View Full Version : Small business idea.
Jethro608
06-29-2012, 05:23 PM
I have an idea that I'm sure has been done over and over. I'm sure that there is some $ to be made & I know that it's a specialized market. I do have some help to make this happen, and I will have minimual cost. ( gas )
I don't want to get in trouble, so I'm wondering .
1 Do I need a licience ?
2 Do I need to file this on taxes ?
3 What is a honest price to charge?
4 Do you think there is a market ?
Ok so here it is ... seasoned hickory & Oak. Logs , splits , chunks. Or green if they want it.
So let me know what u think.
Be nice ,its just a thought.
Marrs
06-29-2012, 05:39 PM
License: check your state and local regs.
Pay tax: yes.
Price: what the customer is willing to pay based on your position in the market.
Is there a market: Yes, the question is if you can create a viable reason for your existence in the market that will support your price/cost structure.
Good luck, j
PitRow
06-29-2012, 05:58 PM
don't know about your neck of the woods, but it's a pretty common thing for fire wood around here. Not necessarily for smoking woods, since there's less of them than evergreen trees in our forests.
Our local craigslist is full of people hawking split, cut and seasoned firewood. It's easy enough to go down to the dept. of forestry and get a $10 permit that allows you to fall and remove up to 2 cords of wood. A seasoned cord of wood goes for about $150 for softwoods, up to about $500 for seasoned maple.
I would bet that a lot of these guys are flying under the radar so no business licenses/taxes etc, but if you're going to do it legitimately then you would definitely want those things.
Happy Hapgood
06-29-2012, 06:02 PM
Would this include firewood too? Could be a good gig year round.
Jethro608
06-29-2012, 06:28 PM
Yea I was selling firewood. All hick & oak 75 a load . But heard they are getting. Up to 35 a bucket for chunks . Wth!!!! Got lots of wood sold a lot of fire wood about 20 loads a wk. But I moved and bought a house. Kinda hard to do that now. + that was just winter work. But I could get a couple a loads wk if need be
Bludawg
06-29-2012, 06:40 PM
I have an idea that I'm sure has been done over and over. I'm sure that there is some $ to be made & I know that it's a specialized market. I do have some help to make this happen, and I will have minimual cost. ( gas )
I don't want to get in trouble, so I'm wondering .
2 Do I need to file this on taxes ?
3 What is a honest price to charge?
4 Do you think there is a market ?
Ok so here it is ... seasoned hickory & Oak. Logs , splits , chunks. Or green if they want it.
So let me know what u think.
Be nice ,its just a thought.
1 Do I need a licience ?
yes a drivers license
2 Do I need to file this on taxes ?
Just me but I wouldn't SOB'S get enough and they don't manage what they get well YMMV
3 What is a honest price to charge?
in my area 1 chord cut, split, stacked, & delivered 180.00 in a 20 min radius
4 Do you think there is a market ?
cut a chord and put an add on CL and find out if not get to cooking
Jethro608
06-29-2012, 06:51 PM
Heck I can't stop .. you know the feeling!66862
Also wondering how else to market this beside cl. Ithought about taking truck load to local comps just to see
retired trucker
06-29-2012, 07:27 PM
Where are you getting this oak? I thought all you guys in Iowa just grew Corn. Now with some good sour mash..........? :evil:
tortaboy
06-29-2012, 07:37 PM
Yea I was selling firewood. All hick & oak 75 a load . But heard they are getting. Up to 35 a bucket for chunks . Wth!!!! Got lots of wood sold a lot of fire wood about 20 loads a wk. But I moved and bought a house. Kinda hard to do that now. + that was just winter work. But I could get a couple a loads wk if need be
Do you have any camping places nearby? Maybe you can get the campground store to buy big bags of the chunks to resell to campers. Line up several repeat customers and you've got a business.
Marrs
07-02-2012, 08:07 AM
Also wondering how else to market this beside cl. Ithought about taking truck load to local comps just to see
There are hundreds of ways to market anything. The bigger question is, where could you carve out a position in the marketplace that would make it worthwhile.
Knocking on doors of local retailers, comps, etc may help you get a feel for your local market and determine if it is worth doing anything more ambitious. If it is really quality wood then sampling could be helpful, since it would allow people to know what they are getting for their money.
My impression of the websites I've seen selling wood is that it would not be too difficult to beat them in search rankings, but I haven't looked to see if the search volume would justify the expense/effort.
CL will get you price shoppers, which is okay if that is the kind of business you want.
Good luck, j
landarc
07-02-2012, 12:22 PM
As I see it, if you are going to be in business, do it right. Get the license, pay your taxes. As much as I understand the feeling that we pay enough, it is worth it to follow the law. If we all just do what we want, where we can, there is chaos. Beyond that, growing a business relies a lot upon reputation and the ability to show that you are legitimate.
I know a few guys who do firewood up in Humboldt and down here in the bay area, in the end, they all find that doing small splits and chunks is more profitable. It is a little more work, but, the margin is better selling chunks in grocery bags, than doing the logs. Unless you ahve a lot of stick burners in your area, then larger splits and logs make sense.
Marketing is best done as ads, or flyers. Craigslist can be a gold mine, but, most often you do get the price shoppers as mentioned before.
tortaboy
07-02-2012, 12:26 PM
As I see it, if you are going to be in business, do it right. Get the license, pay your taxes. As much as I understand the feeling that we pay enough, it is worth it to follow the law. If we all just do what we want, where we can, there is chaos. Beyond that, growing a business relies a lot upon reputation and the ability to show that you are legitimate.
I know a few guys who do firewood up in Humboldt and down here in the bay area, in the end, they all find that doing small splits and chunks is more profitable. It is a little more work, but, the margin is better selling chunks in grocery bags, than doing the logs. Unless you ahve a lot of stick burners in your area, then larger splits and logs make sense.
Marketing is best done as ads, or flyers. Craigslist can be a gold mine, but, most often you do get the price shoppers as mentioned before.
Your friends from Humboldt are probably selling more than just firewood.:becky:
SirPorkaLot
07-02-2012, 12:31 PM
As with any business idea, the first step is to understand your competition and the market.
here are some links to people already doing (very successfully) what you are suggesting.
http://baxtersoriginal.com/
http://www.bestbarbecuewood.com/
http://www.fruitawoodchunks.com/
There are lots more, but the three above I am familiar with (some are also brethren).
bo_gator
07-02-2012, 01:07 PM
As a die hard Libertarian, I say forget the license and what the IRS doesn't know won't hurt you, but
as a tax accountant, I would suggest that you get all of the state, county, and city licenses that you need to be 100% legitimate, including sales tax. For Federal and state taxes you would be a sole proprietorship,and all you would have to do is keep up with your sales and expenses. Then report them on your annual 1040 return schedule 'C' and applicable state form(s). For information about other business entities and their requirements, I suggest you contact your attorney or tax professional.
:idea: Initial legal compliance is always cheaper and less trouble than dealing with the fines, fees, and penalties of trying to get away with something. :idea:
Jethro608
07-02-2012, 09:01 PM
Yes I agree about licience.guess I need to contact state here. Think taking some to comp & other sellers here might also help. Thinking maybe fill there buckets. Mybe sell my own. Like I said I have access to tons.. thanks for all the input I will take it all and chew on it awhile.
And everyone def has valid points. And please if you think of any thing more let me know
Thank you
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