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timrev8

Filing Flight Plan
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Tim
How do you make money? I own a small construction co. WAS growing fast untill 08. Now with a new baby and private ticket i might have to take a break before buying my first plane... not cool

any career change ideas??
 
timrev8 said:
How do you make money?
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Good scanner. Quality printer.

Getting the right paper is the hard part.

Seriously, I was in the publishing world for 25 years before getting fed up with it. The collapse of the ad-driven publishing model in 2008 didn't help. Now I do airport planning for an architecture/engineering firm. As career changes go, it was painful at first because I went from top dog to newbie. But now I wish I'd found it 15 years ago.
 
cool thanks.

you need to fly to maine!!! impressive
 
Auto and truck recycling. Purchase unwanted and damaged vehicles, harvest the valuable parts for resale, remove valuable metals, sell unneeded remainder to shredder mills as scrap.
 
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AggieMike88 said:
Auto and truck recycling. Purchase unwanted and damaged vehicles, harvest the valuable parts for resale, remove valuable metals, sell unneeded remainder to shredder mills as scrap.
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Around here we call that the junk yard.......Seriously though, I am a one man contracting Co. and like you, (OP), I was kicking a$$ till 08. I too am looking for a different direction, perhaps something not quite so pysically demanding. I have been researching the potential of a mobile recycling with an emphasis on used oil filters....so far, I cant make the numbers work. But I am still looking and working the numbers.
 
mikeinbama said:
Around here we call that the junk yard..
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And I tank offense at that. You haven't even met me and you're putting me into an unjust characterization.

If you saw my business, you would see a modern, organized facility that is providing a quality product and serfice. And that your description is very closed minded. We are a very profitable small biz (avg this yr of 12%) when others a scrabbling for scraps and break-even.

You want to spend your hard earned money on junk, go somewhere else. I haven't put a load of time and effort in becoming a facility recognized by our national association as a Best In Class business to allow closed minds to perpetuate a stereotype.

If junk is the quality you want, than that is all you will find. If that is all you find in Alabama, then perhaps you need to change that by opening an automobile recycling facility of your own and change the expectations of those around you.
 
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There was a guy in HFD who did what you're doing a number of years ago. Bloder's used parts superstore. Was one of the first to computerize inventory and keep it on the shelf like a new parts store. Clean, customer friendly place. Made a TON of money, but IIR had a problem remembering to pay taxes.

Got that all straight, has a couple location in a couple states. Made him a very rich man.
 
AggieMike88 said:
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If that is all you find in Alabama, then perhaps you need to change that by opening an automobile recycling facility of your own and change the expectations of those around you.
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...and get rich in the process!

A good, well-operated automotive recycling operation is a gold mine, and (in addition) is a key element in efficient environmental responsibility.
 
A contractor buddy of mine is in the same boat. He hooked up with an architect/designer to specialize in doing reno's for old folks so they can stay in their homes longer. Not setting the world on fire, but they just started.work is starting to come in though.
 
AggieMike88 said:
And I tank offense at that. You haven't even met me and you're putting me into an unjust characterization.

If you saw my business, you would see a modern, organized facility that is providing a quality product and serfice. And that your description is very closed minded. We are a very profitable small biz (avg this yr of 12%) when others a scrabbling for scraps and break-even.

You want to spend your hard earned money on junk, go somewhere else. I haven't put a load of time and effort in becoming a facility recognized by our national association as a Best In Class business to allow closed minds to perpetuate a stereotype.

If junk is the quality you want, than that is all you will find. If that is all you find in Alabama, then perhaps you need to change that by opening an automobile recycling facility of your own and change the expectations of those around you.
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I'd be surprised if Mike was casting aspersions at your profession. While your business is indeed "auto recycling", I believe he's just saying that 98% of the general population, in the venacular, would say they're "going to get a part from the junk yard", not "going to get a part from the auto recycling facility."

It takes a while to change decades of a particular term's usage. I think that's why we still say we're going to "dial" a phone, put something in the "glove" compartment, "crank" the engine to start it, why the icon for "saving" a document still looks like a floppy disk even though we don't use those anymore, etc.

You've got a really cool business, it was interesting lunch discussion. Would love to tour or see pictures of your facility.
 
No offense intended Mike. Just an attempt at humor. Ill be more careful from now on with my attempts at humor. I'm sure you run a first class operation. And I certainly wasn't trying to hijack the thread.

Sent from my Ally using Tapatalk
 
AggieMike88 said:
And I tank offense at that. You haven't even met me and you're putting me into an unjust characterization.

If you saw my business, you would see a modern, organized facility that is providing a quality product and serfice. And that your description is very closed minded. We are a very profitable small biz (avg this yr of 12%) when others a scrabbling for scraps and break-even.

You want to spend your hard earned money on junk, go somewhere else. I haven't put a load of time and effort in becoming a facility recognized by our national association as a Best In Class business to allow closed minds to perpetuate a stereotype.

If junk is the quality you want, than that is all you will find. If that is all you find in Alabama, then perhaps you need to change that by opening an automobile recycling facility of your own and change the expectations of those around you.
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Ever hear of waste management, inc? Lots of money to be made in the garbage / junk business.
 
timrev8 said:
any career change ideas??
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24/7 on-call for dead/dying servers for 15 years, and a "stop panicking, this can be fixed" attitude. ;)

I hear the Congress gets raises every year and great bennies, if you're willing to sell your soul...
 
Unemployed rocket scientist (software geek who's last gig was the flight computer for Orion) looking for something that doesn't require me to say the words "Would you like fries with that" or "Welcome to WalMart".
 
I own a small consulting/advisory firm. Started in 2003 as a sole proprietorship. Somehow became "sticky". Now has a few folks, several F500 clients, and a decent cashflow - enough so I could pay for my PPL training and support this ridiculously expensive hobby.

Heck, I suppose I could even buy a small plane (like a 172P maybe) right now if I wanted to. But I decided to fly in a club for a couple years and figure out what my mission is before I start looking seriously into doing that. The good thing is the club has a couple of 182's as well, so I can get a sense of that along the way.
 
AggieMike88 said:
And I tank offense at that. You haven't even met me and you're putting me into an unjust characterization.

If you saw my business, you would see a modern, organized facility that is providing a quality product and serfice. And that your description is very closed minded. We are a very profitable small biz (avg this yr of 12%) when others a scrabbling for scraps and break-even.

You want to spend your hard earned money on junk, go somewhere else. I haven't put a load of time and effort in becoming a facility recognized by our national association as a Best In Class business to allow closed minds to perpetuate a stereotype.

If junk is the quality you want, than that is all you will find. If that is all you find in Alabama, then perhaps you need to change that by opening an automobile recycling facility of your own and change the expectations of those around you.
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Touched a nerve, eh? Given you seem so sensitive to the "junk yard" description, I would say you have indeed met face to face with that description and more than once. I would say it is apparent that while you dislike the vernacular you also haven't been successful in overcoming it's common useage.

Even you provide several examples of that attitude to which you rail against. One is you apparently think only junk can be found at a "junk yard". What exactly is junk? Does "junk" have intrinsic value? I have made some very high value finds at "junk yards". So yes, please do stay away from the "junk yards", it keeps the competition down.

Now, Mr Profitable Business Owner, here's a plunger, the toilet is backed up again. :D
 
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I work as a Systems Engineer designing satellite ground control systems to get the money.
I have a family and a Cherokee 6 to get rid of the money.
 
COFlyBoy said:
I work as a Systems Engineer designing satellite ground control systems to get the money.
I have a family and a Cherokee 6 to get rid of the money.
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Hope i can be there someday.. thanks
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I'd be surprised if Mike was casting aspersions at your profession. While your business is indeed "auto recycling", I believe he's just saying that 98% of the general population, in the venacular, would say they're "going to get a part from the junk yard".
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'Course, there's something to be said for a good old fashioned "Pik 'n Pull".
 
AggieMike88 said:
And I tank offense at that. You haven't even met me and you're putting me into an unjust characterization.
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Aggie...I think he was just ribbing you man. Hell "junk yard", clean and modern or old an grimy, is what I thought as well. We have both here, I have one of the new modern types near me, and I still think of it as a junk yard, a really clean, modern, job-providing junk yard. :D Sheesh man....unwind a little. :idea:B)
 
Meh - I get it.

When I hear, "Junk Yard," I envision Fred Sanford, and a gosh-awful junk pile.

When I think of automotive recycling, I envision cars and trucks in neat rows, catalogued, with key parts removed and stored indoors, ready for sale.
 
Folks, let's let this thread get back to the OP. I made a joke, Mike took offense, I said I didn't mean to offend. My mistake. Let's move on. We all could use a discussion on how to survive this economy and pursue what we enjoy. I am anxious to hear what people are doing in that regard.

Sent from my Ally using Tapatalk
 
I've been a picture framer for over 45 years, it's all I really know. The last few years have been a nightmare, but I am still in business, I still have my house, I still have my airplane.

My industry is at the very rock bottom of most anyones shopping list. Over fifty percent of all custom picture framing shops have folded since it started, we have lost many major suppliers, and even more minor ones.

This year is the first in the last three that I've made any money at all, but that is only because I let my last employee go.

I wish I had one of those swell little printing presses, but even if I did, I would not use it. I do not want to spend what is left of my life in the slammer.

If we did not ever have any bad times, how would we know when we ever are having good times?

John
 
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