Do you sell the castings or tea? They both go for some pretty crazy prices on Ebay.
Selling Something That Costs Little For A Lot
I've been using the castings in my own gardening efforts. The tea is a little controversial based on some of the stuff I've read.
Eco Cycle is certainly selling it. http://www.ecocycle.org/microbe-brew It takes special handling to maintain it's viability. It looks like they brew the tea and sell it at pre-determined dates at farmers markets and such. At $25 for 5 gallons, and $4,000 for a large commercial quality 100 gallon tea brewer you'd have to sell 160 plus buckets of tea to pay for the equipment.
Eco Cycle is certainly selling it. http://www.ecocycle.org/microbe-brew It takes special handling to maintain it's viability. It looks like they brew the tea and sell it at pre-determined dates at farmers markets and such. At $25 for 5 gallons, and $4,000 for a large commercial quality 100 gallon tea brewer you'd have to sell 160 plus buckets of tea to pay for the equipment.
I don't know much about the viability of this one, but it does sound interesting for the right person: http://www.adhocgroup.net/AHG/CPR.html
I ordered 1,000 meal worms today. I'll be ordering 1,000 every 3 weeks until I get to 3,000. This will stagger the beetle transformation. Realistic pricess for meal worms is roughly 1,000 for $10, but some are getting $23. Since meal worms reproduce much faster than red wigglers, this should be a nice way to supplement revenue.
@felix In my experience they will double in mass every 2-4 months if they have appropriate bedding, moisture, temperature, and food source. Aged rabbit manure has worked well for me. Aged horse manure also works well.
I like to split them (i.e. move 50% to a new container) every 4-5 weeks. This will multiply them quickly and efficiently.
I like to split them (i.e. move 50% to a new container) every 4-5 weeks. This will multiply them quickly and efficiently.
I did a little research on the CPR training idea. To become certified as an instructor, the course is $400 Instructor Courses. There are prerequisite courses as well, but I don't know what the cost of those are. I have recently read about a couple who travel the country in the RV teaching CPR training courses for a living.
BLS Instructor - $400
Add $70 for BLS Instructor Package (includes teaching video, stopwatch, student manual & instructor Manual.)
Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to identify the principles and guidelines for teaching all American Heart Association basic life support courses. BLS Instructor Manual and Core Instructor Course are included in the cost of this course and are mailed to the participant upon receipt of registration and payment.
Prerequisites:
Current Healthcare Provider Certification
Current Heartsaver First Aid Certification
Advance completion of the Core Instructor Course
BLS Instructor - $400
Add $70 for BLS Instructor Package (includes teaching video, stopwatch, student manual & instructor Manual.)
Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to identify the principles and guidelines for teaching all American Heart Association basic life support courses. BLS Instructor Manual and Core Instructor Course are included in the cost of this course and are mailed to the participant upon receipt of registration and payment.
Prerequisites:
Current Healthcare Provider Certification
Current Heartsaver First Aid Certification
Advance completion of the Core Instructor Course
There's another idea I have experience with...basic, low skill janitorial work (i.e. general office cleaning). It's not really a product, but rather a service. If you are serious about speeding things, cleaning office at nights and on weekends might work for you.
I did this for 3 years, 3 nights a week and 1 day on the weekends. It won't make you rich unless you do it on a bigger scale, but it's a nice way to earn extra money for paying off credit cards or to supplement existing income. This might help bridge the gap to ERE for some who already substantial savings. I earned $12k a year working 15 -16 hours a week.
I did this for 3 years, 3 nights a week and 1 day on the weekends. It won't make you rich unless you do it on a bigger scale, but it's a nice way to earn extra money for paying off credit cards or to supplement existing income. This might help bridge the gap to ERE for some who already substantial savings. I earned $12k a year working 15 -16 hours a week.
Here's another low start-up / high return idea for ways to make money.
I am a bird owner and for those familar with pet birds, you know that going on vacation with a bird is difficult unless you are traveling by vehicle and staying with family or friends where you have control of the environment. We travel with our conure a lot, but when we cannot have control over the environment for the bird, we hire a pet sitter.
Pet sitting is a fairly low cost business that is based almost entirely on service versus knowledge. We spend $12-$16 a day to have the pet sitter stop by our house while we're gone to ensure our conure has fresh food, fresh water, and a clean cage. She also brings in the mail and waters our garden.
As I have gotten to know her better through the years, I am now convinced that pet sitting is a viable small business option for those who need to earn money.
Based on things I've learned it can be started with a Smart phone, a basic website with lots of pictures and testimonials from customers, a reliable vehicle, and a clear cut easy to understand pricing structure. Of course a trip to an insurance agent for some basic liability and bonding insurance is probably necessary as well.
She charges double for holidays. I actually think most people would pay triple for holidays if required. If you've got a bird, dog, or cat and you can't take them along, what other choice do you have...so you gladly pay.
She has regular weekly customers that she visits who provide steady cash flow to go along with those going on vacations and business trips. From what I've gathered, she earns from $25,000 - $30,000 annually. For a one person home based business, that sounds pretty good.
I am a bird owner and for those familar with pet birds, you know that going on vacation with a bird is difficult unless you are traveling by vehicle and staying with family or friends where you have control of the environment. We travel with our conure a lot, but when we cannot have control over the environment for the bird, we hire a pet sitter.
Pet sitting is a fairly low cost business that is based almost entirely on service versus knowledge. We spend $12-$16 a day to have the pet sitter stop by our house while we're gone to ensure our conure has fresh food, fresh water, and a clean cage. She also brings in the mail and waters our garden.
As I have gotten to know her better through the years, I am now convinced that pet sitting is a viable small business option for those who need to earn money.
Based on things I've learned it can be started with a Smart phone, a basic website with lots of pictures and testimonials from customers, a reliable vehicle, and a clear cut easy to understand pricing structure. Of course a trip to an insurance agent for some basic liability and bonding insurance is probably necessary as well.
She charges double for holidays. I actually think most people would pay triple for holidays if required. If you've got a bird, dog, or cat and you can't take them along, what other choice do you have...so you gladly pay.
She has regular weekly customers that she visits who provide steady cash flow to go along with those going on vacations and business trips. From what I've gathered, she earns from $25,000 - $30,000 annually. For a one person home based business, that sounds pretty good.
-
Kriegsspiel
- Posts: 952
- Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2012 9:05 pm
I recommend Trinity Worm Ranch in Missouri: http://mypeoplepc.com/members/arbra/trinity/
They have sold more than 20,000 lbs of red wigglers through the years. My dad is a customer. Their worms are big and healthy. Very active. Raised on horse manure.
They have sold more than 20,000 lbs of red wigglers through the years. My dad is a customer. Their worms are big and healthy. Very active. Raised on horse manure.
-
Shoestring Startups
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Mar 20, 2013 3:06 am
- Contact:
Hope you don't mind if I jump in here. In reference to a post by thebbqguy a week ago about becoming certified to teach CPR, it just happens that the link you posted was to our site. Teaching CPR is a more viable option than it might appear, because there are so many businesses that have to meet OSHA safety requirements. But, it would be less consistent for revenue for full time RVers than if you had a permanent location. I completely researched the possibility of teaching CPR while traveling and it's possible to book classes for when you plan to be in those towns, but the trick is to establish your credibility with the organizations who will host your classes. It requires some good marketing plans, time and patience, and lots of credible testimonials.
But you'll be happy to know that in our book, we list the costs of training as about $65 to get the BLS certification (required before taking the Instructor course for AHA.) The instructor course is 8 hours, and costs between $155 and $175, and it includes the instructor manuals. I didn't have to take the First Aid course prior to the instructor course, but those usually run around $35, should any training center require that certification to qualify. So, unless you live in a really high expense area I think you can get certified to teach AHA CPR and First Aid for under $250, including your instructor manuals.
If you were to invest in your own equipment (rather than using the host facility's equipment and just contracting your teaching services,) you can get a minimal startup set of equipment, your certifications, and supplies for several classes for under $2,000 new, and probably half that if you can find used equipment. If you are thinking about this, PM me.
But you'll be happy to know that in our book, we list the costs of training as about $65 to get the BLS certification (required before taking the Instructor course for AHA.) The instructor course is 8 hours, and costs between $155 and $175, and it includes the instructor manuals. I didn't have to take the First Aid course prior to the instructor course, but those usually run around $35, should any training center require that certification to qualify. So, unless you live in a really high expense area I think you can get certified to teach AHA CPR and First Aid for under $250, including your instructor manuals.
If you were to invest in your own equipment (rather than using the host facility's equipment and just contracting your teaching services,) you can get a minimal startup set of equipment, your certifications, and supplies for several classes for under $2,000 new, and probably half that if you can find used equipment. If you are thinking about this, PM me.
-
Shoestring Startups
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Mar 20, 2013 3:06 am
- Contact:
Shop around, Check the AHA website for all training centers near you. Try this page: http://ahainstructornetwork.americanhea ... ector.home
The price for classes is roughly the same everywhere, but may differ as traffic will bear. When I took my instructor training in Denver (at one of 3 training centers there at the time) I paid $50/year to align with them. Instructors need to align with a training center and can't issue cards themselves as the students' certifications must be filed through a TC. They wanted $50 for annual fees but when a new TC opened nearer to where i lived I switched. They only wanted $25/year, and their fees for "retraining" were also less. Retraining consists of a class about every 2 years to review updates to AHA techniques. They were much more flexible than the first TC.
These days, if you have AHA instructor certification in BLS classes you can probably get a reciprocal certification in Red Cross and some of the others. Some of them have entirely original courses as they address the specific needs of oil drilling, construction, mining and similar work situations.
Business for the certification company will depend on how many people/companies are actively training corporate students. if the market if flooded with instructors, maybe not so good. If there's more demand for employees to be certified than supply of instructors, yeah, they'll be doing well.
But those large classes are where you'll make the biggest profits.
The price for classes is roughly the same everywhere, but may differ as traffic will bear. When I took my instructor training in Denver (at one of 3 training centers there at the time) I paid $50/year to align with them. Instructors need to align with a training center and can't issue cards themselves as the students' certifications must be filed through a TC. They wanted $50 for annual fees but when a new TC opened nearer to where i lived I switched. They only wanted $25/year, and their fees for "retraining" were also less. Retraining consists of a class about every 2 years to review updates to AHA techniques. They were much more flexible than the first TC.
These days, if you have AHA instructor certification in BLS classes you can probably get a reciprocal certification in Red Cross and some of the others. Some of them have entirely original courses as they address the specific needs of oil drilling, construction, mining and similar work situations.
Business for the certification company will depend on how many people/companies are actively training corporate students. if the market if flooded with instructors, maybe not so good. If there's more demand for employees to be certified than supply of instructors, yeah, they'll be doing well.
But those large classes are where you'll make the biggest profits.
Okay, I've got an income producing idea for selling something that is essentially free.... at great profit. I am going to give away here. I only want a 10% cut. Hah!
I just recently had a tenant who had bedbugs. She understandably freaked out. Pest control companies use fairly toxic pesticides to kill the little buggers. If she had a non-toxic option she would have paid... maybe $1000 for it. Seriously.
Today I read an article about a non-toxic method traditionally used by people in the Balkans. Apparently bedbugs get trapped by the microscopic coiled plant hairs on the leaves of the kidney bean plant. When the trapped bugs are stuck on the leaves people then discard the leaves and bugs. Viola.
The article:
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science ... ng-spikes/
There are zero listings for kidney bean leaves on ebay. Do you have a plant in your garden? If so, it may be a pot of gold.
I just recently had a tenant who had bedbugs. She understandably freaked out. Pest control companies use fairly toxic pesticides to kill the little buggers. If she had a non-toxic option she would have paid... maybe $1000 for it. Seriously.
Today I read an article about a non-toxic method traditionally used by people in the Balkans. Apparently bedbugs get trapped by the microscopic coiled plant hairs on the leaves of the kidney bean plant. When the trapped bugs are stuck on the leaves people then discard the leaves and bugs. Viola.
The article:
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science ... ng-spikes/
There are zero listings for kidney bean leaves on ebay. Do you have a plant in your garden? If so, it may be a pot of gold.
Update on vermicomposting...
I have a friend in the State of Washington who has access to 3 gallon plastic buckets for $0 cost. In February 2012 she put 50 red wigglers in 30 of the buckets with some bedding and a food source. Exactly 1 year later in February 2013 she placed an ad on Craigslist offering a container of red wigglers with 2 lbs of vermicastings for sale. She sold all 30 of the containers in about 2 weeks for $25 each.
That's not too bad for free inputs.
If you're curious, she said each container averaged approximatley 1/2 lb of worms.
I have a friend in the State of Washington who has access to 3 gallon plastic buckets for $0 cost. In February 2012 she put 50 red wigglers in 30 of the buckets with some bedding and a food source. Exactly 1 year later in February 2013 she placed an ad on Craigslist offering a container of red wigglers with 2 lbs of vermicastings for sale. She sold all 30 of the containers in about 2 weeks for $25 each.
That's not too bad for free inputs.
If you're curious, she said each container averaged approximatley 1/2 lb of worms.