Advice to get business going | Page 8 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Advice to get business going

What size jobs are you looking for?

I don't know how busy the trades are now but pre interest rate hikes contractors wouldn't show up to look at $25K jobs.

Jobs under $10K were T&M.

Jiffyondemand is a contractor to user service and charges $75 / hr, 2 hour minimum for handyman stuff. A lot of the things are stuff the typical hubby would have done a generation or two back while the Mrs. was scrubbing the floor or pounding hubby's shirts on a rock. A lot of that doesn't happen anymore.

Tridel could build you a 30 story building but would be on another planet trying to tighten a cabinet door knob screw.

I once had an elderly lady call me about replacing a keeper on a storm door. A $2 part and 2 screws. It would be a five minute job with two hours of running around. I gather Jiffy would have handed her a bill for around $200.

While that could sound criminal it isn't unrealistic from a business standpoint.

What if the original keeper fell off because the door jamb was rotten?

It could end up as a new entry system well into five figures. Or a chisel and Bondo job.

One problem is that a lot of people don't consider travel as a chargeable cost. They reason that they don't get paid to drive to work.

I like small jobs.

My material cost of sales was around 10%. If a payer was slow I didn't have to cover a lot of payables.
 
nobbie48 said:
What size jobs are you looking for?

I don't know how busy the trades are now but pre interest rate hikes contractors wouldn't show up to look at $25K jobs.

Jobs under $10K were T&M.

Jiffyondemand is a contractor to user service and charges $75 / hr, 2 hour minimum for handyman stuff. A lot of the things are stuff the typical hubby would have done a generation or two back while the Mrs. was scrubbing the floor or pounding hubby's shirts on a rock. A lot of that doesn't happen anymore.

Tridel could build you a 30 story building but would be on another planet trying to tighten a cabinet door knob screw.

I once had an elderly lady call me about replacing a keeper on a storm door. A $2 part and 2 screws. It would be a five minute job with two hours of running around. I gather Jiffy would have handed her a bill for around $200.

While that could sound criminal it isn't unrealistic from a business standpoint.

What if the original keeper fell off because the door jamb was rotten?

It could end up as a new entry system well into five figures. Or a chisel and Bondo job.

One problem is that a lot of people don't consider travel as a chargeable cost. They reason that they don't get paid to drive to work.

I like small jobs.

My material cost of sales was around 10%. If a payer was slow I didn't have to cover a lot of payables.
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The jobs I'm planning are 'smallish' but that all depends on the definition of smallish.

I won't be building a large addition to a house. But I can add a shed, gazebo, deck, or something along those lines.

Painting. Trim. Shelving for garages etc. I can go from a bare room, build the framing, insulate it, drywall it, and then paint it after the drywall compound is dry.

If a job is too big for me I'll just refuse it instead of getting in over my head and making myself and the client upset. No need for that.

I even reached out to the buyer of my 6-plex and we're setting up a meet to discuss being a 'property manager' of sorts as her husband is getting older and can't do as much as he'd like. So that could work out also, which would be nice to be involved in that building as I have sentimental value there.
 
mimico_polak said:
The jobs I'm planning are 'smallish' but that all depends on the definition of smallish.

I won't be building a large addition to a house. But I can add a shed, gazebo, deck, or something along those lines.

Painting. Trim. Shelving for garages etc. I can go from a bare room, build the framing, insulate it, drywall it, and then paint it after the drywall compound is dry.

If a job is too big for me I'll just refuse it instead of getting in over my head and making myself and the client upset. No need for that.

I even reached out to the buyer of my 6-plex and we're setting up a meet to discuss being a 'property manager' of sorts as her husband is getting older and can't do as much as he'd like. So that could work out also, which would be nice to be involved in that building as I have sentimental value there.
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The six plex sounds interesting. Regular steady work normally beats get rich quick.

My F-I-L did bread and butter jobs and did well. His son wanted to get rich quick and will spend the rest of his life hiding from creditors.
 
nobbie48 said:
The six plex sounds interesting. Regular steady work normally beats get rich quick.

My F-I-L did bread and butter jobs and did well. His son wanted to get rich quick and will spend the rest of his life hiding from creditors.
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My BIGGEST issue is that I’m beholden to only weekends and evenings. Which will be a non starter for many people, and I’m OK with that.
 
mimico_polak said:
My BIGGEST issue is that I’m beholden to only weekends and evenings. Which will be a non starter for many people, and I’m OK with that.
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If you could follow Jiffy’s rate and make $150 an evening once a week it’s $7500 a year. Keeps a bike on the road. Or a modest vacation

More than a night or two can affect family life
 
nobbie48 said:
If you could follow Jiffy’s rate and make $150 an evening once a week it’s $7500 a year. Keeps a bike on the road. Or a modest vacation

More than a night or two can affect family life
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My goal is $1000/month. I think it's doable once things get moving. But things need to get moving.

If I lose a weekend or so with family, so be it. We can't have it all. But I won't be taking every weekend away from family and kids to work. Once it gets to that stage...it'll be a good problem to have. Right now, waiting for a call.

I haven't considered looking into public tenders, but those have fairly onerous requirements regarding safety, WSIB, huge insurance coverages, etc.

So will have to keep to this for the time being.

I have an idea of a different consulting gig in my field...but I don't even know how to get started there so will have to put that off while experience builds.
 
mimico_polak said:
My goal is $1000/month. I think it's doable once things get moving. But things need to get moving.

If I lose a weekend or so with family, so be it. We can't have it all. But I won't be taking every weekend away from family and kids to work. Once it gets to that stage...it'll be a good problem to have. Right now, waiting for a call.

I haven't considered looking into public tenders, but those have fairly onerous requirements regarding safety, WSIB, huge insurance coverages, etc.

So will have to keep to this for the time being.

I have an idea of a different consulting gig in my field...but I don't even know how to get started there so will have to put that off while experience builds.
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Insurance is a SOB. If you're incorporated just minimize company assets, not enough to sue over.

If not incorporated all of your personal assets are on the table if something goes wrong.

Last weekend I took out a piece of concrete with a concrete saw. It went well.

A decade or so back a contractor did the same at a nearby condo but he wet-sawed after finding a hose bib in the garage for the water. He cut through a telephone trunk line. Then it turned out that the water he was using was re-circulation water for the fan coil units in the building. They ran dry and burned out the bearings.

Insurance companies like hearing these stories because they scare people into million dollar policies. They often don't like small companies as they see the staff as untrained goof ball cowboys and set premiums accordingly.

For vehicle insurance clarify if you get trade or artisan rates. The trade rates are based on them running from job to job and supplier to job. An artisan goes to one job and stays there for the day. It's significantly cheaper.
 
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mimico_polak said:
Need to rethink my strategy here…got the stink eye from CP employee that stopped near me as I was handing out flyers.
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I wonder if you slipped him a 50 and asked him to deliver the rest for you, if his stink eye would change
 
Anybody got any recommendations / guides on building a simple website? Figure if I'm going ahead with this I may as well learn some new skills.

I already registered a domain name and have that active, but now would like to actually use it better.
 
mimico_polak said:
Anybody got any recommendations / guides on building a simple website? Figure if I'm going ahead with this I may as well learn some new skills.

I already registered a domain name and have that active, but now would like to actually use it better.
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GoDaddy
Wix and other platforms can help you with that.
You just need simple. Any of these platforms will do that for you and will be easy for you to do.
 
@mimico_polak
I know you have some flyers going.
But just for context, this is what was in my mail box today. Delivered by CP as its a community mailbox.

1711481857503.png 1711481882532.png
 
mimico_polak said:
Wow! And here I thought my simple flyer was cluttered!
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I have seen your flyer and there is nothing wrong with it. Simple, to the point.

I also think that this one is well done as well.
Lots of info but it is easy to read. No fancy art work or fancy font. Also simple and to the point.
All the info you need is easy to find.

Just posted this to give you and idea should you want to change things up.
 
oioioi said:
@mimico_polak
I know you have some flyers going.
But just for context, this is what was in my mail box today. Delivered by CP as its a community mailbox.

View attachment 66814 View attachment 66815
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This guy is catering to the elderly (and/or those of us that feel that way sometimes). He doesnt come out and say it but looking at the list its all the things my mother used to complain about needing done. Especially the smoke detectors!! Smart guy.
 
hdsomeday said:
This guy is catering to the elderly (and/or those of us that feel that way sometimes). He doesnt come out and say it but looking at the list its all the things my mother used to complain about needing done. Especially the smoke detectors!! Smart guy.
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As inflation eats away at discretionary income there is less for the cash strapped to pay for minor repairs.

A person can't run a business on five and ten dollar calls. If they aren't critical they can be deferred until there are a bunch.
 
nobbie48 said:
As inflation eats away at discretionary income there is less for the cash strapped to pay for minor repairs.

A person can't run a business on five and ten dollar calls. If they aren't critical they can be deferred until there are a bunch.
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Only way it can be done is if it is a hobby income.. example: rich guy is bored or won the lottery etc..
 
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