Quote: (10-22-2014 04:03 PM)AntiTrace Wrote:
Quote: (10-22-2014 01:46 PM)The Great Basilisk Wrote:
Painting. Some business student in Finland couldn't get a summer job when he was studying. Started a painting business to employ himself. By the end of the summer he had 12 employees. You only need ladders and paintbrush set to start.
I actually heard a lot of success stories of painting. Lots of smallish time ones like that. Kid's starting painting businesses to get some extra cash in college, end up dropping out because they are pulling in some good money.
It's got an upward limit, but its got a low barrier to entry and requires little skill to get started.
Thats what I did. I started around the age of 19, worked for a contractor for a while and grinded for $10/hr, and put my life at risk almost every day for that money in non-union, large scale commercial construction. I went out on my own after about a year, and started with the old ladies house across the street from my parents, with a step ladder and small tool box. That turned into the next job, turned into the next. Then I got into spraying, and could basically double my output, especially metal buildings and mobile homes. I could fully prep and paint a mobile home in under 16 hours for $2500+ profit. I dabbled with victorian home restoration but thats a time suck and low profit margin business that very few actually do that well in. After a few years I had a crew and was bidding on the largest commercial construction projects in my area, doing factories, hotels, retail stores, new residential construction. I got in with and did continual work for 5 years with general contractors(commercial & residential), and homeowners with massive homes that always needed work.
I dropped out of a big 10 school and did my business, and went to night school. I finally earned my bachelors at 25, sold all of my tools and trucks and married a phd grad, and moved to start a new life. It afforded me to live on my own terms and make a great living, but I ended up working working way more than I should have. This was the 90's, if I had better foresight I would have started into the internet way earlier. But the whole experience set me up for later in life.