The past month has been a busy one for me, not necessarily for selling scrap, but for networking my business and calling prospective customers.
I have always seen scrapping as a financial oddity.
As a smal time scrapper, you are making untaxed money for "free". You have little to no overhead, you work for yourself, and you decide your own hours. (Well, gasoline is getting very expensive, so there is that) You can make as little or as much as you want. And that is the truth; you really can make as little or as much as you want!
As the cold weather rolls in, I usually like to expand my scrap business, as this is when other guys are going into "hibernation" for the winter. If it's warm year round where you're from, then I guess that doesn't necessarily happen near you.
The most important thing to remember when expanding your scrap business is that it is, in fact, a business, and therefore, it requires time and (sometimes) money to get more customers.
To many people, scrap removal is a very useful service. To people like who you ask?
I have always seen scrapping as a financial oddity.
As a smal time scrapper, you are making untaxed money for "free". You have little to no overhead, you work for yourself, and you decide your own hours. (Well, gasoline is getting very expensive, so there is that) You can make as little or as much as you want. And that is the truth; you really can make as little or as much as you want!
As the cold weather rolls in, I usually like to expand my scrap business, as this is when other guys are going into "hibernation" for the winter. If it's warm year round where you're from, then I guess that doesn't necessarily happen near you.
The most important thing to remember when expanding your scrap business is that it is, in fact, a business, and therefore, it requires time and (sometimes) money to get more customers.
To many people, scrap removal is a very useful service. To people like who you ask?
- Foreclosure / Real estate agents.
- Apartment / Condo managers and owners.
- Auto Mechanics and Servicemen.
- City officials (who need refuse cleaned).
- College or University Officials
- Trailer Park Managers and Owners
- Small Engine Repairmen
- Small Demolition Jobs
- Big Demolition Jobs
- Office Building Clear out jobs
- Heating and Cooling servicemen/installers
- Fabrication Shops
- ect, ect, ect
The list can go on forever, so be creative; Some of these places will ask for money in return for their scrap. Other places may pay you! For example, if you offer apartment, trailer, foreclosed home, or office building clean outs, you can rightfully charge to do so! These jobs require considerabel effort, and very often a full sized dumpster for non-scrap trash removal, so research local prices and include these in your price quotes!
Now these things may be quite obvious to those who already do them, but some may not be! Have you ever called up a condo, apartment, or trailer park owners and offered free junk removal specifically for those evicted, deserted, or even just dirty homes looking to clean up their yard? If you find a way to connect with all of the surrounding businesses in your area, you have successfully networked your business; you possibly lined yourself up to collect thousands of dollars a month, spending nothing but gas and a little time picking things up to drive to the scrap yard!
You do NOT need to be a large business to do these types of things (granted some things like office building clean-outs can be two three or even four men jobs). You simply need a truck and a trailer.
Also work on advertising you scrap business!
Good Luck Scrapping!
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