So what businesses seem to be working in your area? Here there are ALOT of mom and pop things folding. Everything from a small fitness gym to hair salons, to even video rental stores. (Hollywood video although a big chain still closed)
So what things seem to be mainstays and good businesses in your area?
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Mike,
Here, fast foods seem to be doing good, but fuel prices have got to affect that soon.
Trades such as HVAC, plumbers, insect and pest control.
Manufacturing, of garbage trucks, electrical control panels.
Insurance, even though it's very competitive,seems ok.
DW's pet grooming shop is doing good :)
Brudoggie
Round here?
Camel rides and those cafes that rent Hooka pipes and Kabob stands............Oh..........you mean stateside in the real world?
When I lived in Tampa in the 80's i got to see wild expansion. on the way up every business survived. After the peak? Lots of businesses, franchise or not, small or large, essential or frivilous all failed with seemingly no ryhme or reason.
then again in the late 80's early 90's in New Jersey the same thing.
Where my home is, Allentown, P.A., lots of new Starbucks. A few kids gymnastic centers. lots of Quizno's sandwich shops. Coldstone Creamery icecream.
But, the area hasn't gone over peak just yet.
When it does I suspect the high-end franchises catering to the yuppies will make it and the mom and pops will be gone.
I will say that my wife and I looked very hard at several small business franchises. Snap-On tools, Subway, some icecream place I can't remember, a tub refinishing system. Most had more drawbacks than pluses
One that stood out, and we knew someone personally that owned one, was SERV-PRO. Fire and water damage restoration. Lots of insurance work.
Services
Cleaning other peoples yards and homes. Things that other people don't want to do.
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The first retailer in the new plastic-town here is a pizzeria. Joins 2 others (non-franchise) in the area.
Developer of the second property over is selling lots briskly, average $706k. Probably to immigrants. Probably won't be small houses.
Otherwise, I think Piffin got it. As long as there's disposable income, there's demand.
Knew a couple in Denver who did extremely well cleaning up dog dumps around apartment buildings, and anywhere else they'd get paid. Had a small legal hassle forcing them to give up the name "Tootsie Roll Patrol". Sometimes publicity is bad.
Seems the Tootsie Roll folks were not amused. Mortgage broker certainly was when they went to qualify.
Edited 5/1/2008 1:02 pm ET by VaTom
Beer bar.
Joe H
two beer bars...
one for the stand up crowd and one for the shall we say... laid back types...
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i like the franchise "Gymboree"
my daughter manages one in Charlotte...
a nephew & his wife own three in New Jersey
http://www.gymboree.com/hrjob/cs_joinourteam.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302778199&bmUID=1209664901275Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Some company called Andy's Handyman Services seems to be doing great. They started working in just one neighborhood, but are starting to really expand around town.
Not sure who runs it though ;)
there's no need to reinvent the wrench
The landscapers always seem to be busy around here.... especially the cutting crews. Although they're not out in force just yet, on summer mornings when I'm driving in at 6am it seems as though every other truck I see is dragging a landscape trailer full of mowers around. And they're even out on Saturdays and Sundays.... especially if it rained during the week. I sometimes wonder..........
I'll see two guys hop out of a truck. One will grab a big self propelled Bunton or Scag and do about 40mph around the yard while the other hits the edges with a wacker. 15 minutes later they're back in the truck having just mowed an acre for about $45. And I gotta admit.... it usually looks as good or better than the job I do on my JD. And it takes me about 3 1/2 hrs to my acre of grass.
Edited 5/1/2008 6:20 pm ET by dieselpig
One will grab a big self propelled Bunton or Scag and do about 40mph around the yard while the other hits the edges with a wacker.
I think they're going to pass a helmet law soon![email protected]
I was surely exaggerating Eric.... but they do cook around on those things pretty good!View Image
Here the ride on the sully that you stand on..............iif it's not a sit down mower.
And they do fly! Can't be good for gas mileage.
I think I'd rather walk myself. Breathing in Carbon Monoxide all day though, I dunno.[email protected]
i have a dixie chopper and it will mow at 20 mph
Seems to be a lot of Dunkin' Donuts opening up here in NJ. I have no idea how much the franchise cost is, but I can't drive more than a mile on any highway without seeing one.
Shep,
We had that here in Minnesota a few years back.. a few months ago Dunkin Donuts left the state completely.. nobody made money!
Wasnt that Krispee-Kreme donuts? I heard everyone quit going there because it was too crowded. :)
Wood4rd,
Krispee Creme arrived here with a big flouish and within a few of years went out completely.. Francise holders closed as profits proved to be non-existant..
here its pawn shop. title pawns, used car lots, furinutre rental, those big chrome wheel rental, yes rental. check cashing , and those store s that sell phone service, not cell phone but land lines.government services, unemployement office, and county workers like road, sewer trash.
big chrome wheel rental,?????? i do not understand what this is, could you please splaine
the boy in the hood will buy old police cars at the auction, you know capries. I guess they enjoy the ride in back so much they want to ride up front. well they will put these 22 inch chrome wheels on them. make it look like a 4wd. There are people here that will rent the wheels to them instead of buying.
Edited 5/1/2008 10:45 pm by brownbagg
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I saw one of those on the road the other day. Didn't know it was a popular kinda thing.
They still can't carry much drywall and lumber on it.
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Edited 5/2/2008 12:12 am by Ted W.
you want to have some fun...
Next time you're in the Boston area ask someone where the nearest Krispy Kreams is.
When they tell you were Dunkin is, tell them you like Krispy's better.
You'd think you insulted their mother or the red sox
My mother, the Red Sox, and Dunkin' Donuts? Yer walking a thin line brother.View Image
Hmmm, how about Baked Beans?
They can't get your Goat if you don't tell them where it is hidden.
Whoa, buddy, don't be dissin' "Kripsy" Kremes any time yur in the south!!
My husband says the glazed donuts are "instant heartburn". Absolutely the worst donuts in the world, in this midwesterner's humble opinion.
in this southeasterner's humble opinion, all you midwesterner's taste is in your mouth!
krispy kreme glazed donuts are the best!
Edited 5/3/2008 8:55 pm ET by segundo
OK, so I guess you wouldn't like pork butt and sauerkraut or pigs in a blanket, either.
I love greens and black eyed peas, though. Is that some help?
oh yeah i like pork butt and pigs in blanket, in fact i like everything. that being said i like some things more than others.
i have heard people say krispy kreme glazed weren't their favorite, but worst? no way. they may be too sweet for some, but the yeasty flavor of fresh krispy kremes is way good.
Was in Bham for a seminar years back and the host co took us to a Krispy there for donuts fresh out of the oil. Have to say the glazed did taste better that way, but I thought the cake donuts beat them (sticky) hands down.
All of our Krispys and Dunkins have closed here. And bakeries have gone the way of dinosaurs.
BTW, do you know what long johns are??
oh yeah, i mean i think i do. long johns are long thermal underwear right?
i spent much time working in the san francisco bay area, and as jack london wrote (or was it mark twain) the coldest winter i ever spent was summer in san francisco.
even the north carolina coast will get downright chilly sometimes, the wind coming off the water can be very cold.
this last year i spent working in the midwest throughout the winter, and i have two sets of underarmour cold gear underwear (long johns on steroids)
Actually, I was speaking of long johns along the line of donuts...doesn't that sound weird!
They were one of my grandpa's favorite pastries. Basically a long rectangular donut with a cream filling and chocolate icing...just wondered if anyone else knew what it was!! Talking of donuts got me started...sorry!
Was in SF about the first of April some years ago. People told me it wasn't going to get any warmer. Went out to seal rock and literally shook I was so cold!!
We do not have a krispy kreme store around here, the Boy Scouts brought boxes of them to sell so i bought a box after hearing so much about them, I was disappointed and did not think they were any better then any at the local supermarket. I just dont get it but im not a big doughnut fan either.
bobbys,
they are only good if you get them from the store when the hot now light is on in the window
otherwise they taste like ####
get em fresh off the line and they melt in your mouth
see you found the enter key, great job man!
well #### is spelled ####
can I say ####?
nope
ok, lets say they taste like cow patootie
Edited 5/5/2008 10:51 am ET by leftisright
the dog poop scooper businesses are kicking butt and taking names, they are paying long green to scoop the poop.
self storage units.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Never realy understood the logic of renting a storage locker, but those are popular here also.
Most common business sprouting up here are nail manicure shops. Mike
Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.
I've rented one more than once.
moving back and forth ... bigger apt, smaller apt, apt to house.
there's an old mechanics garage a coupla blocks away that's converted into some sorta self storage ... looks to be all open inside with maybe 10 or 12 "spaces" ...
I'm gonna go take a look-see and see if it's possible to get the box van off the streets at night. The savings on spray paint remover might cover the monthly costs in the warm weather!
Thinking if there's room ... drive the Jeep down every day ... swap vehicles ... then swap back at the end of the day.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
They do make sense for small businesses. Just seems most are filled with "stuff" that never sees light again. Mike
Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.
They do make sense for small businesses. Just seems most are filled with "stuff" that never sees light again.
A lot of time it's because the owners of the stuff don't want to admit to themselves that their stuff is worthless to anyone else. My mother left a garage full of stuff when she moved to be nearer to my sister. I could have had anything I wanted out of it, I didn't want any of it either, got enough junk of my own. She just didn't want to admit that it all belonged in a dumpster
JohnIf my baby don't love me no more, I know her sister will.
Hey, I've got a garage full of treasures just like that. ; ^ ) Mike
Trust in God, but row away from the rocks.
"I'm gonna go take a look-see and see if it's possible to get the box van off the streets at night. The savings on spray paint remover might cover the monthly costs in the warm weather!"If ya want, I'll sign up to paint the box van a nice shade of orange & black. I'll even touch it up once a week if it gets graffiti'ed. Take your pick of one of the following:http://www.sportsflagsandpennants.com/philadelphia_flyers_flag_747_ctg.html;-)
now why make a perfectly good van look "Philthy"?
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Those are big in TX. No one has basements here. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Drive-thru Starbuks.....I just went by one and there were about 10 cars in line burning up $3.50 a gallon gas to get a $5 cup of coffee.
wood4rd,
Then you haven't read the doom and gloom forecast about Starbucks.. How they are closing them at a record pace. Earnings are down etc..
In times of economic struggle $5.00+ cups of coffee yield to a home brewed cup or a cup grabbed at the office..
Frenchy, I would rather have the home brewed myself, but less than two blocks from the Starbucks there is a Caribou coffee and the parking lot was filled there too. I havent heard of any Starbucks closing around here, it might just be a regional thing.
wood4rd,
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news but for my own resons I've followed the fortunes of Starbucks.. They are hurting..
Yes you could be correct.. the right location in the right neighborhood on the right side of the street could be an exception.
I say the right neighborhood because you need commuters from relatively afflueant neighborhoods.
You need to be on the side of the street where most traffic travels to work (seldom do they stop on their way home) and few are willing to cross traffic for a cup of coffee..
Sales at McDonalds are down (store to store this year from last) as is most other resturant and fast food places..
Yes there are always exceptions..
You need to be on the side of the street where most traffic travels to work now that you mention it. all the starbucks are on the south side of the road, incoming traffic into the city. moring traffic. all the mcdonald are also on that side too.
Starbucks franchisees might be doing well or poorly. You can hardly go a mile without seeing one, some places. Seems like corporate has peaked: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=SBUX&t=5y&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=My neighbor to the south and his brother, my neighbor to the west own a fast food place. He says business is really hurting this year. Looking at an extra $5-6 every day for lunch might make some people consider packing a sandwich. But hey, rollback the gas tax and we'll save 30 cents a day.
A friend of mine hired a small moving company to move his stuff to his new house
The moving company charges $90 per hour for two guys
They don't bid the jobs - they just charge the flat rate of $90 per hour
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Seems to be quite a few guys in the Mini Bin business. I've seen 5yd 10yd bins fit in some pretty tight spaces, pick them up with a Isuzu cabover and they sure seem to be pretty handy.
natedaw.
With housing at a 27 year low it's doubtfull a lot of those people are really swamped.. I know locally I see most of the bibs/dumpsters in the yards of the company rather than out on sites.
IMO, this fellow has the right idea:
http://sunnev.com
When gas hits $7 a gallon in coming years, most of what we "knew" is going to change.
Service businesses run by people who understand service are generally successful in most times and places.
I haven't seen any business closings here that I'd say are out-of-the-ordinary. Quality tradespeople are always in short demand here. Want to pour before winter? Better schedule now! (not kidding)
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd."
~ Voltaire
Anything business having anything to do with what can be construed as a rocket, weapon, missile, bomb, guidance system, etc.
Overpriced housing for people who are engineers, consultants, statisticians, logisticians, etc. in any industry developing anything than can be construed as rockets, weapons, missiles, ......if you stand in the assembly line that actually produces these products, you are working mandatory overtime and broke.
Seriously, we haven't been hit too hard by the housing slump (fiasco), so there are still houses being built but fewer. New healthcare facilities springing up everywhere.Hear that a huge development is underway for BRAC (see second paragraph above) people moving in to this area, so that's keeping building up.
However, there's a new strip center here that has been talked up and has opened, but has yet to deliver the big-time retailers that were advertised at first. That's never a good indicator.
HD is closing stores per the news this morning, but not here, I think.
What's up in your area, Mike?
a rocket, weapon, missile, bomb, guidance system, etc.
Was in meeting last week with a few folks from Huntsville, no slowdowns there fer sure. Number of folks recently transferred from Anaheim to Huntsville, much lower cost of living in what used to be called 'Huntspatch' in the 70's.
Huntsville's been really coming up in the 10 years I've lived here. It really is a pleasant place to live and, until recently, prices have been pretty reasonable.
You can still find houses for $100K or so that you could live in, but those are becoming fewer and fewer. Even modest houses here are now in the low 200's.
People from CA love to move here - they can buy 3 houses here for the price of one in most cities there!
Sometimes I think I'd love to live in the northwest. How's things out your way??
You can buy a dump here (newly built) that will be part of a slum in 50 years for about $500k.
Most new houses here are 3500 sq ft on 4000 sq ft lots, oh yum. Prices have not dropped much at all except for the new crackerbox lot types.
Catching up to LA.
One lady I know at NASA still lives on part of the family farm dating from the 1790s. Most has gotten sold off over the years, only a few quarter sections left in the family.
Wow, that's pricey! Guess I'll be staying in "Huntspatch" after all.
Is the lady with NASA here or there?
Down south "The old home place" is the lovely term used to describe old farmhouses and land that have been in the family for generations. I have even heard people say that's what they are looking for when they build their new homes...I want it to look like an old home place.
maybe not very peertinant to your post. But I read a article the other day about Hope Despot closing dozen or so stores in MN, ND and other midwest areas. But tells me if you are in that biz you need to work very hard to help the shopper while inf the store.
You can make a fortune selling sh!t, if you try hard enough.
Sell for more than you paid, repeat.
Simple.
It's not too late, it's never too late.
I know a man who got wealthy doing exactly that. He didn't even have to buy it.He had a business where he charged to clean the manure out of feedlots. He then sold the manure to landscape co.'s. Eventually he bagged it and sold it retail.
Owning a Rita's Water Ice franchise is like printing money in this area. They close in the winter months but people flock to the place from April through November. Lunch time through the week, I have driven by and people are 10-12 deep at the counter. Evenings are packed every night. Of course it comes down to location, location, location, both are on a main highway.
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