Thinking about starting a new business. Something to go along with my construction company. Still want to keep construction going but looking for something to fill in during winter months or slow times. What other ventures do all you have going besides construction and/or remodeling. Construction is growing, been in bus about 6 yrs. Has been great and we do about 3 times the dollar volume of the first year. Not sure how much more we can grow in this area and I don’t like to travel to do work.
I don’t sub out a lot of work but don’t want to start something that would be competition for my local subs.
Have a good building facilities and offices that could be put to better use.
Just fishing for ideas for now.
Replies
Cleaning
Roofing
Hardwood Floors
Closet systems
Garage cabinets/shelves
Not sure how much demand for closet systems would be in this area. Maybe more than I think. What systems do you use?
Anyone also involved in equipment repair/sales, commercial rentals, pizza shops, Nextel phone store.
Now we do install flooring, cabinets, do more roofing than I care to do (about 20 last year), plenty of roofs out there to do though.
I don't know, just wondering.
I am about to build some. I get the feeling closet systems are wildly overpriced for what you get. What could be simpler?
>> What could be simpler?Famous last words. In software development the usual wording is, "What could possibly go wrong?"
I've always thought I'd love to own a tool store that catered to contractors. In my area we really don't have one close by. We have two that are great, but each is about 45 minutes from me in opposite directions. One offers jobsite delivery and that is the one I use most frequently.
Other than that, most contractors in my area just make their tool purchases exclusively at HD/Lowes.... poor bastards don't know what they're missing. We used to have a couple Woodworker's Warehouse stores but went out of business last year. Anyway, that's my thoughts on what I'd like as a second business.
While I'm thinking about it, I know that Gary Katz also owns a lumberyard, IIRC. Now that makes very good business sense if you're doing much building. Get all your materials wholesale and have plenty of stock on hand at all times.
Hmmm, how about doing only woodwork for the out of doors... reallly showy stuff that gets you marketing from the papers and magazines and maybe even free home show booths... as well as huge word of mouth referrals. Stuff that is intricate enough that your local handyman deck company wouldn't know how to build or bid it... so you would have a captive market with little or no competition...
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You live in Holliston? Marathon tool and industrial supply in Medway is excellent, they carry almost everything and if they don't, they'll get it within a few days. They have all the nail guns, senco, hitachi, they have the flex eel hoses, stabila's, etc. great place. They are right on 109 in the shopping plaza that has the ocean state job lot. Check it out on yahoo yellow pages and map it, it can't be more than 15 minutes from you.
Yes, Marathon is one of the two stores I was referring to. I make it there about once a month or so. The other store is New Hampshire Tool Outlet in Salem.... they are the ones with jobsite delivery. I just moved from Natick it Stow... both stores are in opposite directions... 45 minutes or so. That's why NHT wins out over Marathon most times... jobsite delivery and no sales tax. I buy about 25 cases of nails a month from NHT... the savings on sales tax alone adds up quick without even figuring in that I only pay about $36/ case.
Diesel, I wasn't there a Woodworkers' Supply in Boxboro or Acton? I used to stop there all the time when I was living in Somerville and working in Harvard. All the other WWS's I know of became either Western Tool or Rockler, did that one? There's also a pretty good lumberyard in Ayer, IIRC.
Mike
BTW, what became of your friends in AK? Have they picked a place to live yet?
That used to be a Woodworker's Warehouse in Acton... right on rt 27.... now it's just a vacant store front. :(
I sent some housing info up to those folks and didn't hear anything back. I left a message up there a few weeks after that, and again, didn't hear anything back. I know they were pursuing a lot of various leads and directions.... I was just one of them. I'm curious to know what direction they headed though.
The framingham WW right on route 9 is vacant too. Lowes bought the verizon building next to target on route 30 but the town of framingham is making jump through hoops for the permit so that's still at least a year away.
The WW in framingham was really good for woodworking stuff, really nice and helpful managers there. I was talking to the manager when there were going out and he said they did fine on all the woodworking supplies and that type of stuff but HD killed them with the tools. He said that what HD sold some drills, nailers, etc for, WW was buying them for that price. I'd love a western tool to get in around here, I went to one up in VT and that a very good store, got everything and good prices.
Maybe we should all petition Western Tool to set up down this way? I'd love a good tool store that wasn't so far away.