“What does shoveling snow, selling computer equipment, and serving alcohol have in common?”

Answer: You Get paid the Same day for your service. CASH in your Pocket. You don't have to wait 2 weeks for a paycheck! or wait for orders to roll in!

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Day 2

I awoke to the sound of my pager! I knew that my flyer was only for ONE DAY, so I knew that it couldn’t be to shovel driveways. Boy was I wrong. I had one new customer and a repeat customer. (Yes it snowed again that night). Another $30 (I only charged $15 each since it was lighter snow).

IDEA #2 "HIT THE BALL DUANE! HIT THE BALL!"

I called up some buddy’s of mine and asked if they had any old computer equipment that they wanted to get rid of. They did not, however I did! I gathered all of equipment (hubs, ram, print servers) that I wasn’t using ( I was a computer helpdesk supervisor in my previous contract :->)

I took $10 dollars and put gas in my car. I had located a place in the local “buy and sell” newspaper a couple of days previous, that would pay money for used computer equipment. I checked online at a variety of vendors and estimated that I could get at least $300 dollars, since some of the equipment had never been used and was retailing for over $200 US dollars (5million Can. Ha!)

The man at the computer store, asked me, “How much do you want” I boldly told him “Only $300! I even had the print outs of the Retail shops online!

He laughed and told me that the equipment was not worth that much. How could this be?? I had printed proof of current prices on this equipment??
He went online to …….YOU GUESSED IT EBAY!!! My “wonderfully expensive” equipment was being sold on E-bay for about $30-$50 bucks. Soooh when he offered me $120 dollars, I TOOK IT!

I also took his business card, as he had a BUNCH of old computer equipment collecting dust that I could probably sell in some way.

$120 dollars + $30 dollars = $150

Day 3

I had read a report on Don Alm’s website entitled Get an "Instant" job in ANY town! In it he describes how you can get a job in any town as a cook! (click on the link to see the report
http://www.pjbux.com/ideas/page2b.htm

After reading the report, I thought to myself if you knew how to bartend or wait tables, that you could get your money in tips, the very same day. Hmmm….

There was an ad. I had seen for a New Casey’s Restaurant that was opening up in my area. I knew this bar and grill would be a gold mine. You see the bar was built right by a new cinema complex. The biggest complaint that my friends had, was that there was no place within walking distance to grab something to eat after a movie. They ad said that they were hiring for ALL position AND that they would train. I was a “shoe” in for the job.

About 5 years ago I was a busboy at the Four Seasons Hotel. So I saw how much money Servers and Bartenders were making per night about $200 COLD CASH on an average weekend. I told myself then, if I ever needed money or extra cash, I would do waitering part time.

HIT THE BALL DUANE!

I got a haircut and printed a resume. I walked into the interview, and within 30 minutes was a waiter. (JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS)

I have earned anywhere between $70 - $140 (this is TIPS ) per night as a waiter. I get to See my FRIENDS, meet People and Re-acquaint myself with old University classmates. All this while getting paid CASH DAILY too for a couple of hours in the eveing.!

NET RESULTS FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER

SNOW SHOVELLING $110 (I informed my repeat customers that I was only doing a test to see if there was a demand for such a service. My pager still goes off when it snows)

SOLD: Old Computer Equipment: $120

TIPS: Over $800

EDUCATION: Priceless

Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to share my story.

To come: "What I learned! and Why it is relevant"

Thanks for reading!

Duane Adolph

Where are you located in Canada?

Cornell

Cornell, or are you looking for a used snow shovel???

Hope the kids loved the snow for their vacation...

Great post! Thanks! How about this as a (totally) off-beat supplement to your snow-shoveling business: What does everyone (illogically) stock-up on the night before a snow-storm is predicted? Bread, milk and toilet paper! (At least they do here south of the great white north border - perhaps Canadians are more sensible.)

Anyway, what about going out the night before a storm and buying bunches of the foregoing and then offering to sell these valuable commodities door-to-door and to your snow customers? (At a moderate profit of course!)

I'm laughing myself - but I wonder what would happen?

Tim Spencer

Duane,

That's a great story! It shows you can't keep a good man or woman down!

You've got a great go-get-'em attitude!

It also shows that the world is abudant with opportunities, if you do what you did and evaluate the possibilities, choose the most appropriate, then tackle it with a can-do-it smile.

Thanks for the empowering real life story. I'm waiting with high anticipation to read your next part about what you learned! :)

- Dien

P.S. Working in the hospitality industry -- as a waiter or waitress, chef, or bartender -- has a lot of advantages if you like travel, because it seems you can always find work.

A friend of mine travels the world, working as a waiter or bartender everywhere he goes. He usually stays in each place between 3 months and a year before moving on to the next place! So far he's lived in England, Japan, Germany, Holland, and Australia (he was born in Mexico, but he's a Canadian citizen). He told me that the next place he'll probably go is Taiwan.

When he's in a new place and wants a job, he doesn't look in the paper at the job ads. He hits the pavement, and goes to the restaurants directly, until one takes him on.