Don Alm
May 13, 2002, 11:19 PM
Hi folks! Many people ask me HOW do I get my
"ideas" on money-making ventures. I'd like to SHARE a recent "happening" with you.
Here's an inkling of how "I" find money-making ideas;
Wherever I go...my "entrepreneurial ears" are WIDE OPEN AND AWARE! Why? Because THAT is "who" I am....
an "idea" man, constantly on the look out for IDEAS! IDEAS on what people WANT! Not "need"! There's a BIG difference between what people "want" and what they "need"!
I "need" a way to get from my home to the grocery store! I "want" a way to "go there in STYLE"...BY DRIVING A MERCEDES BENZ! (Which my entrepreneurial efforts have allowed me to afford)
So...recent case-in-point;
I went to a Bar-B-Que party a month ago, Saturday. My host spent $12,000 on his new DECK...last year. He and his wife spent a LOT of time mentioning the ENTIRE afternoon..."How SICK" their new deck looked.
Now...I wanted to go up to my host (and friend) and tell him, "Randy! I do NOT give a crap what your new deck looks like...I am here to ENJOY the food and the people...and NOT be dismayed about how dreary your deck looks!"
However...because of the OVER-CONCERN with "HOW" his deck looked....THIS caused me to consider a thought;
If this guy who had spent a bundle on a deck "that he was NOT PROUD OF"....in fact, he had to "make excuses for"...THIS prompted me to think about something;
I wondered how many people have spent money on building a DECK and....after the "GLOW" of the first year has worn off...are NOW making EXCUSES as to why it doesn't look like NEW?
So...immediately after the party, I rushed home and got on my computer (my wifee tells me I love "IT" more than her. I tried to appease her by saying, "Just 5 minutes, dearee, while I check on something.")
Anyway....after 2hrs...I found something VERY INTERESTING! (My wifee went to bed. She KNOWS me)
I found 2 things.
Ya Know...this "internet thingee" STILL boggles my mind. Here it was, 7pm on a Saturday eve...I head to the Search engines....the first thing I found was...a Chemical that can make "Decks look like NEW for 7 years, Guaranteed"!
The next thing I found was a company offering a "Deck Renewing" process....in Virginia....operated by a "woman".
From what I could find...this woman's husband had lost his job...so...instead of her "sticking her nose in the sand"...she went OnLine and found the SAME company I did, producing this "Deck Renewing Chemical"....
and...she sent out some flyers on how she could..
"Make Your Deck Look Like New...OVERNIGHT"!
Well...in a matter of days she was overwhelmed with JOBS to "RENEW DECKS"!
The next morn (Sunday)...I phoned this woman and she answered and YES...she was getting MANY "Deck Renewal" jobs for BIG MONEY....AND she could not only "save her family" but she was even planning on buying a SUPER HOUSE on the hill...because she could now AFFORD IT with the profits from her "Deck Renewal" business...
making an average of $1500 per deck renewal!
So...I decided to see if MY area had an interest in "Deck Renewals".
I ran an ad in the Sun paper...offering a "Free Estimate" on...
"DECK RENEWAL - Make Your Deck Look Like New, Instantly! Call for free estimate...673-2224"
Well...my phone was SWAMPED with calls! It was like I had hit a HOT BUTTON!
Apparently, DECKS are VERY IMPORTANT to many people!
So...as an entroopeneer...I called and made appointments to give estimates to the callers.
And...what happened next was absolutely OVERWHELMING!
On Monday morning, I made appointments for the coming week with 14 callers to give an "estimate".
When I gave my "estimate"...12 of the 14 ORDERED RIGHT THEN AND THERE!...for $800 to $2700! With an "average" of $1500.
and...from the 12 customers...
I signed over $18,000 worth or work!
IN ONE WEEK!
So...because my business philosophy has always been, "Get the Orders FIRST...then worry about fulfilling later"....I was NOW in the "fulfillment stage"!
However...because I KNOW there are always people available I can HIRE to do jobs (just like "McDonalds and Burger King KNOWS)....I made a few calls and found all the "workmen" I would need.
So...just from a BarbQue party I started a new biz with next-to nothing invested...and my first sales brought in over $15,000 in profits....just for keeping my ears open during a BarBQue.
So... if anyone reading this would like more info about how to start a "Deck Renewing" business...just send me an email.
Thanks.....Don Alm
"ideas" on money-making ventures. I'd like to SHARE a recent "happening" with you.
Here's an inkling of how "I" find money-making ideas;
Wherever I go...my "entrepreneurial ears" are WIDE OPEN AND AWARE! Why? Because THAT is "who" I am....
an "idea" man, constantly on the look out for IDEAS! IDEAS on what people WANT! Not "need"! There's a BIG difference between what people "want" and what they "need"!
I "need" a way to get from my home to the grocery store! I "want" a way to "go there in STYLE"...BY DRIVING A MERCEDES BENZ! (Which my entrepreneurial efforts have allowed me to afford)
So...recent case-in-point;
I went to a Bar-B-Que party a month ago, Saturday. My host spent $12,000 on his new DECK...last year. He and his wife spent a LOT of time mentioning the ENTIRE afternoon..."How SICK" their new deck looked.
Now...I wanted to go up to my host (and friend) and tell him, "Randy! I do NOT give a crap what your new deck looks like...I am here to ENJOY the food and the people...and NOT be dismayed about how dreary your deck looks!"
However...because of the OVER-CONCERN with "HOW" his deck looked....THIS caused me to consider a thought;
If this guy who had spent a bundle on a deck "that he was NOT PROUD OF"....in fact, he had to "make excuses for"...THIS prompted me to think about something;
I wondered how many people have spent money on building a DECK and....after the "GLOW" of the first year has worn off...are NOW making EXCUSES as to why it doesn't look like NEW?
So...immediately after the party, I rushed home and got on my computer (my wifee tells me I love "IT" more than her. I tried to appease her by saying, "Just 5 minutes, dearee, while I check on something.")
Anyway....after 2hrs...I found something VERY INTERESTING! (My wifee went to bed. She KNOWS me)
I found 2 things.
Ya Know...this "internet thingee" STILL boggles my mind. Here it was, 7pm on a Saturday eve...I head to the Search engines....the first thing I found was...a Chemical that can make "Decks look like NEW for 7 years, Guaranteed"!
The next thing I found was a company offering a "Deck Renewing" process....in Virginia....operated by a "woman".
From what I could find...this woman's husband had lost his job...so...instead of her "sticking her nose in the sand"...she went OnLine and found the SAME company I did, producing this "Deck Renewing Chemical"....
and...she sent out some flyers on how she could..
"Make Your Deck Look Like New...OVERNIGHT"!
Well...in a matter of days she was overwhelmed with JOBS to "RENEW DECKS"!
The next morn (Sunday)...I phoned this woman and she answered and YES...she was getting MANY "Deck Renewal" jobs for BIG MONEY....AND she could not only "save her family" but she was even planning on buying a SUPER HOUSE on the hill...because she could now AFFORD IT with the profits from her "Deck Renewal" business...
making an average of $1500 per deck renewal!
So...I decided to see if MY area had an interest in "Deck Renewals".
I ran an ad in the Sun paper...offering a "Free Estimate" on...
"DECK RENEWAL - Make Your Deck Look Like New, Instantly! Call for free estimate...673-2224"
Well...my phone was SWAMPED with calls! It was like I had hit a HOT BUTTON!
Apparently, DECKS are VERY IMPORTANT to many people!
So...as an entroopeneer...I called and made appointments to give estimates to the callers.
And...what happened next was absolutely OVERWHELMING!
On Monday morning, I made appointments for the coming week with 14 callers to give an "estimate".
When I gave my "estimate"...12 of the 14 ORDERED RIGHT THEN AND THERE!...for $800 to $2700! With an "average" of $1500.
and...from the 12 customers...
I signed over $18,000 worth or work!
IN ONE WEEK!
So...because my business philosophy has always been, "Get the Orders FIRST...then worry about fulfilling later"....I was NOW in the "fulfillment stage"!
However...because I KNOW there are always people available I can HIRE to do jobs (just like "McDonalds and Burger King KNOWS)....I made a few calls and found all the "workmen" I would need.
So...just from a BarbQue party I started a new biz with next-to nothing invested...and my first sales brought in over $15,000 in profits....just for keeping my ears open during a BarBQue.
So... if anyone reading this would like more info about how to start a "Deck Renewing" business...just send me an email.
Thanks.....Don Alm
