you. I was thinking about building pre-fab garden items, such as trellis's, benches, swings, etc. that I could then sell during the year or include in my designs and sell.

I don't want to do it for nothing though. I'd like to keep my one guy busy all winter this year, and think it would nice to have him helping out.

Just can't come to a decision on what it is I want to create.

[springfever]

GLAN,

I must say I enjoy woodworking more than driving around crazy drunk people. Maybe I will explore that option. I may even try to sell some product at home shows or some other avenue. Always interesting to hear what others have to say. Thanks!

[liam]

I drove a taxi in winter last 5 years nightmare nothing but trouble last year my taxi broke down 1st december was of the road for two weeks cost 500 pounds to get fixed by the time i got back on the road payed of the money i had to borrow plus the 500 i worked most of christmas for nothing this christmas no taxi for me will be poor but happy with my family.

[syzer]

Get into real estate! Renovation can make you some big money when cone properly!

[springfever]

syzer,

Do you mean flipping houses? Buy and fix over the winter. Sell in the spring?

[syzer]

Yes, thats what I am referring too. Or you can buy, renovate and rent for a nice steady additional income! There are so many ways to approach the real estate market its hard to believe. You can be a bird dog where you find deals and call investors and get a bird dog fee, you can wholesale where you put a contract on a house and sell it for a large profit before you settle, then you have the buyer take your seat at settlement. You can purchase tax liens, you can purchase notes, you can take over mortgages with instant equity, etc.

LOTS of money to be made in each of those ways.

[springfever]

syzer,

Can you point me to any good reference material, so I can get educated in this?

[syzer]

www.flippinghomes.com is a good one to start learning on. Let me know if you would like more. Good luck!

[Keith N]

[quote]Originally posted by springfever
GLAN,

I must say I enjoy woodworking more than driving around crazy drunk people. Maybe I will explore that option. I may even try to sell some product at home shows or some other avenue. Always interesting to hear what others have to say. Thanks! [/QUOTE

Don't forget about selling those wood products on Ebay. In my city we even have a company that will photo and list the items if your not into the ebay scene. I personally don't care for Ebay, but I see my dad making tons of cash with his classic car parts.

I like the flipping real estate idea also! My dream is to build my own small subdivision someday.

[mnglandscaper]

Hey all

I guess I got myself into snow plowing a year ago. I figured it would be doable, but I am really not into it. It is to unreliable. First you gotta get customers and you are competing against every guy that has a plow on his brand new truck or ancient bucket of rust; then on top of that you have the other landscapers. Then there is the issue of snow. Around here we don't get much at all. I have been trying to set up and do arborist work. Only problem is I need at least one more guy and I do not have that in the winter right now. This winter I am gonna try the plowing for another year. I also got married to a nurse this summer. Turning out to be a really good idea. Do you guys see how much they make? Maybe i need to get into the medical profession!!! ANyways, that is my 2 cents.

[Raj Venugopal]

Here's two ideas.

One- if you do stonework, check out your market for doing indoors stonework, i.e. veneering existing and building new fireplace exteriors, rock walls, brick walls....

Two, think about doing small reno work where you're laying floors, etc...the skills are different but the principles aren't.