I just started a new buisness..Who else is self employed?

[turboc87gn]

About a month or so i posted pics of the 2008 ram cab chassis i bought well heres what im doing with it....I decided to stop being a contracted expediter and having someone else in chrage of my $$$ and started my own carhaul buisness....I didnt want to jack the other guys thread so i started my own...Heres where my buy a house and gn $$ all went....Ill make it back tho lol!!!

And it got me thinkin? Who else on here has started thier own buisness either by choice or by force , howd you get started,and hows it workin out for you? Heres pics of mine

 

[turboc87gn]

More pics....The Trans Am i just unloaded today it was goin to sweden its a 434 small block chevy and made 596 hp to the back wheels on motor :biggrin: also theres a 308 ferrari, a bmw motorcycle , and a 1950 chevy panel truck (think grave digger)..Crazy the stuff that gets transported.... The ship at the port i took it to will have 4000 cars on it when it sets sail !!! No wonder we cant find any projects they are all gettin shipped outta the country!!!!

 

[Dennis Kirban]

Concerning being self employeed....

You read my signature block and you will realize I am also self employeed. Intersting enough after getting out of the military in 1970 I got into the towing business also...started with a manley hand winch 1 1/2 ton chevy truck vitnage around 1950 also owned a 1950 Ford 1 1/2 ton truck...

Obviosuily towing has come a long way since then. I worked my way to at one point having 3 trucks on the road tied in with sevral major car dealers in my area as I vastly so cheap. Reason I was is I also ran a printing business and basically enjoyed towing.

Towing lead up to my next business which was buying orignial muscle cars mostly GTOs back in the mid to late 1970s when owners where dumping them for insurance and gas reasons.

Towing I also hooked up with owners of apartment complexes to tow out abandon cars and stolen cars as I had a sweet deal with a friend that owned 3 junk yards where I could let cars sit.

Not sure about insurance today but back then it was hard for me to get because I did not have any garage business....Had mostly ford wreckers...ate up front brakes and rotors like crazy and clutches...

Enjoy the venture and the open road....double check all the straps to secure the cars and always leave the drivers window down slightly case yo lock the keys in the car!

I did it for almost 20 years.....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

You probably can figure out what I do today...

Self employeed has its many pluses....never having to punch a time clock is one that quickly coms to mind. All the headaches fall on you is another one.

 

[GSX-PKV]

..... Self employeed has its many pluses....never having to punch a time clock is one that quickly coms to mind. All the headaches fall on you is another one.

As a self employed "starving artist", I agree with Dennis on his comment above.

Paul

 

[TurboTnZ06]

Out of college at age 22, owned my own business since the age of 26. Not easy, can't worry about what ifs, just make decisions as best you can with the info you have and do great work. Never paid for advertisement. Closest thing to paid advertisement was buying a few cases of beer prepaid (in leue of paying advertisers fees) and delivered cold on a Fri afternoon to the owner of a forum used to post articles, from 2000 miles away over the internet. It all started when I was just an employee, but when when the owner was banging the receptionist and the other owner wanted to be hittin' it instead, I witnessed that drama split a company in half real fast, so I started a company out on my own for the first time. Nothing is more rewarding than doing it all yourself and making money and enjoying what you do. Some will say keep small, but that tends to limit your revenue to what you can do in day. When I get my social security reports, one year in the middle I have a $0, so yeah I know the feeling and the motivation.

 

[Red C5]

Good luck to you. Major props for having the courage to step up and give it a go.

 

[WH1_T-Type]

Where do you haul to range wise?

 

[Bweavy]

Concerning being self employeed....

You read my signature block and you will realize I am also self employeed. Intersting enough after getting out of the military in 1970 I got into the towing business also...started with a manley hand winch 1 1/2 ton chevy truck vitnage around 1950 also owned a 1950 Ford 1 1/2 ton truck...

Obviosuily towing has come a long way since then. I worked my way to at one point having 3 trucks on the road tied in with sevral major car dealers in my area as I vastly so cheap. Reason I was is I also ran a printing business and basically enjoyed towing.

Towing lead up to my next business which was buying orignial muscle cars mostly GTOs back in the mid to late 1970s when owners where dumping them for insurance and gas reasons.

Towing I also hooked up with owners of apartment complexes to tow out abandon cars and stolen cars as I had a sweet deal with a friend that owned 3 junk yards where I could let cars sit.

Not sure about insurance today but back then it was hard for me to get because I did not have any garage business....Had mostly ford wreckers...ate up front brakes and rotors like crazy and clutches...

Enjoy the venture and the open road....double check all the straps to secure the cars and always leave the drivers window down slightly case yo lock the keys in the car!

I did it for almost 20 years.....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

You probably can figure out what I do today...

Self employeed has its many pluses....never having to punch a time clock is one that quickly coms to mind. All the headaches fall on you is another one.

You hang in there Dennis. I bet You'll be a common house hold name 1 day :biggrin:

I think the key to owning a business is wanting to go to work every day. Getting up every day & enjoying it. We all have bad days but at least your bustn your butt for yourself. There is that old saying do what you enjoy & you will never work another day in your life. Not sure how true that is.

 

[88ZNX]

Alan was a BMW tech 12 yrs ago in Jackson MS and met a few dent repair guys and they all went into business fixing the local car lots and such. He asked me to get into it. I was the manager at a big mini self storage in Lake Tahoe CA. He finally convinced me and I moved back home. 11 years later, Alan and I own National Dent Inc and its still just the two of us traveling the nation to hail damaged area's repairing vehicles the Paintless way. Loved every second and cant think of anything else I'd rather do. Not too many brothers can get along and work together but we do.
Here is a 68 Camaro I'm getting a door ding out of. We've also fixed a few member's cars here!

 

[injdinjn]

Many perks and many PITAs, the perks out weigh the PITAs. Worst is trying to take a vacation. When I started mine I figured about 10 years, well its been 20 and time to retire.

 

[turboc87gn]

Good luck to you. Major props for having the courage to step up and give it a go.

Thanks man im hoping i can influence others to do the same and mabye put a few out of work people to work in the near future

Where do you haul to range wise?

All over.. The ferrari went to texas and lately it seems newyork and newjersey have good rates......i generally try to start in mich at home and take three out then bring three home...Im not opposed to pickin up in other states aqs long as they are on the way and the $$ is right...

Im thinking about trying to load up the enclosed with motorcycles headin to daytona bike week......:biggrin:

 

[RUSTYNAIL]

I started my business in 1995 because I needed my GN transmission repaired and couldn't afford it, 16 years later I'm still at it. RPM Transmissions T56 T-56 4L60E 4L65E Corvette differentials

 

[GNgift]

I also own a small towing company. 3 trucks, my dispatcher, and me. Its a real bitch at the moment but it's the life I chose and hope for better days. I have 4 police contracts but it seems that everyone wanted in the business after the price of scrap went up.
So here I am doing it all myself and knowing better times are on the way.

I don't ask for vacations any more, My boss is an ass.. hehehehe

 

[WH1_T-Type]

You, sir, have a PM.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

I also own a small towing company. 3 trucks, my dispatcher, and me. Its a real bitch at the moment but it's the life I chose and hope for better days. I have 4 police contracts but it seems that everyone wanted in the business after the price of scrap went up.
So here I am doing it all myself and knowing better times are on the way.

I don't ask for vacations any more, My boss is an ass.. hehehehe

When I was in our towing business I turned down all the local police contacts wanted nothing to do with them....dealt mostly with car dealerships. besides we did not have a yard to put them in.

New trucks back in my day where under 10 grand.....out the door....local towing we charged $8......no cell phones./......My hey day was when the K cars from Chrysler where new....also had a Jag account another dead on arrival car.....


denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[GNgift]

all the dealerships now use motorclubs, I don't tow for a 2% margin. I can do two police calls a day and make more than the guy towing 5 for AAA, In 1996 AAA was 75% of our business and 25% of our income. So you do the math. The problem we have these days is the big companies who figured they needed another spot on the police rotations and opened 2 companies in the same lot and office.

The little guy like me can't compete with that. They have huge amounts of cash flow. Im just a little dude. I could do it too but would more than likely kill me instead of help. I wish my truck was 10 grand. How about 92,000 after financing. and I have 3. I do have to say I love the job just hate the bi-polar swings my business takes.

 

[Dennis Kirban]

all the dealerships now use motorclubs, I don't tow for a 2% margin. I can do two police calls a day and make more than the guy towing 5 for AAA, In 1996 AAA was 75% of our business and 25% of our income. So you do the math. The problem we have these days is the big companies who figured they needed another spot on the police rotations and opened 2 companies in the same lot and office.

The little guy like me can't compete with that. They have huge amounts of cash flow. Im just a little dude. I could do it too but would more than likely kill me instead of help. I wish my truck was 10 grand. How about 92,000 after financing. and I have 3. I do have to say I love the job just hate the bi-polar swings my business takes.

I got a brother in law that works for a huge outfit they got 70 trucks....newest one was 30 grand just to paint it...life was different in the 1970s when I started however by being the towing business i helped me step into the next business....
gas crisis was in full swing yet I had no trouble getting fuel for my vehicles....I had business cards printed that said will pay over local value for your car...since I was picking cars up in regular neighborhoods for dealerships I got see some nice original muscle cars....let my card on them and started to buy them followed mostly a golden rule never pay over 3 grand for any of them except did step up to 5 grand for a real hemi 1967 GTX with 22,000 miles on it...I thought that was a huge price but even the clock worked.

Started to sell them in Hemmings....bought mostly GTOS....simply towed them home made life easy....

The tough part was getting insurance to cover the cars since I towed for several big dealerships in the area....where I made the best money was I hooked up with several major owners of apartment complexes....cars tags ran out or inspections or u haul trucks sat or stolen cars I posted notices inthe buildings.....and the property owners paid me to tow them away....life got threatened a few times so I had the local cops go with me....(I was young back then)....had a neat set up with a local junk yard to store cars with no titles got storage for them.

Worked every angle with the trucks...I enjoyed it...some of the worse ones were the ones down the city (Philadelphia) that broke down in a high rise parking garage (low ceilings) can't get a truck in them...had to hand push them around and down each floor....(charged extra of course).

If you haven't already some day you will probably pick up the wrong car....I did that at least twice...

had wheels fall off.....

had cable snap and car fall down and jamb the sling under it....in the passing lane of a 4 lane highway....

I could go on....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[Dennis Kirban]

You hang in there Dennis. I bet You'll be a common house hold name 1 day :biggrin:

I think the key to owning a business is wanting to go to work every day. Getting up every day & enjoying it. We all have bad days but at least your bustn your butt for yourself. There is that old saying do what you enjoy & you will never work another day in your life. Not sure how true that is.

Brian...like you we are all hoping to one day hit that home run with something....that requires little work, no one copies it, and profit margins are great...and demand is great.....your rite love what you are doing.

denniskirban@yahoo.com

 

[Dennis Kirban]

I will try and hunt down some photos.....I had a really neat 1 1/2 ton ramp truck....updated versions are called rollbacks today....mine was a 1947 Studebaker Lincoln powered with some sort of 3 speed over drive transmission.....

Not the typical truck you see today have to find a photo....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

will try and have mr amc guy post monday sometime

 

[GNgift]

I will try and hunt down some photos.....I had a really neat 1 1/2 ton ramp truck....updated versions are called rollbacks today....mine was a 1947 Studebaker Lincoln powered with some sort of 3 speed over drive transmission.....

Not the typical truck you see today have to find a photo....

denniskirban@yahoo.com

will try and have mr amc guy post monday sometime

Ohhh to have one of those today with modern gear... Thats what I'm talking about. All lit up in L.E.D.'s and stainless. Sweet