What do you do?
 

For those of you who own & operate your own company - what do you do? I have been with the same company 19 years (not my company - I'm not Sandy Weil). Over the past few years, I have been looking into business' - some franchises, some not. I was a partner in a tanning salon for about 1.5 years - didn't work out real well - it was too far away from my house, not a great location, partner 'not on the same page' as me, etc, etc. Plus - those franchise fees were a bit STEEP!

What business' do you own? What are the pros and cons? Franchise or not?

Thanks in advance - John

My dad is the co-founder of Capstone Financial Partners in Atlanta. They have something to do with Mass Mutual.

JCX5 i don`t know waht you do at your job, but you should try to see if it is something you can use to star your own company :thumbup:




I don`t own any business at the moment, the brother has a small cell phone store and the parents have a small video/record store.

at this moment i and a friend are working on a plant to open a company, but it is something that could get kind that big if we do good and the 7 digets income should be no problem fi this goes good..

it has to do with packaging, I know just about everyone on this forum had a package at some point that was designed by me :D

Thanks guys - I have been in I.T. for 19 years - from programming to mgt. Now in a very large company, I think - just maybe - I'm burned out. Can't get anything done without 10 forms, 6 signoffs, and 2 reviews. It feels like each and every request turns into a fight of some sort. Anyway - I've been browsing some of the 'business for sale' sites - I see a few video stores for sale - looks interesting. Buying a bar looks VERY interesting - but the license is very expensive. We'll see....

Anyway - thanks for the replies.

JCX5

Good luck!

Just remember one thingn that you have to enjoy your business.

not allways :D sometimes people don`t enjoy waht they do but they for sure enjoy the money they make :D :D :thumbup:

I work at a small aluminium casting foundry, technically I'm just an assistant Die Setter, but I really do anything from making tools to die casting and product finishing.

Its enjoyable work since I love metal working and fabrication, and it pays well enough to keep two cars on the road, plus all of lifes other expenses ;).

[QUOTE=JCX5]For those of you who own & operate your own company - what do you do?



HISTORY OF C1C
I own a fortune 25,000 communications company :rolleyes:. I originally was in the Army. But after GWI (Desert Storm), Somalia, and Bosnia, I got tired of the deployments and McDonalds pay. After 11 years, I got out and joined the communications revolution. I started out as a USG contractor for a small company owned by (believe it or not) Whitney Houston's brother. Then I jumped ship to the prime contractor. After 3 years out of the Army I decided top start my own company and bid on a contract in Bosnia. Since then, I have expanded to operations in 40 states and 5 countries. I make it seem bigger than it is and it is bigger than it seems. I have to give all the credit to the military. They took a relatively bright punk and turned him into a fighting machine :gun:(calm down wood :stfu: ). The main thing they taught me was confidence and the art of organized warfare.

I have worked in the IT business for the past 15 years so that seemed like a logical extension of what type of company to start. You have to know what you are doing in order to be good at doing it. I look back now and wonder how I have been successful at it. I seems to be easy for me and I refuse to believe that I am some kinda rocket scientist or Bill Gates. I definitely learned some good things in the Military

Starting a business always seems like a good idea. Why not work for yourself. But there are alot of pitfalls in running a business. But my suggestion is to go for it. I have increased my personal income by 40% every year since I left the military in 97 (then making 28k). If ya want more "advice" I am full of ideas and suggestions. Small businesses account for as much as 60% of GDP and lets face it, for every car on the road in the US, there is a contractor truck behind it doing XYZ

Aint that the truth!! Its a good life for some..I monitor contracts and it nuts the $$$ Uncle Sam pays..Good on ya' though!!

I work for myself. I just don't own or have a company. I am a contract technical writer, and -- thankfully -- I have had some very good (and well-paying), long-term contracts. I've been very fortunate, and hope that my luck continues.

Juan