Dollar generals and urgent cares

HVAC business number one answer.

Look for a business that is needed by the masses.

One of the wealthiest people I know makes screws. Screws are needed by everyone. Start up cost would be rough with that one though.

I’m not going to give details but a family member wanted something to do that didn’t take skilled or hard labor, just business sense. She started digging until the right contact at Amazon was found. She gets a couple semi loads of returns and discounted merchandise each month and sells them on the web and a cheep retail location that’s open three days a week. It’s doing very well.

Real Estate has taken a hit. HVAC is relatively strong, but mild winters do see a slow down.

My clients have the hardest time finding competent handymen who can handle 80% of jobs correctly. Primarily plumbing related work. That seems to be our biggest need.

Chimney sweeps are seasonal and if an HVAC contractor also had certified chimney sweeps on staff, that would fill in the slow down in winter.

Another hard to find contractor is a mold/mildew air quality contractors and surveyors. I only have one surveyor on my contractor list for my clients. He's a member here.

Depending on the area, Roofing is another option. I have a friend who started a roofing business and it's surpassed anyone's wildest expectations. If your area is flooded with any of these trades, then it's going to be harder.

I met a guy that buys returns from Lowe’s etc… sells them as is or in parts. He has storage units of all a sorts of oddities. He seems to do well.

Social media marketing consultant

With the pending recession:

Interest rates are rising

Money is harder to borrow, banks will be more strict with lending

Folks will lose thousands in their 401k accounts

LOTS of folks will lose their jobs

With that being said I’d stay away from real estate.

Businesses to make money, lots of money…

Title loan business

Tire/ rim store specializing in 26” wheels and tires

Cell phone store

A certain portion of our society (car enthusiasts) will spend every dollar that they can get their hands on, just to have the latest cell phone or big tires/rims. You should target this segment of the population in a recession.

If in real estate the foreclosure market will become pretty solid. They’re picking up from what I’ve been told. Most agents don’t like doing unglamorous foreclosures. Big banks have to wash the foreclosures thru the system and get them off their books.

That's correct. But if you know how to navigate the system, there is going to be money to be made in flipped foreclosures. Rented or sold. It's coming. That's a fact.

Run for office as a senator or state representative, they all get rich.

If you have or can get some land with a pond and a barn, you can turn that into a wedding venue and become very wealthy.
Just call around to some of the existing venues and get some prices and you will see what I am talking about.

This could be profitable if you can get the property right. The rates are high but the initial investment is also high. Really only getting one rental a week for the most part. Most weddings get the property from noon on Friday through Sunday. May have the occasional party etc for a week day rental.

Medical marijuana

I do that more of a write off for a property I wanted. Kinda like doing AirBnB type properties.
The wedding business is fickle at best these days. Everyone wants the newest next big trend.

Whatever is needed that people can't easily do or won't do:

plumbing
HVAC
painting
vehicle work

lawn care (mowing) -- although you can't swing a cat in our 'hood without hitting Sparky's Grass'n'More, they keep coming and all seem to stay busy

basic yard care -- putting out mulch, cleaning out flower beds, trimming limbs, removing shrubs ... some folks cannot do these things or don't have time, or need so much done that it's overwhelming to them. Sorta like when "I need to clean the garage" becomes "I need to clean the garage, attic, spare room and do ..." and they get overwhelmed. The yard is easier to put off but IMO is easiest to fix - pay someone to do it all in a day or two and be done. People will do this. I know several elderly couples who do this because they're physically not able.

I would stay out of Real Estate and Construction until the interest rates stabilize and the economy is on better footing. When things crash isn't it always the construction guys who are looking for work? Right? Now is not the time for this.

HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Roofing, etc.... PLENTY of people around Birmingham. That always gets repeated over and over. Why? Because... There is an across the board issue in general but as new construction continues to decline there will be plenty of people to call. What else are they going to do? They'll be back to service calls soon. And also consider things are changing... if you get Juan or Jesus to come out and re-do your bathroom.... he don't call the plumber to hook up anything he does it himself and the electrical and lays tile and frames and all of it... Jesus knows how to work too. He was never just a carpenter, he can lay brick, pour concrete, roof, etc. Permitting can be a joke he's not worried too much the HMIC (Head Mexican in Charge) is the one to worry about that.. People doing service calls will be more available as new construction slows. That's the white guy who shows up in a van. He only does 1 thing and that's ride around in his Van working on Carrier units only. That's how he rolls until 3:00 when his lazy but goes home. Juan and Jesus... they stay right there on the job until dark of night working. He shows up on Saturday too a lot of time. Lot of Juans out there guys.. they coming in the county thick at a rate of 3,000 per hour or whatever the latest statistic is. Juan plumbs, Juan pulls wire, Juan frames and can run a mini-ex. None of that is honestly that hard. Anyone can do it with some training. Consider a business that is harder to get into.

In all seriousness I have had to tell the white boys several times since 2020 that Juan is out working them and if they can't work past 2:30 I'm going to have to get someone else because Juan is moving too fast and if they can't keep up.... they are slowing my project down and that's it. I'm going to find someone who can keep up. How many 30 year old HVAC techs we've got out there who can't work past 3:00PM is nothing short of amazing.

Storage units

Storage Units make bank, BTW.

I am planning on this idea. Not renting because if money is tight people don't pay rent and your fearless leader has shown he will mandate no evictions so flips is the way to go. The problem is finding a source before the real estate folks take the best properties. Any ideas are appreciated.

Techs getting off at 3? How does that happen? However it happens maybe why the dispatcher always said “ I ve got a call for you to catch on your way home, no one else is available “ “ How is it that no one is ever available?”