Business ideas?

[Slick]

If it's for 2 lazy sons then nothing will work. I always hated when mum would phone me looking for a job for her favourite child, but I would give the young lad that turned up at my yard first thing on a Monday morning a kick of the ball.

Also, it's probably a bigger picture than a lot of us realise yet, how all this years events have changed how we work, which I think has changed forever. My prediction is the city centre office block has had its day and working from home will continue for many when this is all over and there will be huge opportunities for timber framed garden offices but unlikely to fit a small operation as existing suppliers will already be looking at it.

 

[Dave7]

Have to say I am with @Slick on that.
If they don't have the desire to work then you throwing money at it isn't likely to work.
I also agree with @vickster although I can't see that creating a work ethic.
@screenman 's advice seems sound although I imagine that to be any good would take some training (again at a cost).
I do wish you the best.

 

[gavgav]

Been looking this last few weeks and have noticed that Garden sheds seem to sell very well new or used? What i am thinking if i had the space theres a business opportunity to start making supplying and erecting sheds?

Know theres lots losing jobs etc but my thinking is if one or two guys got together they could have a go even part time for little outlay?

Any one else see any thing in these strange times?

There are loads of bigger companies who already do this. You need something a bit different if you want to be able to compete with them

 

[davidphilips]

Just had another what i think great opportunity for some one? Not got the skills myself for this but have been thinking about upvc oil tanks and they need replaced when they get discoloured by the sun (hence why so many build fences around them) what about some one just making a pull over tarpaulin? Bound to be able to make them for under £10 and sell them for many times more?

 

[Dave7]

A good idea is to visit trade shows. May be difficult at the moment though. You get to see everyone's new ideas and lots of them you can copy.
I did that with 2 products which were successful for me.
1. Rubble chutes. Invented by a German/Dutch group. I copied the idea and at the peak was selling 20,000 units a year.
2. Free Standing Edge Protection. Invented by a guy who (for some reason) didn't patent it. I opened a company with someone as I had no fabrication skills. At our peak we turned over £1M a year.

Some luck needed......right place, right time etc.......but maybe worth exploring.

 

[Slick]

A good idea is to visit trade shows. May be difficult at the moment though. You get to see everyone's new ideas and lots of them you can copy.
I did that with 2 products which were successful for me.
1. Rubble chutes. Invented by a German/Dutch group. I copied the idea and at the peak was selling 20,000 units a year.
2. Free Standing Edge Protection. Invented by a guy who (for some reason) didn't patent it. I opened a company with someone as I had no fabrication skills. At our peak we turned over £1M a year.

Some luck needed......right place, right time etc.......but maybe worth exploring.

What did you call your edge protection?

 

[screenman]

One of the guys I sell to was on the phone ordering supplies at 2pm he had already done 7 windscreen repairs today at £45 each, that is an average day for him this time of year.

 

[Gunk]

26mm Campag Lockrings would be a money spinner. I just sold a used one for £35 on the bay of dreams. You just can't get hold of them. Same as mudguard bridges for old Bluemels mudguards.

I need to set up an engineering shop making all this old obsolete stuff.

 

[davidphilips]

26mm Campag Lockrings would be a money spinner. I just sold a used one for £35 on the bay of dreams. You just can't get hold of them. Same as mudguard bridges for old Bluemels mudguards.

I need to set up an engineering shop making all this old obsolete stuff.

Have noticed some parts that could be very easy and cheaply made go for a lot of money like bike caliper nuts the ones that have the extra bit for attaching a mudguard can not recall there name are silly prices if they can even be found.

 

[Dave7]

What did you call your edge protection?

My partner was a guy called Tony. We called the company Datona.
I think it was just called Datona free standing edge protection.

Can I ask why you ask?.....were you involved in it ?

 

[Slick]

My partner was a guy called Tony. We called the company Datona.
I think it was just called Datona free standing edge protection.

Can I ask why you ask?.....were you involved in it ?

No I wasn't. I was just interested as I have installed lots of the stuff, systems and traditional and I just wondered if I had come across it. I haven't.

 

[screenman]

Have to say I am with @Slick on that.
If they don't have the desire to work then you throwing money at it isn't likely to work.
I also agree with @vickster although I can't see that creating a work ethic.
@screenman 's advice seems sound although I imagine that to be any good would take some training (again at a cost).
I do wish you the best.

When I first git into windscreen repair 32 years ago i paid £4,000 for a franchise which included about 3 days of training, I then went home and practiced 10 hours a day for a week I then went out on the road and earned that £4,000 back in just over 6 weeks. I do luckily have a very solid work effic, I orginally bought the business for one of my kids but so enjoyed it that I carried on myself. Added to that 20 years ago I started teaching the trade and 12 years ago became a distributor for Delta Kits over here. One thing I know about business is that to stay busy you need to sell and market well over and over again.

 

[Dave7]

No I wasn't. I was just interested as I have installed lots of the stuff, systems and traditional and I just wondered if I had come across it. I haven't.

We didn't tend to sell to others for them to install. We decided there was more % profit in doing our own installations. Companies like Safesite were the ones who sold to everyone/anyone.