You know, they say that "Gold is where you find it", and I'm a firm believer in that. Here's an interesting little story that happened to me in the cemetery just last week. Talk about a ground floor opportunity!
My cousin and I are both in our mid seventies and our parents are buried in the same cemetery. We took a ride there about four weeks ago to visit and inspect their graves. Considering what we had paid initially for their services, we felt that their graves were in pretty shabby condition. They really needed top soil and seeding. It seems that all those guys do is cut the grass, when they get around to it, and pick up the baskets that they sell back to you next year. That day we went to the office and asked them to straighten it out. They wrote a work order, and said they would take care of it. My cousin drove by four weeks later and nothing had been done. Now, here's where the fun begins. Being part time farmers all of our lives, we just loaded up the pickup truck with tools, grass seed and fertilizer etc. and took matters into our own hands. It only took us about thirty minutes to rake, seed, and fertilize the four graves of our parents. Now my parents graves are right near the lane that passes through the cemetery, and very convenient to get to. So while I was working there a very nice middle aged lady, and an elderly man (that means even older than me) pulled up in a car and asked me if I was one of the maintenance people. I walked over to them, and said that while I was very flattered, no I was not, but what was the problem? Of course, I already knew the answer to that.
She was practically in tears and so was her Dad as she explained that her Mother's grave had been a mess for three years, and nothing was being done about it. So I told here to just either fix it herself, or keep going back to the office until they fixed it for her like she was paying for. These guys count on you not going back to check, as I see it by my own experience. There is a fund set up like an annuity that is funded by your original payment for the space, and the inflated headstones and charges that you purchase with the grave site. Whatever these guys can save, they can cream off and pocket. Anyway, she went off to the office, and I went about finishing the grave repairs.
After I finished, and we were driving back home, I got to thinking. I told my cousin who was driving that I was sure that there was a business opportunity in that situation, and that I was going to Google it as soon as I got back to my office. Sure enough, according to Google, there are many people in various parts of the country who offer grave maintenance services. Now there are an awful lot of graves out there, and that means there is plenty of room for people to repair them, and also to set up schedules to place flowers on the graves etc. www.Google.com even has a site listed that offers a complete business plan for only $19.95. People even list the various fees to charge on their web sites. As I see it, this business is a low buck investment that to could run even from a car to get started if you could not afford a pickup. Graves take very little loam for top dressing and it can be carried in old five gallon buckets if necessary. It is also a very nice service to perform for people. You can get customers by advertising in free supermarket flyer's, word of mouth, and on your own web site. Another place to advertise any product or service for free is www.Craigslist.org .
Try to make yearly contracts and collect your money either in advance or monthly billing by Pay Pal or CC etc. Your clients may even be out of town and unable to visit the graves.
You will have to market your services to succeed. You also have to be very patient. I will write another article just on inexpensive marketing very soon. When I started our now famous web site www.chinadepot.com in 1995 I didn't make one penny for two years, but I have always had a motto that I live by, "Never give up, and never stop trying." Remember though, you must have a decent idea to start with. Fear of failure kills a lot of businesses before they are ever started. You cannot be afraid to fail. No one plans to fail, but if you do, you must pick yourself up and keep moving forward. I failed several times over the past fifty years. How do you think I learned so much about business. Another thing, don't pay some third party to "make you rich" by starting you in "their wonderful business" If it is that great, what are they sharing it with you for? Late night TV is loaded with sucker deals. The TV stations should be held responsible to everyone that gets swindled by these slick talking dudes that have no conscience, and will do anything to get your money! I believe that you should study the business that you want to be in very thoroughly, and then boot strap it. Don't let some flim flam man steal your life savings, and your dreams! Do your homework, and research these get rich quick opportunities. Find a real life example in your own state that is succeeding and not just by selling blue sky and big pipe dreams!
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Here's to successful business!
Walt
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