Business ideas

Builder · Aug 16, 2009

JoeinTX said:
"Keeps the riff-raff out and the guys willing to fly above the radar and carry insurance in..."

Riff-raff, huh?

I think I know what you mean by that but do not clump everyone who has a tractor and decides one day that maybe they could try to make a little business out of it as some sort of undesireable. I am not "riff-raff." I would dare to say that very few here started their own business any other way than just as one guy with a tractor or a lawn mower or a new set of woodworking tools and a business idea. Would you consider yourselves "riff-raff" oh many years ago when you started out. I tend to think not.

Only guys with insurance are legit? Well, I've got biz liability insurance.......and legal tax I.D.....and a DBA certificate.......ya know, little things like that to make it all legal like and cost me some more money. Am I legit now? I've never unloaded the tractor for a single job but I got me some insurance. One thing I don't have are those magnetic door signs to go on the side of the pickup. But once I do, and combined with the insurance, I guess I'm a bona fide legit bidness man.

How 'bout guys, with insurance, that only do it on the weekends and vacations away from their regular M-F job. Are they riff-raff? Opposed to the guy to who does it full-time but doesn't and may not even have a current registration sticker on his trailer. Who's the riff-raff there? I know which one I trust there.

Again, I think I understand what you were saying but the mood of your post was, well, more than a little insulting. I guess I could lump you into the class of BTOs who are always too busy to mess with a small fry account like mine and seem to want the world for a small job. But I don't because that's not always the story.

I must have stated 3 times previuosly that anyone who has a part time business doing excavating, painting, etc. I have no problem with and would not consider riff raff. Like when I said it here "I think it's wrong either way unless it's a career change or a part time job. " in post # 54

If it's just a temporary way of making money and undercuts guys who make a living in the neighborhood doing the same thing, then yes I think it's wrong.

Apparently, you took it the wrong way. We have more than our share of "illegals" and laid off types who carry no insurance, crap for equipment, have no real address, etc. Those are the ones I'm referring to.

It's not a matter of how much/little time you do your side business, it's whether or not you're in it to stay and you carry the proper insurance & documents to protect your customer and the general public. We had a local hack build a masonry fireplace that collapsed and killed a child about 20 years ago. You guessed it- moonlighter with no insurance.....

The only "BTO" around me is the Bachman Turner Overdrive I listen to once in a while.

"Takin Care of Business", etc. are still pretty good songs.

Builder · Aug 16, 2009

Willl said:
Anybody else feel like moving in next to Builder and starting up a lawn and tractor biz ?

I hope not if it's uninsured. Not my line of work, but it's not fair to the guys who've been doing it for a living and carry the required docs.

If it's a legitimate biz, full or part time, then fine. Welcome aboard.

Farmwithjunk · Aug 16, 2009

No, I don't like being undercut. No, I don't think it's wise to be in business without proper insurance, ect. No, I'd rather not have to compete with low ballers.

That said, they're a fact of life. I know of hundreds, if not thousands of small contractors who began by moonlighting with a little less than "adaquate" paperwork. That's part of the world we operate in.

I don't try to compete with these guys. Regardless of the fact they're not "legal", they'll snag a share of the work. Slamming them in front of potential customers only calls attention to the fact they have cheaper prices than I do. There's no percentage in my providing them with free advertising. I go after clients who HAVE to make certain they're dealing with legally licensed and insured contractors. Then we see who can give the best "LEGAL" price. I operate with a mindset that I HAVE to keep my overhead as low as possible. Is that UNFAIR to the guys who believe they have to own all new equipment, have their employees is matching uniforms, drive a new pickup all the time, and take 100 days of vacation time each year? I hope so....... I "play dirty". NOT unethical, but certainly not "kind" to my competition. I don't want to earn gold stars for being nice to them. I'm in it for the money.

If a person can't run a lean, mean business that's able to play hardball when the time comes, they need to worry about the competition, cause it's gaining on 'em fast......

flusher · Aug 16, 2009

imron2 said:
Like alot of other folks I became a statistic this week as entire B2B sales level was eliminated when my employer decided to "downsize/rightsize". Anyway I no longer have a job but I do have a Kubota BX24 with loader and backhoe. I'd rather sit in a tractor seat than behind a desk anyway so does anyone have any suggestions on how I might turn this little orange machine into a profit center. Have a little time to build up business due to severance and unemployment but I don't want to sit still, need to get something going as soon as possible. Any suggestions on what implements might be best investment to generate additional business? Trailer size and style? Your suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

I owned a 2005 21-hp Kubota B7510HST with the LA302 FEL for 3 years before trading it in on a 2008 Mahindra 5525 with ML250 FEL. So I have fairly good experience with small Botas.

I suppose you could find small jobs for your BX24 TLB.
But, with your level of inexperience, you'll probably bid and win jobs that really require a larger TLB with resulting loss of time and money.

Also, you'll need to be handy with a wrench to do field repairs quickly. The guy who dug the foundation for my house in 2005 had two hydraulic hoses fail on his TLB and one hose go on his Bobcat. He only had one spare hose and lost a half day getting replacement hoses made in town.