I mean “safe” from the downturn and recession. I was thinking today and guys like me closed because there are alot of “me’s” in our area and now not everyone can afford to build new or remodel.
But, will roofers and plumbers always have work as after all if the roof leaks or the toilet doesn’t work, isn’t it a “must” to repair? I know some folks will say they will live with a leaky roof until they get more money but you probably don’t want to work for them anyway.
What I am getting at is would you say someone like a granite countertop guy would be more affected than a plumber who makes service calls (and not just new construction like some I know do) or a roofer might be more able to survive easier than say a kitchen remodeler?
Just thinking out loud of course…
And you do realize if I could find a full time job, this thinking would never take place!
Replies
I don't think any one is immune. But the model I like is the HVAC guys. Get in on the new construcy=tion install. Put your sticker on it and then get a supply of service work.
Work the service side hard till it's like 60-70% of your business. Then retire
If it's hot they get calls. If it's cold they get calls
Udertaker
Udertaker
???
how do you get them off?
Go under and take em off. Very risky.
Bar. People get drunk when their happy and sad.
Oh, and I almost forgot about sugar momma. Shes a nurse. Hopefully she'll keep us afloat.
No wonder so many of us are married to nurses.
Edited 6/9/2008 9:06 pm ET by MSA1
A Nurse??? Thats as good as a teecher. Thats like a Gold mine. Better be good to her she wood go fast on the open market;]
I do income taxes and saw a small increase in business from 2006 to 2007.
You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
Mike we live in a vacation town.
my friend has a housewatching biz and lawn care.
Pretty well off people and the same older family. He does the house watching, grass cutting just to get the repair work to get the remodels.
You have to like doing all the small stuff though.
He makes a living barely but his wife cleans the houses too. A lot of work but he stays busy no matter how the economy is doing.
He throws me work and i help him i also send small stuff his way and lawn care./.
I use his helper too
We stick together while the guys building houses would not network and now there hurting.
When things slow lots of guys try and do the little stuff and it affects a little but not all.
I dont feel to sorry for them when times are good they search far and wide for cheap subs and dont work with us at all.
When times get bad people that send work your way are very nice to have .
"He throws me work"like bathroom doors? <G>"there's enough for everyone"
I come up with those winners on my own.LOL
I was raised with family history.
Great Grand-Dad make it big in the California Gold rush, invested in downtown Lockport, NY then the family lost it all in the crash of 29.
Grand-Dad was an auto mechanic. He was born when the internal combustion engine started powering transportation and grew up to tales of Barney Oldfield at the brickyard.
And being of German descent, he was an instinctive engineer.
So the story goes - that while people in the great depression could not afford to buy new cars, they darn sure needed to keep what they had a-running.
So Dad was born in 1930 and he grew up in a home where he never went hungry, but could not afford to lose his mittens, 'cause he only got one pair each winter.
Yeah, some things are necessary
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Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
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cool story. My grandfather lost money in the banks but they gave him script of some kind. Anyway last year i was visiting my Aunt and she had a bank account with 5ooo dollars in it from that bank. Somehow sometime he got it back and put it in the bank. My Aunt is keeping it in there because it was his?????. Hes been gone since 1983. She wanted to give me 5 grand for my daughters college but did not want to give THAT 5 grand. That has to stay there.
Ever consider ####? That's a pretty steady industry.
.
.
"Thank goodness for the Democrats! If you are terminally unemployable, enjoy living off of govt welfare and feel you owe society nothing you're in luck: there is a donkey waiting for you."
Home repairs are always needed. And the more people you know, the more you will be needed.
I often think about this. If for some reason money suddenly became worthless, somebody who knows how to fix things will always have a way to make it. If we suddenly lost all power and everything went dark, it's those of us with the tools and the know-how who will survive the best. Especially if we're in good with a survival community.
I know I'm taking it to an extreem. But when it comes down to it, a gas furnace isn't worth squat if there isn't any gas. It doesn't take a roofing contractor to patch a leaky roof. It doesn't take a plumber to move water from point a to point b.
If doomsday ever comes about (knock on wood), the all around handyman is the most likely to survive. The wider variety of tasks he's able to do, the better off he'll be. --------------------------------------------------------
Cheap Tools at MyToolbox.netSee some of my work at TedsCarpentry.com
a favorite subject of mine, what happens after the holocaust regardless of what causes it, what happens after?
first is rule of law is gone. just look at norleans after katrina, cops was lootin, so you have to figure self defense.
second is water, and prevention of disease (clean water)
third has to be food and shelter, might have to be hunkered down pretty good depending on cause of holocaust.
there have been many books and movies on the subject, the postman, costner starred in the movie and it was so so but the book was excellent. i never read anything bad by david brin.
Never read the book but enjoyed the movie. Yeah, it was so-so as adventure movies go, but it was definately a dose of one possible reality. If it came on TV at a convenient time, I'd watch it again.--------------------------------------------------------
Cheap Tools at MyToolbox.netSee some of my work at TedsCarpentry.com
Segundo,
i just finished a book-- i forget the author-------I believe the title was " A hand made world' something like that--- it's a recent book-----you would like it a like , i think it's about how society changes following some calamity----electricity becomes hit or miss-------gasoline un-available-----no TV or radio most everything reverts to a local---handmade economy.stephen
thank you, i will keep an eye out for it.
Sparky's
People ain't gwine sit aroun ina dark house.
"What's an Arkansas flush?......It's a small revolver and any five cards."
my Dad's 77.
figuring he's seen a think ot two.
he's always said ... remodeling is a reccession proof business.
times are good ... people upgrade or fix up to sell.
times are bad ... people need repairs to stay.
he also agrees with my theory ... try to focus on high, high end.
as the rich always have money and they'll never do without.
at the Dal Tile store last week ... talking to another guy at the counter.
I just wrapped up a 5 bath house with a not yet finished basement ... gotta figure at least 2 more down there.
he just started a 10 bath house.
his last project had 8 baths.
and they're booked to lay tile for the 12 months.
have no idea who their company was ... big or small. But someone's finding new const work.
here ... we never had a big boom ... so not lookig to have a big bust.
just slight down turn.
but ... the rich are definitely still building.
what kinda work did U do before? what "level"?
and was it a "boom" area first?
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Jeff,
All of my work had always been to the upper middle class to lower hi end. Could never get above that for some reason as I couldn't get into those neighborhoods. Now there is no way as there is just too much competiton. 110,000 licensed contractors in the State of Florida. And thats not including the unlicensed hacks. Yikes.
As for me, I am done with remodeling. I just want a 9-5 job with a steady paycheck and someone else can have all the headaches.
Mike
As bad as it around here.....and it's almost third world bad. I know that if they allowed it, I could open up an Amsterdam style hash-a-dashery and have the folks lining up around the corner to get in to try and buy.......Then if I really wanted to succeed I'd get me a few good lookin ho's for upstairs.Then if I really, really wanted to get rich I'd open a confessional in the next store front so's the guy/gals (too) could go home to their families with the day-old bread and balogna and be guilt free.
hahahaha!.
.
"Thank goodness for the Democrats! If you are terminally unemployable, enjoy living off of govt welfare and feel you owe society nothing you're in luck: there is a donkey waiting for you."
jjwalters,
the trouble is when those bothersome police get around to arresting you you do 20 years for a few months worth of riding in fancy cars and having young scantily clad ladies around you..
No, I said if it was allowed like in Amsterdam...........personally I never come close to breaking the law.
Yea, but someone else will be paying for his 3 sq. and a roof over his head.
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
"the rich always have money and they'll never do without."That is more or less true, but even the high flyers change spending habits when things get tight.A lot of them have an iron clad rule - "never touch the capital"
They live off the excess and profits. So a year when their investments are up 30% is a good year for us, but when they are off 3%, they don't dip into the base capital they have.So for instance, one of my clients had a leaky shower when the economy and some investments were in a tailspin right after 911. The whole bathroom was outdated and in need of an upgrade, but he just said to do what is needed for now to save the unit and prevent damage to the house and we'll rip it all out and redo it all later...
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Oak River Mike,
There are only two business I know that are really recession proof.. The first is a Caterpillar dealership.
Once you have one of those there is sufficent parts and service business in even the worst time to make a profit.. (Companies make all their profit on parts and service, so when sales drop they aren't hurt)
The second is a Coke-cola Francise. Pop sales are pretty recession proof.
The rest are areas where they can get someone in to bodge the repair untill a real pro can be hired to fix it properly..
HVAC guys tend to remain busy either installing new or repairing old systems. Few can survive without heat or A/C. However you will be competing against the utility companies own techs for those jobs.
True as the Cat dealer here is HUGE and even expanding right now!
The Coke office however just laid off 1,100 people. Its still open but that was about 20% of the work force.
Oak River Mike..
That may be more than simply the result of low sales.. Coke drivers tend to be union and the owners have been trying toi break the unions.
One other thing that is immune from recession is lawyers. when things slow down they actually get busier with divorces bankruptcys and criminal conduct..
"they actually get busier with divorces bankruptcys and criminal conduct.."LOL, all the people who can't or don't pay up!
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Piffin,
Or people who have lost jobs and their marriage cannot survive without a flush of cash.
People who've lost jobs and must declare bankruptcy. People who've been forced thru economic pressure to do foolish things.. Frankly if my kids are starving I'd be willing to do whatever it took to get them fed..
Me too I reckon, but a marriage that fails because there is not enough cash flow to keep it afloat is not a real marriage anyways
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Collections and repoes.
Nice story about Lockport. My father grew up in Gasport, just down the road, on his uncles farm. It backed up to the canal!
typically construction has its ups and downs.
it has been my experience that when some sectors are slow others are busy.
i have posted in similar threads that heavy industrial construction is booming. there is a lot of work in the energy sector. power plants regularly have shutdowns for maintenance. any carpenter can get in as a scaffold builder in any of these maintenance shutdowns, as a helper at first, and then once they catch on (its not rocket science, and there are classes) they will be running a crew.
its not nearly as fun as residential construction, and it is probably more dangerous and there are several other disadvantages, but i made that transition as a young carpenter and i am glad i did. it opens up a whole new area as far as job choices, its not glamorous, but it does feed the family and keep the wolf away from the door. you can always go back to residential when its back on the upswing, and you can do it with savings and good credit.
There is still a road named after the family in Lockport.
Nichter Road
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cool! Haven't been out there recently, only have one cousin who still lives there.
http://www.roadtechs.com/const/wwwboard/getpost.php?rec_nbr=74452
here's a job for ya mike, but they will deny your security clearance because you didn't properly fill out the govt survey.
Christmas Tree Farmer. Once considered that my dream job - requires a large amount of money to start, though.
Ya know, I thought of that once! It would be a FUN job but does require quite the slice of land to operate.
Acreage in the mountains of North Carolina doesn't come cheap, these days,...
Yeah, Florida either (where I am at). One guy that owned a tree farm that used to offer "Cut Your Own" has since sold out and they build a car dealership there. Go figure.