Continued from last Monday
- Children’s Services: There are business opportunities in a variety of areas in the children’s services market, including:
*Quality pre-school education, including environmentally-focused offerings such as outdoor pre-schools
*Art classes and events
Tutoring in critical skills such as reading, math and English
Fitness instruction such as tennis, swimming, soccer or golf lessons
If you enjoy working with children and have instructional training and/or experience, why not turn it into a business?
- Home Renovations: If construction is in your blood and you think you would enjoy making clients’ home renovation dreams come true why not turn it into a business?
Ask almost anyone who is needs repairs or renovations done on their home (or business) – remodeling contractors are hard to find and the good ones are always busy. Home renovation is one business that always seems to do well, even in uncertain economic times.
Statistics show that the average home owner in the U.S. spends approximately $3000 per year on home improvements – generating a lot of business for carpenters, painters, drywallers, roofers, tilers, and other trades people.
The home renovations business is ideally suited to self-employed individuals for a number of reasons:
Most renovations are performed on a contract basis
Startup capital investment for tools and machinery is typically much less than required for new construction
Business premises are not required as the work is performed at the customer location, making remodeling a perfect home-based businesses
Remodeling contractors provide services in a number of different ways:
As individuals, where the contractor performs most or all of the work themselves
As general contractors, who hire and supervise employees or subcontractor who perform the work
As specialists in a particular area, such as bathroom or kitchen renovations, or niches such as restoring historic structures, improving energy efficiency, or solar installations
To be a successful renovation contractor you should have:
Extensive experience in building construction, with hands-on expertise in at least one of the trades and knowledge of the others.
Good contacts within the industry, so if needed you can call in sub-contractors to get specialty work performed in a timely fashion (such as architects, structural engineers, licensed electricians, plumbers, tilers, etc.)
Up-to-date knowledge of the local building codes and safety regulations
Licensing and certification if required in your jurisdiction. In the U.S., the National Association of the Remodeling Industry offers various levels of certification for remodellers.
Good organisational skills
To be continued
