The Journey Continues – Part SIX

I have narrowed down my career choices and thought I would give an update because it has been awhile. Even if you are not interested, writing it helps me sort out my options and best path.

I have been working in residential construction going on a year (actually 10 ½ months). It has been a great learning experience.

Presently, I am working on three business ideas:

1. Saturday morning I passed my Construction Contractor's License Exam and will be obtaining my license within the week. I will continue to work with my boss as a sub-contractor and begin to build my own business doing re-models, possibly flip houses, and hopefully build some houses. With the home mortgage industry in such trouble it is more difficult to get financing, but there are still possibilities.

As part of this Construction business I am planning to offer a service to Realtors and home sellers. I believe the name will be "1st Impressions Curb Appeal & More" ... the business will come up with a proposal to improve the marketability of the home. Doing everything from landscaping and paint to updating and remodels with the goal of helping the properties sell faster. It could eventually be expanded to include "Staging", as well. If the sellers were intending to continue living in the home … I will suggest ways to de-clutter.

I will also be marketing to the Santa Clara area a Home Services business where I will offer everything from landscape maintenance to kitchen remodels.

2. If you did not know, I finished all the classes I need to get started in a career as an Appraiser. The next step is to do a minimum of 2000 hours as an Assistant Appraiser. However, because of the housing slow down no one has been hiring Assistants this past year. I mailed out 50+ resumes this past summer and did receive positive responses to the resume, however no one was hiring.

I recently started handing out resumes to Appraisers once again. Only this time I am going to their offices and talking to them in person. This is working much better than simply mailing out resumes. I have gained great insights from speaking with a few of the Appraisers. And two of the Appraisers I talked to in the past couple weeks are considering hiring in the (somewhat near) future. One is starting to build a Residential Appraisal firm and the other is a Commercial Appraiser with many years experience.

3. An Oregon adventure tour company. Using a late model 12-passenger bio-diesel van to transport people to explore and enjoy our beautiful state. Hiking, skiing, cycling, wine country tours, sightseeing tours to the coast, the cascades, Crater Lake, etc, etc., etc. I have developed an extensive business plan, which I continually update and improve. I have been meeting with people in the community every couple weeks exploring whether or not I can develop a client base quickly (because I don't have the money to build a business for the expected 3 years which most businesses take). I am meeting with Dale Berg (Berg's Ski Shop and Ski Buses) next Friday.

If you would like to see my business plan let me know. Or if you have any ideas regarding these ideas please leave me a comment or give me a call or e-mail me.

So … those are some things I am working on. I have applied for some "real" jobs, but I am really hoping to develop one or more of these businesses and an 8-5:00 M-F job would make that difficult.