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I want to start a business buidling storage sheds?
I'm just going to place an ad and jump right in cold feet. Is this a stupid idea or a gutsy move. I can build them and i think i can make around 500. shed. should i go for it or keep working at burger king?
7 Answers
Personally, i would look at a few things and than move on to sheds.
1) The different costs involved in making them
2) Who else makes them
3) What price do you get for a shed
4) How many people buy them
If you find answers to those questions, and you think you can earn more with making shed than at burger king, definitely make sheds. You may have to expand your client base, depending on your present clients. An interesting idea in my opinion.
1) The different costs involved in making them
2) Who else makes them
3) What price do you get for a shed
4) How many people buy them
If you find answers to those questions, and you think you can earn more with making shed than at burger king, definitely make sheds. You may have to expand your client base, depending on your present clients. An interesting idea in my opinion.
i think F-It! go for it. I worked for MCdS for almost 4 years and only got a 75cent raise. if you got the strenth to start on your own and have the will power to succeed, (which you will) go out and get it. Lifes too short to be too reservative. if you know just enough to get by, you should be okay. start with some advertising. simple business cards and flyers will do the job. go get it tiger. THErse Plenty of money out there> PLZ JUST DONT GIVE UP!.
Hey if you think you can do it and make good money at it I would go for it if I were you. I mean come on its not like your loosing a really good job at burger king . Jobs like that are a dime a dozen. But, if you enjoy building sheds I think you should go for it. I have a small business myself and its a pain when it comes to all of the licenses and taxes but in the long run its worth it. Besides look into the demand of sheds. I know in my area threes alot of people with them. I think its a good idea. Good Luck with it!!!
1st. check your market for demand. Sheds sell better in suburbs than in the city.
2nd. Who is your competition. If you have a Lowe's and a Home Depot, plus two or three other "shed" sales locations, there may be too much competition.
3rd. Calculate your cost per shed and any way you can cut costs. Price comparable sheds in the area and see if you can compete. Remember, time is worth money too.
4th. If it looks like a good idea, build to order, or just build a few small "models". Test the waters. See how others sell theirs. You may need to advertise in the right places, or even go to flea markets or fairs to get people interested.
5th. Don't take on more than you can handle. Sometimes having too many customers can put you under. If things look promising, see if you can bring in help if needed.
2nd. Who is your competition. If you have a Lowe's and a Home Depot, plus two or three other "shed" sales locations, there may be too much competition.
3rd. Calculate your cost per shed and any way you can cut costs. Price comparable sheds in the area and see if you can compete. Remember, time is worth money too.
4th. If it looks like a good idea, build to order, or just build a few small "models". Test the waters. See how others sell theirs. You may need to advertise in the right places, or even go to flea markets or fairs to get people interested.
5th. Don't take on more than you can handle. Sometimes having too many customers can put you under. If things look promising, see if you can bring in help if needed.
Jason, this is probably a both not an either/or situation. Everyone starting any small business has a start up time in which they need a way to support themself whilethe business gfrows and they put money they made in the business into helping it grow. So short term hang with BK but begin your own business too. Use part of one paycheck for some advertising and part of the next one for the materials for your first shed. Then use part of the money you make on that first shed to advertise some more, save some to buy material for the next shed, and some to treat yourself to celebrate starting your business. Once you are earning at least twice your weekly BK pay from the sheds for 6 weeks running and have orders ahead give notice and quit BK. Give notice because that is the business like thing to do and you are going to be a man with his own business now and because if the shed business ever slows down and it may in winter you may need a reference from BK or even a PT job there again.
You can make flyers (posters) to advertise your work. If you have a picture of a shed you've made put that on the flyer. Put them on brght paper and make the heading very big to catch ppl's eyes. Consider advertising in things like American Classifieds (weekly all ads papers that are cheaper than the newspaper) or even in the news paper. Hand out flyers at church, at every place your normally go. Take some pictures of your work and write up a short story for the newspaper about your new business. If your community has a web site with free ads use it.
Shop around for materials and then add at least 20% to your material cost estimates so that if prices of materials go up (and they probably will because of rising gas prices) you won't be having to raise your prices right away. Figure at least $8 an hour for your labor and count the time getting to the place you build the shed too, figure in your cost to go get the material and take it to the job site and figure enough so rising gas prices don't hurt you, add in a little for advertising and at least 10-15% for unexpected expenses and plan to save 20% for taxes because if this gets to be a real going business you will have self employment taxes. Add it all up and see what your total costs will be. Plan to at least double that and preferably tripple it for your price for the shed. Then look and see if the price is right with others doing the same thing in your area. If you do get several orders ask the place you buy wood, blocks, etc for a contractor's discount. Look into whether you need a contractor's or handyman's license in your area. Possibly not for sheds but be sure.
To keep things businesslike and not get burned by customers draw up an agreement that says you and they agree that you will build a shed Xfeet by X feet by X feet high in this specific location, that it will be out of (speciofy what quality wood) and be painted (or not) in whaqtever specific color or stain. Door to be at least X by X`(or you can draw out a plan of the shed and just say according to attached plan), that they have the legal right to put the shed where they are putting it, and that all liability involved except for the quality of workmanship is theirs. Specify that there will be a deposit of whatever percent at the beginning of work, that work will be completed by __ date (and leave youself rain time) and that complete payment is due on the day of completion. The agreement should also say that the price of teh shed is $__ and that price includes only the shed as specified and any extra work will be paid at a price agreed in advance if you agree to do it,. Hopefully it may be a 1 or 2 day job. The purpose of all this is so someone doesn't get into the I'll pay you next month mode because this is going to be how you earn your living and ppl will take advantage if they can. It is also protects you from the "while you're here would you just" that leads to another 2 days of work at no more pay. A friend of ours used to make yard barns (larger storage sheds) and he found without the agreement the next thing he knew some ppl wanted 2 windows, shutters, a ramp, a walkway, and fixing the house steps all for no more money.
This could be a really good business. You could branch out into kids play houses, and pool houses with the same basic design and into gazabos (open yard shelters) and even shelters for kids waiting for school bus. I hope it goes well for you.
You can make flyers (posters) to advertise your work. If you have a picture of a shed you've made put that on the flyer. Put them on brght paper and make the heading very big to catch ppl's eyes. Consider advertising in things like American Classifieds (weekly all ads papers that are cheaper than the newspaper) or even in the news paper. Hand out flyers at church, at every place your normally go. Take some pictures of your work and write up a short story for the newspaper about your new business. If your community has a web site with free ads use it.
Shop around for materials and then add at least 20% to your material cost estimates so that if prices of materials go up (and they probably will because of rising gas prices) you won't be having to raise your prices right away. Figure at least $8 an hour for your labor and count the time getting to the place you build the shed too, figure in your cost to go get the material and take it to the job site and figure enough so rising gas prices don't hurt you, add in a little for advertising and at least 10-15% for unexpected expenses and plan to save 20% for taxes because if this gets to be a real going business you will have self employment taxes. Add it all up and see what your total costs will be. Plan to at least double that and preferably tripple it for your price for the shed. Then look and see if the price is right with others doing the same thing in your area. If you do get several orders ask the place you buy wood, blocks, etc for a contractor's discount. Look into whether you need a contractor's or handyman's license in your area. Possibly not for sheds but be sure.
To keep things businesslike and not get burned by customers draw up an agreement that says you and they agree that you will build a shed Xfeet by X feet by X feet high in this specific location, that it will be out of (speciofy what quality wood) and be painted (or not) in whaqtever specific color or stain. Door to be at least X by X`(or you can draw out a plan of the shed and just say according to attached plan), that they have the legal right to put the shed where they are putting it, and that all liability involved except for the quality of workmanship is theirs. Specify that there will be a deposit of whatever percent at the beginning of work, that work will be completed by __ date (and leave youself rain time) and that complete payment is due on the day of completion. The agreement should also say that the price of teh shed is $__ and that price includes only the shed as specified and any extra work will be paid at a price agreed in advance if you agree to do it,. Hopefully it may be a 1 or 2 day job. The purpose of all this is so someone doesn't get into the I'll pay you next month mode because this is going to be how you earn your living and ppl will take advantage if they can. It is also protects you from the "while you're here would you just" that leads to another 2 days of work at no more pay. A friend of ours used to make yard barns (larger storage sheds) and he found without the agreement the next thing he knew some ppl wanted 2 windows, shutters, a ramp, a walkway, and fixing the house steps all for no more money.
This could be a really good business. You could branch out into kids play houses, and pool houses with the same basic design and into gazabos (open yard shelters) and even shelters for kids waiting for school bus. I hope it goes well for you.
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