Wanting to start a very focused company, need niche ideas.

Weekend cut easymoney said:

Maybe in some markets that's profitable....here notso much...builders go with the larger companies which provide lots of service, for low margins...prices went down after 2008.....and working for builders is not the way I'd go...they can be slow payers and make you work to get paid and then beat you up on price.

I've got a good friend which works for the big fence company here and I hear about it all the time.
Margins on decks and sunshades are, really good though...work for owners, not builders

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Working for builders is tough, I maintained a substantial amount of properties with one last year. Well it was nice to have a somewhat predictable source of income, it was very hard to turn a profit.

KrayzKajun said:

T,
Where were you when I got started in 05' ? Lol

I'm a prime example of trying to do too much and felt the wrath of spreading myself too thin. I've scaled back down to solo and have focused on a niche that I enjoy and grow gradually doing. It may not be landscaping or fences etc. my focus is on Eco-friendly clearing of underbrush and reclaiming overgrown properties using a mulcher/brush cutter on a CTL and my tractor.
Posted via Mobile Device

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Krazy,

Interesting niche.
In colorado there is a guy called Kremmling water gardens, ONLY does high end water features (ONLY) , in case you're not aware Kremmling is REALLY far north in colorado. But he works all over the western slope of the state and is crazy busy.

Ive been considering all year just dumbing it down to me and a avalanche pick up.
In 2012 I ALMOST bought the 2500 avalanche that I really should have, but my idea/plan wasn't fully formed yet.
I should have gone that route as it lets me carry my family when I need to, but my tools of the trade are always in my rig.
Everything else I can rent or sub.
Would make me very mobile, specifically focus on design build, anything really big, I could sub/partner with a bigger firm.

Id really rather do outdoor livings spaces: Kitchens, decks, patios, stairs, gazebos, custom spas.
If elements like lawns, plants, etc are involved, bring in the bigger company to do that, under my supervision.
Owner of that company doesn't need to make a sale, doesn't need to manage/supervise his crew… it's a win win situation.
I go to him, with a plan, specs, measurements and quantities, "How much do you need to get this done"
throw it into my quote, add small % to it and good to go.
Focus on making my money from the design and hardscape installs.

I might keep around the one Isuzu (its actually a GMC W4, but I still call it an isuzu)

Get materials delivered to site, United rental (and several others) will drop off and pick up rental equipment.

I could do two jobs in seattle, One In fairbanks one in Boise and two in Utah before the season was over… I could literally work anywhere I wanted to (In theory)

the key to this is.

A) most guys who are in business for themselves don't WANT to work for someone else for various reasons.
B) the bigger companies can't find the skilled tradesman to actually carry out the high end work.

So, BE a self employed tradesman. Work with/for or sub the larger companies on a job by job basis, like a free agent.
Don't compete with their bread and butter (easy work) like dirt work and lawn mowing.
Same could be done with an application spray business.
If you weren't taking mowing from 12 other guys, they could all be referring/subbing you the fert/squirt work, because they don't have the time to do it and their guys keep screwing it up.
You'd have more work than you knew what to do with after a few years of networking.

southerncomfortlc said:

This might be the perfect direction for me to go. I have quite a bit of experience in wood working / construction.

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Southern,

I don't know exactly what part of NC you're in.
My contacts/clients range From Dunn to Raleigh. (and a little in Shelby)
So I know that area better.

But… In the Areas I do know, including my own,
If you JUST did fences, decks, outdoor structures (like gazebos, ornamental bridges etc)
You can go crazy custom, charge a pretty penny, AND since you already know landscaping, you know who to sub to.
the key is that they not feel threatened by you.
Which means don't mow their lawns or play in their dirt.
you do the shizz their employees can't DREAM of (because they just aren't good enough or care enough)
Plus the cool thing about it is 1) customers don't haggle you on price as much because they don't have a clue what fences/decks cost.
IF they go shopping for wood because "they saw it on youtube and can do it themselves" they will still find a crazy high price (because wood is expensive an it doesn't really 'go on sale')
2) you have a half dozen former competitors now feeding you work and referring the crap out of you.

This means your busier than you can possibly imagine.
Which means two things.
You pick the best work to do
you can keep your prices high
and you have a LOT less competition.

I referred a fence guy so much in one month, I drowned him. He had no clue how much work I would be sending his way.

In one month, I was back to running my own carpentry crew (again) because he was dead full for the season (and some of next) and I had jobs that had to get done he would never get to.
Which blows cookies, because we actually SOLD the carpenter mobile, thinking we were just going to sub/refer this guy.

TPendagast said:

Southern,

I don't know exactly what part of NC you're in.
My contacts/clients range From Dunn to Raleigh. (and a little in Shelby)
So I know that area better.

But… In the Areas I do know, including my own,
If you JUST did fences, decks, outdoor structures (like gazebos, ornamental bridges etc)
You can go crazy custom, charge a pretty penny, AND since you already know landscaping, you know who to sub to.
the key is that they not feel threatened by you.
Which means don't mow their lawns or play in their dirt.
you do the shizz their employees can't DREAM of (because they just aren't good enough or care enough)
Plus the cool thing about it is 1) customers don't haggle you on price as much because they don't have a clue what fences/decks cost.
IF they go shopping for wood because "they saw it on youtube and can do it themselves" they will still find a crazy high price (because wood is expensive an it doesn't really 'go on sale')
2) you have a half dozen former competitors now feeding you work and referring the crap out of you.

This means your busier than you can possibly imagine.
Which means two things.
You pick the best work to do
you can keep your prices high
and you have a LOT less competition.

I referred a fence guy so much in one month, I drowned him. He had no clue how much work I would be sending his way.

In one month, I was back to running my own carpentry crew (again) because he was dead full for the season (and some of next) and I had jobs that had to get done he would never get to.
Which blows cookies, because we actually SOLD the carpenter mobile, thinking we were just going to sub/refer this guy.

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Makes perfect sense. Now if i can just find some good info on what things (permits, licensing, etc.) that I will need I might be on track