Money-Making ideas are EVERYWHERE!
 

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

This is
 

an excellent example of what I said in this post:
http://www.sowpub.com/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl?read=7895

"IF you find something readily available to the public - cleaning chemicals, some kind of machine or tool, etc., - then it PROVES people buy those items to get the results the items provide.

A percentage of people would rather pay someone else to use those chemicals, machines, tools, etc., to do what they could do themselves."

Michael Ross.

The wisdom in Don Alm's business philosophy....
 

Hi Don,

Thanks for another great post!

Here's one thing which LEAPED out at me from your post....

> So...because my business philosophy has
> always been, "Get the Orders
> FIRST...then worry about fulfilling
> later"....I was NOW in the
> "fulfillment stage"!

In my experience, GETTING the orders tends to be the "harder" part. Fulfilment is easy (relatively speaking)!

I think getting the orders first makes a heck of a lot of sense....

Recently I was thumbing through my copy of Benjamin Suarez's book, "7 Steps To Freedom II" (a "must have" book on direct response marketing). I was looking at a different section, but stumbled on his section on "dry testing"... I've read it before, but I read it again (because it's good stuff)....

"Dry testing" means asking for orders BEFORE you have the product ready.... This way, you can check if there's any demand for it BEFORE you go through the time and expense of creating the product....

Dry testing is natural for a SERVICE (like the deck renewal biz idea), however dry testing for a PRODUCT is generally illegal. However, Ben Suarez gives two ways you can legally dry-test a product.... He says they are:[*]'You do not ask the customer to send any money. You simply use the words "reserve my product," or other words which make it clear that you do not and may not have the product.'[*]'You add copy to the order form which says, "If enough people do not order, we reserve the right to cancel all orders and refund your money."'

(From "7 Steps To Freedom II" p. 2-201.)

Don, I think your philosophy to "Get the orders FIRST" is a powerful philosophy, thanks for sharing it!

- Dien Rice

Re: Money-Making ideas are EVERYWHERE!
 

Hi Don,

How much did you make your estimates for?

1.50 per square foot or less? (or more? said while rubbing hands together with a grin on my face)

Curious as always,

Erik Lukas

Great idea, Don! Keep 'em coming! (DNO)
 

What a coincidence (or was it?)
 

As life is interconnected in infinite ways, minutes after reading this post, a friend of mine, Jeff, started telling me about a guy 2 houses down that restored decks. Turns out this Bruce was a real swell fellow. Told me all about his business, etc, even showing me the books for his little side biz.

What a coincidence (or was it?)

I actually got down and dirty and Bruce let me try out his pressure washer. I was less than prepared to get soaked. My leather shoes absorbed a few cups of water alone.

Re: What a coincidence (or was it?)
 

Erik--

I'm thinking about doing this as well. Does Bruce get paid Don's rates? I'm attempting to figure out how to price the system, and I can't imagine telling someone $800 for a morning's work with a straight face. But if that's realistic, then I'll do it.

I also went online and found many do-it-yourself sites that insist that deck renewal is a three-step process that involves a lot of scrubbing, stripping, staining, finishing, etc., even though I believe I found the company Don talks about, who claim just the opposite with their "chemical" that you just spray on with a spray gun they provide. Obviously, Bruce uses a power washer, so maybe his system is different than Don's chemical?

I'm out of work and I have $312.34 left to my name. I think I'll spend $21 today for a classified ad akin to Don's to test the market before I invest any other money.

Thanks.

John

Holy Deck Renewal, Batman!
 

I just called the newspaper to place my classified ad for deck renewal...and the lady who took the ad wants a free estimate!

I guess this really is a hot button...well, I'm off to Home Depot to learn everything I can about renewing decks.

John

7 years!
 

Here's some free information if you want to get into the deck renewal biz.

Go to: www.deverenterprises.com.

Their deck renewal products last for 7 years. Product line is environmentally friendly too!

All the best,

Anthony Link

Re: What a coincidence (or was it?)
 

> I'm thinking about doing this as well. Does
> Bruce get paid Don's rates? I'm attempting
> to figure out how to price the system, and I
> can't imagine telling someone $800 for a
> morning's work with a straight face. But if
> that's realistic, then I'll do it.

Well, it's not exactly a mornings work.

Bruce said the cleaning for an average deck (maybe 300-600ish) takes around 3-4 hours to do right (darn spindles are the tricky part). And then you come back the next day and the sealing takes 4-6 more hours. So you're looking at 10 hours. Bruce said he makes his bids for around $70 an hour so say $700 a job. That's still a nice profit (at least until the tax man gets ahold of it, unless that's not going to be a factor). $700 for 2 days work. You could live well on 2 jobs a week.

> I also went online and found many
> do-it-yourself sites that insist that deck
> renewal is a three-step process that
> involves a lot of scrubbing, stripping,
> staining, finishing, etc., even though I
> believe I found the company Don talks about,
> who claim just the opposite with their
> "chemical" that you just spray on
> with a spray gun they provide. Obviously,
> Bruce uses a power washer, so maybe his
> system is different than Don's chemical?

I think it's a little different. Bruce actually just uses a power washer. He says he uses a cleaner if they want the wood lightened up a little. It's up to the homeowners.

If you're going to use a cleaner, it looks like an oxygen bleach wood cleaner is the way to go. Timberwash and Delco DSR-47 were the 2 I read about.

Here's a nice little guide which takes you step by step through the process (one of many)

http://popularmechanics.com/popmech/homei/0004HIHIAM.html

You just spray it on and then give it say 15 min to soak in. Then you can either lightly scrub it with a nylon brush or just spray it off.

I guess it's either powerwasher alone, or powerwasher plus a cleaner. And then you come back the next day and finish by sealing the deck.

(Note: if the deck is already stained, you may have to use a paint stripper to remove that for an even better finish)

> I'm out of work and I have $312.34 left to
> my name. I think I'll spend $21 today for a
> classified ad akin to Don's to test the
> market before I invest any other money.

Good luck, John! I think this is something you can definitely do and 'make a good coin' (as Bruce put it).

Success,

Erik

Thanks, Erik! (DNO)
 

Thanks, Erik!

That stuff looks INCREDIBLE! Thanks, Anthony! (DNO)
 

dno

Erik..What is a "Spindle"?
 

You mentioned in your post that "Spindles" are the tricky part.
Thanks.

> Well, it's not exactly a mornings work.

> Bruce said the cleaning for an average deck
> (maybe 300-600ish) takes around 3-4 hours to
> do right (darn spindles are the tricky
> part). And then you come back the next day
> and the sealing takes 4-6 more hours. So
> you're looking at 10 hours. Bruce said he
> makes his bids for around $70 an hour so say
> $700 a job. That's still a nice profit (at
> least until the tax man gets ahold of it,
> unless that's not going to be a factor).
> $700 for 2 days work. You could live well on
> 2 jobs a week.

> I think it's a little different. Bruce
> actually just uses a power washer. He says
> he uses a cleaner if they want the wood
> lightened up a little. It's up to the
> homeowners.

> If you're going to use a cleaner, it looks
> like an oxygen bleach wood cleaner is the
> way to go. Timberwash and Delco DSR-47 were
> the 2 I read about.

> Here's a nice little guide which takes you
> step by step through the process (one of
> many)

>
> http://popularmechanics.com/popmech/homei/0004HIHIAM.html
> You just spray it on and then give it say
> 15 min to soak in. Then you can either
> lightly scrub it with a nylon brush or just
> spray it off.

> I guess it's either powerwasher alone, or
> powerwasher plus a cleaner. And then you
> come back the next day and finish by sealing
> the deck.

> (Note: if the deck is already stained, you
> may have to use a paint stripper to remove
> that for an even better finish)

> Good luck, John! I think this is something
> you can definitely do and 'make a good coin'
> (as Bruce put it).

> Success,

> Erik

Anyone Know How to Charge by Size of The Deck?
 

Anyone know what to charge by sq foot on this?

Thanks,

Gary

> Well, it's not exactly a mornings work.

> Bruce said the cleaning for an average deck
> (maybe 300-600ish) takes around 3-4 hours to
> do right (darn spindles are the tricky
> part). And then you come back the next day
> and the sealing takes 4-6 more hours. So
> you're looking at 10 hours. Bruce said he
> makes his bids for around $70 an hour so say
> $700 a job. That's still a nice profit (at
> least until the tax man gets ahold of it,
> unless that's not going to be a factor).
> $700 for 2 days work. You could live well on
> 2 jobs a week.

> I think it's a little different. Bruce
> actually just uses a power washer. He says
> he uses a cleaner if they want the wood
> lightened up a little. It's up to the
> homeowners.

> If you're going to use a cleaner, it looks
> like an oxygen bleach wood cleaner is the
> way to go. Timberwash and Delco DSR-47 were
> the 2 I read about.

> Here's a nice little guide which takes you
> step by step through the process (one of
> many)

>
> http://popularmechanics.com/popmech/homei/0004HIHIAM.html
> You just spray it on and then give it say
> 15 min to soak in. Then you can either
> lightly scrub it with a nylon brush or just
> spray it off.

> I guess it's either powerwasher alone, or
> powerwasher plus a cleaner. And then you
> come back the next day and finish by sealing
> the deck.

> (Note: if the deck is already stained, you
> may have to use a paint stripper to remove
> that for an even better finish)

> Good luck, John! I think this is something
> you can definitely do and 'make a good coin'
> (as Bruce put it).

> Success,

> Erik

What Did Your Ad Say?
 

John,
If you don't mind sharing, what did your ad say?
Did you place it in the classified section or is it a display ad?
Thanks,

Gary

> I just called the newspaper to place my
> classified ad for deck renewal...and the
> lady who took the ad wants a free estimate!

> I guess this really is a hot button...well,
> I'm off to Home Depot to learn everything I
> can about renewing decks.

> John

Re: Anyone Know How to Charge by Size of The Deck?
 

Gary, I saw it suggested 1.25-1.50 per square foot. And unfortunately the rails, etc don't count as extra for the estimates I found it did say add $50 extra per step.

Re: Erik..What is a "Spindle"?
 

> You mentioned in your post that
> "Spindles" are the tricky part.
> Thanks.

Don't worry. All decks don't have them.

Sometimes on the outer edge, instead of an easy rail, the homeowner will have an appx 1" x1" square pegs looking poles. They go up and down and connect to a rail. It looks fancy and from what Bruce told me, is the only thing you really have to work hard at. That and avoiding hatcheting.

Hatcheting is when you stop the power washer at any time in one place. You'll get what looks like a hatchet mark. You get a lot of them if you spray one way and then change directions and go back the opposite way.

Good luck guys!

Erik

Re: What Did Your Ad Say?
 

> John,
> If you don't mind sharing, what did your ad
> say?

It's a classified. "DECK RESTORATION --- Your deck like new again...overnight! Free estimate. 555-5555." It's Don's ad, with a few words changed so I'm not directly copying him.

It runs for a week starting tomorrow. I'll let you know the exact results.

I love this! 24 hours ago, I would have never even considered deck renewal, and here I am running an ad. Isn't life an adventure?

I also contacted Dever Enterprises, and they are a very user-friendly, enthusiastic group. They explained a lot to me about the renewal process, probably more than I would have learned at Home Depot. Seems that stripping the deck is necessary (using Cuprinol or similar) if it has been previously stained.

My next challenge (after learning how to apply the stuff without splattering it all over the world...and do it with enough dignity so it looks like I've done it at least once before...can you tell I'm no handyman?) is learning the ins-and-outs of hiring contract workers, depending on the number of responses I get.

By the way, we've got a pretty good thread going here, haven't we? Don made the same single post in a gazillion other forums, but we seem to be the only ones taking action with it.

Thanks for the kickstart, Don.

John

Re: What Did Your Ad Say?
 

John,

Thanks for the information you are posting. I'm facsinated to find out what kind of response you get. I'm also working the "how-to" side of things right now, and am already trying to learn about hiring contractors, what to pay them, how to pay them, etc.

Of course I'm getting ahead of myself. My preference would be to do the work myself. My perfectionist nature could be an advantage here, as I imagine that higher pricing would be easier to come by if the quality of the work done is absolutely first rate.

I'd love to chat more about this with you via email. My address is above, if you care to swap ideas back and forth.

Thanks everyone, for such an informative post!!

Mike Long

> It's a classified. "DECK RESTORATION
> --- Your deck like new again...overnight!
> Free estimate. 555-5555." It's Don's
> ad, with a few words changed so I'm not
> directly copying him.

> It runs for a week starting tomorrow. I'll
> let you know the exact results.

> I love this! 24 hours ago, I would have
> never even considered deck renewal, and here
> I am running an ad. Isn't life an adventure?

> I also contacted Dever Enterprises, and they
> are a very user-friendly, enthusiastic
> group. They explained a lot to me about the
> renewal process, probably more than I would
> have learned at Home Depot. Seems that
> stripping the deck is necessary (using
> Cuprinol or similar) if it has been
> previously stained.

> My next challenge (after learning how to
> apply the stuff without splattering it all
> over the world...and do it with enough
> dignity so it looks like I've done it at
> least once before...can you tell I'm no
> handyman?) is learning the ins-and-outs of
> hiring contract workers, depending on the
> number of responses I get.

> By the way, we've got a pretty good thread
> going here, haven't we? Don made the same
> single post in a gazillion other forums, but
> we seem to be the only ones taking action
> with it.

> Thanks for the kickstart, Don.

> John

Here's another product for the 'instant fix' crowd
 

http://www.noahwood.com/about1.htm

Michael Ross.

Re: Here's another product for the 'instant fix' crowd
 

I think this outfit is out of business. Email gets returned and the phone has been disconnected.

> http://www.noahwood.com/about1.htm Michael
> Ross.

Check Out This Guy ...
 

Outstanding post ... take an old idea and introduce it to a new crowd of youngsters and you
have a hit .. now check out what this guys says
he is doing .. click below


http://www.deckseal.com/bbs/messages/2381.html

Re: Money-Making ideas are EVERYWHERE!
 

Quick Low Cost Advertising tips .. Good Luck


http://www.millgraphics.com/tips2_002.htm

Thanks Erik! /DNO (DNO)
 

Thanks John! (DNO)
 

The main question we have for you Don...
 

Don, please answer these questions when you get a few minutes to spare! And yes, I know you're extremely busy making money hand over fist, but I just have one or two questions that I and a few other guys are very intensely curious about.

(Actually I imagine you're busy finding help to actually do the deck work for you)

:)

The main question we have is about how you bid the houses. What size deck is this average one you bid $1500ish on? 400 sq ft? 2200 sq ft?

There's a lot of contradictory information out there about bidding. By the hour. By the square foot. Etc. Some say $1 a square foot. Some say $1.25-$1.50. Others say anything over $.55 a foot is crazy. (I personally think they're the crazy ones).

I've read up a LOT these last two days. That sounds funny because it's only 2 days. But I really have. I'm Wolman certified, etc :) and no I don't think that REALLY amounts to a hill of beans. But I have explored almost every site on this I think there is out there. I've found a few good discussion boards too (and digested their archives).

The only question those of us wanting to jump in need to know is... for goodness sake, how did you make your bids? Please oh deck master. Tell your disciples the answer we seek. Ask and ye shall find they say.

Success,

Erik

Re: What Did Your Ad Say?
 

Learn all you can about your product. You have to be very careful with some of this stuff. If you splatter it on any painted surfaces it will cause spots (ex. siding of house). Also, make sure you water the grass surrounding the deck to help dilute any overspray, again the chemicals can kill grass.

You will want to avoid application in direct sun at high noon in the middle of summer. You may have to work small areas at a time. If you spray the whole deck, the product may dry out before you are done.

The better products I have seen are a multi-step process. Strip one day, clean next day, let dry 24-48 hours and apply finish. The over night fixes are just that. New decks that were never finished weather to a gray color, and yes you can apply a cleaner to restore the deck. Some of these cleaners provide a finish, which would be acceptable.

Check the warranty offered by the product suppliers as well as the method of application. Some you can spray on, roll on, or brush on. If you do not apply it accordingly you void out the warranty. Hope this helps.

Contract workers - first hand experience - what can happen--
 

Hi John:

First thing is to get liability insurance but only use it for claims that are beyond reach because the rates climb quickly with too many claims.

Okay here is what can happen - first hand experience.

Background - I had a Duct Cleaning business - 31 people working - 18 as independent contractors - I supplied jobs, trucks with equipment, they got paid by the job.

Here's what can happen...truck backs into the driveway of a job. House which was a split level was soon to live up to its name - independent contractor backed into corner of house and shifted it 6 inches on the foundation - $32,000 damage.

Different independent contractor drives into a driveway - tight fit - while watching the one side managed to catch the mirror on the neighbours wall - fifty year old brick home...chipped 2 bricks and gouged 8 more. Bricks no longer available anywhere in this province. Found them in Indiana at a recyclers yard...finished bill for the repair $3200.

Another Independent Contractor cleaning a large daycare building ...hooked into the wrong ductwork...result was sending dust and dirt in reverse...filled the whole building...3 days later cleaning bill totalled $8500.

And the grand daddy of all...brand new 6 week old truck and equipment...while independent contractor working in home the truck burst into flames...singed 2 nearby cars, burned a neigboring garage including the vehicle inside, flames climbed a wooden utility pole and proceeded to burn the hydro lines, the cable tv lines, and the telephone lines - severed these services to about 30,000 people. Sum total of damages (including my unit) just touched $350,000.

What can happen in deck cleaning...just about anything when you have people working...damaged house siding or brick, a pressure hose pops and becomes a deadly weapon, the owners little toddler manages to ingest some of the chemical and ends up in the hospital or worse, the home owner walks around to see how the job is coming an trips on your equipment and breaks something, the owner claims you ruined his deck and wants it replaced (in this type of work I would take a series of before and after pictures of every job because sure as #$#$$# someone is going to take you for a ride on getting a new deck),...and the list goes on and on,

If you are going to use contractors of any nature, or even if you decide to do it yourself the first thing you do is get the liability insurance or you could be facing the biggest nightmare of your life.

Cornell