iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Dont know if im doing right or not.

Started by BargeMonkey, December 21, 2014, 12:16:07 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Puffergas

If you also have a full time job; I like the idea of scaling back to the cable skidder and forwarder.. I would look at managing your own wood lots (buying and selling land) and the occasional small job. But a gas station store would kill me...   :o

But that's just me..

Good luck and Marry Christmas.
Jeff
Somewhere 20 miles south of Lake Erie.

GEHL 5624 skid steer, Trojan 114, Timberjack 225D, D&L SB1020 mill, Steiger Bearcat II

cutter88

I have many many days were I think I'd be much further ahead if I sold off everything but my firewood processor and went back to running ashphault plants and just process wood on my spare time!!!
Romans 10 vs 9 
650G lgp Deere , 640D deere, 644B deere loader, 247B cat, 4290 spit fire , home made fire wood processor, 2008 dodge diesel  and a bunch of huskys and jonsereds (IN MEMORY OF BARRY ROGERSON)

timberlinetree

I'm starting to get nervous. Marcia bought me all trucking videos instead of logging videos for Christmas this year?
I've met Vets who have lived but still lost their lives... Thank a Vet

Family man and loving it :)

BargeMonkey

 The wife was more upset to see it go than i was.  :D  The next one i get will have plastic still on the seat.  ;)    Bought out a complete restaurant / ice cream shop the other night in Hoosick NY, i lack coolers and a few other things. 40x60 building should be big enough. just hard thinking about jumping into new stuff like this, a big gamble but i think ive got cornered.  To wet to cut logs right now anyway, but firewood has been going pretty good. Back on the boat already again, doesnt end.

sandhills

Best of luck to you both with the new venture, my BIL and I were at a store that designs kitchens for such places getting figures when the real estate agent called and said the business just sold.  I always wondered how that might have turned out for us, hope it works out great for you folks.

RunningRoot

A log in the hands worth two in the bush !

jwilly3879

Good Luck with the Health Department, I think they don't want anyone other than the big stores/chains to sell anything.

timberlinetree

Congrats to you both& best of luck! Will a lumberjack special be on the menu? :D
I've met Vets who have lived but still lost their lives... Thank a Vet

Family man and loving it :)

tj240

if that 160 barko goes on the chopping block let me or jwilly know might be interested
work with my father[jwilly] and my son. we have a 240 tj 160 barko[old] works great three generations working together

luvmexfood

Bargemonkey. Used to be a couple of shows on years ago that featured the same general store owner. "Mr. Drucker" I think the shows were Green Acres and Petticoat Junction and it even was featured on the Beverly Hillbillys a couple of times.

So does that mean you may be chainging your FF name to Mr. Drucker?  :D

Seriously, know nothing about running a small store but can give some advice from a customers point.

1) Keep regular hours. If you say open from 6am to 7pm then be open. Had a good country story only about a mile away. Then they just started opening and closing when they chose. Lost a lot of business. And then closed.

2) Sell a good cup of coffee. None of that powdered stuff for creamer.

3) Sell a very good hotdog with toppings such as slaw, kraut or whatever is popular up your way. I will drive 5 miles out of my way if I know a place has a good hotdog.

4) Beware of too many loafers hanging around. Sometimes if they are all men, women will avoid coming in thinking they are being ogled. Also too many cars parked out side blocking things keeps people from stoping.

5) Cute, friendly cashiers.

6) Don't know how much you make from lottery tickets but they can sure slow down a line making the ones wanting a quick in and out aggravated.

7) Don't know exactly how to word this but here goes. The story I mentioned earliar had a very few items that would be considered grocery but could also be purchased to take for lunch. A can of Ravoli in a larger grocery store ran about a buck. At the small store it was $2.47. Made people believe you were overpriced on everything.

8) And free coffee and fountain drinks for Law Enforcement. Nothing makes a potential robber go somewhere els if he see's a cop car there.
Give me a new saw chain and I can find you a rock in a heartbeat.

Southside

Luvmexfood, agree with most of what you said up until the end. Many customers can be offended when LEO's get free drinks, food, etc and it can put the officer in a hard spot when  their agency has a policy against accepting gratuities. Rather than create a scene with a cashier or waitress and insist on paying due to your agency policy you just end up stopping some place else, and avoid the store the owner hoped to attract LEO's to.   
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

Corley5

  In this neck of the woods many potential customers will keep on going if there's a law enforcement vehicle in the parking lot  ;) ;D  Whether they have a reason to avoid them or not.  A lot of people just don't like cops :-\
  I agree on the cashiers.  Cute is good but friendly is even better.  Nothing worse than a surly cashier. 
Burnt Gunpowder is the Smell Of Freedom

luvmexfood

Ok. We can agree to disagree on the LEO part. For awhile so many convience stores were getting robbed that they earned the nick-name "Stop and Robs".

Everyone else must like a good hotdog as much as me. HA... Some of the best I ever had came from mom & pop convience stores. Just a matter of finding that little ninch.

The one store I was talking about ran out of gas just as there was one of those gas price spikes a few years ago. They refilled the tanks while the price was sky high and suddently it dropped. They were left holding the bag on that one.

Only thing the lady did that ever aggravated me was one morning I stopped in for coffee on my way to work. 50 cents for a small cup. Had told her about smoking a big pork butt and how it was good and she said she would like to try some. Next morning I took a large maragrine tub of pulled pork for her and her son. Don't know the value of the meat but if you had to buy it well over $5.00 for sure. Got my cup of coffee and went to register after giving her all that pork. Still had to pay for my coffee.
Give me a new saw chain and I can find you a rock in a heartbeat.

luvmexfood

Oh. And almost forgot this one. Clean Restrooms with an air freshner.
Give me a new saw chain and I can find you a rock in a heartbeat.

ScottAR

Agree to most of the comments so far. 

This may be obvious,  Get a firewood bundler so you can sell your own wood at the front.

The lottery ticket deal is a sore spot for me.  One place here has a separate cashier station for that.  Think they do Western Union and stuff like that in that line too. 

I dunno about free stuff for LEO's but don't run em off either.  Crackheads are "customers" you don't need.  My other thoughts on LEOs and the states they work in may get political so I'll hold my water. 

A good lunch stop can turn an empty parking lot into a full lot in just a few minutes.  If I see a bunch of work trucks at a lunch stop, I figure it's a good place to eat with good prices.

HTH
Scott
"There is much that I need to do, even more that I want to do, and even less that I can do."
[Magicman]

Glenn

I'm a LEO.  I visit as many stores as i can.  I always pay for my own coffee etc and if the cashier refuses my money then i pay for the persons behind me.  Visiting around town is very important.  People get to know you personally, you learn lots of information and the riffraff stays away.
Seems to work well !

jwilly3879

What a wonderful way to handle it Glenn.

Thank You Sponsors!