Taking action…taking the next step…which may be your first or millionth step toward a permaculture centered lifestyle. The concept is to start where you are by creating a value add business that provides a product or service to benefit your community. Examples will be given of small “cottage” type businesses whereby you can learn one or more principles of success. The goal is not to mimic the highlighted business but rather to inspire and focus.
Learn more at permaculturevoices.com.
9. Frederick Douglass
I prayed for twenty years
but received no answer until I prayed with my legs.
The purpose of this presentation is to inspire you to
…TAKE THE NEXT STEP
10. Start where you are…with what you have
• Even if it’s not much
12. That little valley is home to NINE seed companies
• Great Basin Seed
• Intermountain Seed
• Maple Leaf Seed
• Maughan Seed
• Mountain West Seed
• NP Seed
• Plummer Seed
• Stevenson Intermountain Seed
• Skyline Reclamation
13. You DON’T have to be ORIGINAL
• MIMIC successful companies in your area or field of interest
14. THINK in terms of
PRODUCT or SERVICE
http://greenworksllc.com/
15. Jessica got inspired…
• From a PODCAST
• SPIN farming blighted area of SLC
• $2,000 investment
• Grossing around $70k on <acre
• SUCCESSFUL?
• Last time I saw her she was leaving to
backpack across New Zealand
16. Jessica not only worked hard
• She IMPROVISED
• Need a 10x10 walk in cooler
• New start at ~$4k
17. She built one
• <$800
• Insulation
• Used air conditioner
• PLC temperature control
• It could be
disassembled and
moved when needed
24. What would you do if you owned a bobcat?
• Permaculturalist
• Swales
• Hugel mounds
• Terraces
• Water catchment
small
market
25. STACK FUNCTIONS
• General construction support
• Traditional landscaping
• Stump removal
• Snow removal
26. Stump removal STRATEGY
• Equipment
• Used: ~$10k
• Lots of sweat equity
• New: financed ~ $2500/month cash flow needed to pay off 4 year loan
• no money down with good credit
• Treat debt like a poisonous snake
• Early to bed, early to rise…work real hard and ADVERTISE
• MARKETING…MARKETING…MARKETING
29. No money?
• How HARD are you willing to work to build your dream?
30. Get started with a squeegee
• Residential Window Cleaning
• Not glamourous but profitable
• Outside work
• Work with your hands
• In demand
• Happy customers
• “Green” solutions
31. Not glamourous but PROFITABLE
• Do the math
• $5/pane…2,000 sqft house…$150/house
• How many houses do you live near?
• Easy to determine the NEED
• CONSUMABLE
Did I mention it’s mostly a “cash” business…I’m just say’n
33. You don’t have to own a junk yard
• Think NICHE…you don’t want the whole car
• Just the EXPENSIVE parts
• Used Lexus headlight assembly
• sold on Ebay for >$700
34. Salvaged auto parts STRATEGY
• Little to NO cash required to start
• The problem is the solution
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35. Auto body shop DILEMMA
• Salvaged parts are valuable and owner will get around to re-selling them
• He never does…
36. Consignment sales – the SOLUTION
• YOU approach auto body shop with an offer he can’t refuse…
• Inventory & categorize
• Clean up
• Photograph & list online
• Split profits
37. How many auto body shops are within a 20 mile radius of your house?
41. THINK: shelf stable
Apple Pie - shelf life ~ one week Jerky - shelf life ~ 10,000 years
Less loss to spoilage…MORE PROFITS
42. You don’t have to reinvest the wheel
• Humans have been harvesting honey for at least 15,000 years…
43. Eco Bee Box LLC
Metal brackets
permit easy
construction of
super from local
lumber or salvaged
materials
Small frames make harvesting
honey easy for the hobbiest or
micro bee keeper
44. Service vs Product
• Host-a-Hive
• SPIN farming concept applied to bee keeping
• Host buys or rents hive…YOU provide the beekeeping service
• Excellent source for LOCAL HONEY
45. LOCAL HONEY has higher profit margins…
• Typical honey pricing $/lbs:
• WalMart: $4.00
• WholeFoods: $8.00
• Local: your price?
46. Poor man’s MBA
• Determine MARKET size & scope
• On the shelf at WalMart Large market potential
and
• On the shelf at WholeFoods Permaculturalist potential
47. Poor man’s MBA (continued)
• Determine PRICE point
• Whole Foods retail price = your MINIMUM price
48. Poor man’s MBA (continued)
• Determine PROFITABILITY
• WholeFoods price - your cost to produce = OPERATING PROFIT
• IS IT WORTH YOUR TIME?
• YES…DO IT !
• NO…look for something else…iterative process
3/4
58. Attention to detail?
• Model ship assembly
• $1,595
Old Modern Handicrafts
It comes in a kit…I’m just say’n
59. Rebirth of the Middleman
• Large companies don’t want to be bothered with small orders
60. Powder Coating
• Environmentally friendly way to apply paint
• Powder is shelf stable
• Easy to handle
• Buy in bulk…sell by the ounce
61. Powder Coating STRATEGY
• Buy in bulk from manufacturer or large distributor
Break down into small orders
• Service local market & re-sell online
• Specialize in a particular industry
• Stock niche colors
$2/lbs $12/lbs
63. Re-think the tiny house movement
Millennial
LOVES tiny house
No money
Baby Boomer
DISCRETIONARY income
@livingthervdream
64. Baby Boomers LOVE RVs
• Sales up 20%
• Class B van:
• Used ~$20k
• New starting around $50k
Think
TINY HOUSE CONCEPT
65. Handy with TOOLS?
• Consider starting a Van CONVERSION business
• Minimal startup costs
• Scalable
• Limited only by your imagination
66. Service vs Product
Used Class A RV starting price around $50k
PROBLEM
• Sketchy reputation of Re-Sellers
• What happens to a used car salesman that gets fired for being dishonest?
67. SOLUTION
• RV pre-sales inspections
• Demand from both Buyer & Seller
• Demand in both Urban & Rural locations
• Unregulated in most States
• Typical inspection costs $800-$1200
