NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm going througha transitional period in my life. The questions are ever increasing, and the answers just don't seem to be able to keep up. Then it hit me. Some of the most ignorant people I've ever met have been on this forum.( only a SMALL few) But besides them, this forum is filled with some of the most intelligent, thoughtful, intuitive, decent people I've ever met! I really mean that! You guys bicker and argue with the best of them, but some of the most thoughtful ideas I've ever heard have come from these threads. So I would like to see if you all can help me. I'm looking to move into the career stage of my life, and being a jack of all trades, master of none(maybe one), its time for me to decide what to master. I've done many a job in my short life (25 years), I've loved some, hated others, but I've always made money. But now I need stability. So I'm going to list the skills I've aquired, and I would appreciate it if the brilliant minds in here could give me their thoughts of the pro's and con's of them.

1) Tree removal: I've cut them down, trimmed them, saved them from disease, clearcut them in mass proportion, ground the stumps, planted them, moved them. You name it. Its my most proficient skill

2)Landscaping: If it has to do with a yard, I've done it. Lawn care, retaining walls, mowing, trimming, re-graded yards. My 2nd most proficient skill

3)Web design: Not an expert, but I have most of the basics down. I'm not professional grade, but I pick it up well enough to learn fast.

4)Mechanics: I can tear a 350 Chevy down to the block, and completely rebuild it, but don't ask me to look at your 2005 anything. I can rebuild a carberator, but I'm lost with a fuel injected system. Basically, I can only handle the oldschool sytems at the moment, but again, I'm apt enough to learn it fast.

So brilliant minds come together, because if there is one thing I have NO skills at , its decisionmaking!

Chartered Accountancy is a Man's Life. High adventure. Beautiful women. Danger.

Sir, you can definitely make money with a toolbox of skills like that. An important question is, what state are you in, and do you live in a populated or rural area?

Sir, you can definitely make money with a toolbox of skills like that. An important question is, what state are you in, and do you live in a populated or urban area?
I'm living 7 miles south of Raliegh, North Carolina right now.
Actually, my wife is set to join the Air Force in 5 days, so I will be here for approximately 4-6 more months, then who knows where next? Maybe even Europe! HAHAHAHAHA ( all Europeans cringe at once and pray the crazy Yankee stays away)

All I'd say is to stay away from web design--the market is flooded (and no, I'm not one of the people who's flooding it). If you go to Europe, there won't be much of a call for your tree removal skills, but your mechanic ability might come in handy. Your sig says that you love classic cars--if there's a way you can turn that into a niche business, catering to the very wealthy, doing custom jobs and the like, that would probably be your best bet for the long term,

All I'd say is to stay away from web design--the market is flooded (and no, I'm not one of the people who's flooding it).
I was going to tell him the same about web design. I am a web designer/animator, but I've been running a good business model for five years and have a great lead source. I wouldn't suggest it to anyone who didn't get in the game by 2000, though. You need a long client list and a great portfolio.
Without it, you'll starve. If you have one, it's very profitable. Good business, bad startup.

To the original poster-- How much capital can you invest in the startup of your new biz?

All I'd say is to stay away from web design--the market is flooded (and no, I'm not one of the people who's flooding it). If you go to Europe, there won't be much of a call for your tree removal skills, but your mechanic ability might come in handy. Your sig says that you love classic cars--if there's a way you can turn that into a niche business, catering to the very wealthy, doing custom jobs and the like, that would probably be your best bet for the long term,
Thats actually where I'm leaning is custom cars. Why isn't tree removal big in Europe? Aren't there big trees there?

Thats actually where I'm leaning is custom cars. Why isn't tree removal big in Europe? Aren't there big trees there?
Not much in the way of old growth forests anymore--that's what happens when you have 700 million people living in an area about a third the size of the US and when they've been living there ten times as long as we've been here.

1) Tree removal: I've cut them down, trimmed them, saved them from disease, clearcut them in mass proportion, ground the stumps, planted them, moved them. You name it. Its my most proficient skill

I have a friend who runs a tree removal/pruning biz. He makes out alright, nothing to complain about. It doesn't require much capital, and once you break into a residential neighborhood, there's lots of references.

It's probably a bad idea to start any brand-spanking-new business if you're just going to move soon though. Most take about 3 months just to get moving in any profitable sense (and that's pretty quick).

To the original poster-- How much capital can you invest in the startup of your new biz?
I'm not quite sure what capital I will be able to raise, but my wife will be making fairly good money, and our credit is good. Also, she has a marketing degree, and can write up a fairly legitimate business plan, so loans are an option. If I start a business, I'd like to do it for under $50,000 as an initial capital base.

I have a friend who runs a tree removal/pruning biz. He makes out alright, nothing to complain about. It doesn't require much capital, and once you break into a residential neighborhood, there's lots of references.

It's probably a bad idea to start any brand-spanking-new business if you're just going to move soon though. Most take about 3 months just to get moving in any profitable sense (and that's pretty quick).
Thats my main problem. Uncertainty in where I'll be. I've heard that a sound business plan with a goal of a large client base can take up to 5 years to turn a profit. (if you do it right) When starting a business, one should always pour as much profit as possible back into the business.

Thats my main problem. Uncertainty in where I'll be. I've heard that a sound business plan with a goal of a large client base can take up to 5 years to turn a profit. (if you do it right) When starting a business, one should always pour as much profit as possible back into the business.
Honestly, I think you'll have to wait to decide on a business model and plan until you're certain of where you're going to move. Location is too important for you to invest a lot of money into now, only to move and lose your client base. Better to play it prudent, and think in the long term instead of move the biz during the first year (worst mistake one could probably make in startup phase).

Sounds like you really need to decide what makes you happiest. After you've spent all of that effort, time and money on something, you don't want to decide later that it isn't the right business for you. You've got the desire to start, now you need a really informed plan.

Sounds like you'll do fine financially with that kind of ambition, no matter what you choose, so just make sure you'll enjoy the actual work.

You good enough with a saw or skidder, cherrypicker to get into the logging woods?

I'm a forester, and worked as a logger for many years. Good job if you love the work and the lifestyle.

You good enough with a saw or skidder, cherrypicker to get into the logging woods?

I'm a forester, and worked as a logger for many years. Good job if you love the work and the lifestyle.
If it has to do with cutting trees, you name it, I can do it. Its the most fun work I've ever done! I started as a climber, but I got out of that as soon as I could, because 100 feet doesn't seem high till your up there with a chainsaw! lol

I'm going througha transitional period in my life. The questions are ever increasing, and the answers just don't seem to be able to keep up. Then it hit me. Some of the most ignorant people I've ever met have been on this forum.( only a SMALL few) But besides them, this forum is filled with some of the most intelligent, thoughtful, intuitive, decent people I've ever met! I really mean that! You guys bicker and argue with the best of them, but some of the most thoughtful ideas I've ever heard have come from these threads. So I would like to see if you all can help me. I'm looking to move into the career stage of my life, and being a jack of all trades, master of none(maybe one), its time for me to decide what to master. I've done many a job in my short life (25 years), I've loved some, hated others, but I've always made money. But now I need stability. So I'm going to list the skills I've aquired, and I would appreciate it if the brilliant minds in here could give me their thoughts of the pro's and con's of them.

1) Tree removal: I've cut them down, trimmed them, saved them from disease, clearcut them in mass proportion, ground the stumps, planted them, moved them. You name it. Its my most proficient skill

2)Landscaping: If it has to do with a yard, I've done it. Lawn care, retaining walls, mowing, trimming, re-graded yards. My 2nd most proficient skill

3)Web design: Not an expert, but I have most of the basics down. I'm not professional grade, but I pick it up well enough to learn fast.

4)Mechanics: I can tear a 350 Chevy down to the block, and completely rebuild it, but don't ask me to look at your 2005 anything. I can rebuild a carberator, but I'm lost with a fuel injected system. Basically, I can only handle the oldschool sytems at the moment, but again, I'm apt enough to learn it fast.

So brilliant minds come together, because if there is one thing I have NO skills at , its decisionmaking!


The answer is simple.

You should be owning your own landscaping business.

Start small.

It seems you can maintain your own equipment, and even create a website for yourself.
Make flyers and splatter your new company's name all over the neighborhoods of the upper middle-class!

Easy.

Have you considered becoming a Landscape Architect (http://jobprofiles.monster.com/Content/job_content/JC_engineering__construction__and_graphic_design/JSC_ArchitecuralServices/JOB_229_landscape_architect/jobzilla_html?jobprofiles=1) ?

It would require the skills you listed, both regarding gardening and trees, of course. I understand that a lot of the theoretical work is done on computers, so you web skills would be valuable there as well.
As for the mechanical bit, I could imagine a situation or two where it might even be necessary to create an entire new machine or tool to achieve the desired object...

Have a look at it, a friend of mine does it. It's a challenging, creative, practical and - if you are good at it - extremely well-paid occupation :)