Want a free hustle idea?

[Get Right]

For those that want a hustle and are short on ideas, this may be for you:

Christmas tree sales/delivery service. Rent a trailer, fill it up with trees of different sizes (on consignment from a tree seller), sell door to door.

I will pay double what they cost on a lot to have this service! I have a big family (hard to all get out and have input), my vehicles are too nice to wreck with a tree, huge potential for add services (installation, wreaths, extra lights, you name it).

 

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[CommonCents]

I'd think there would be a nice market for putting up outdoor christmas lights and then taking them down.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Rent a trailer, fill it up with trees of different sizes (on consignment from a tree seller), sell door to door.

In theory this sounds like a great idea ... however, isn't the act of piling in the car and finding a XMAS tree part of the Christmas experience? It seems like this idea would endanger familial Xmas traditions. Would it be like hiring someone to open your gifts? Just my initial thoughts... you never know until you try.

I will pay double what they cost on a lot to have this service!

Would love to know if anyone has done it and if your feeling is more the rule than the exception. Thanks for the tip!

 

[AllenCrawley]

I'd think there would be a nice market for putting up outdoor christmas lights and then taking them down.

One of the many services I offered when I was operating a handyman/homerepair biz.

 

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[1step]

For those that want a hustle and are short on ideas, this may be for you:

Christmas tree sales/delivery service. Rent a trailer, fill it up with trees of different sizes (on consignment from a tree seller), sell door to door.

I will pay double what they cost on a lot to have this service! I have a big family (hard to all get out and have input), my vehicles are too nice to wreck with a tree, huge potential for add services (installation, wreaths, extra lights, you name it).

I believe someone on shark tank did this but with live christmas trees (green trend). If someone is interested in doing this they may want to watch that episode.

 

[Tom.V]

I'd think there would be a nice market for putting up outdoor christmas lights and then taking them down.

I did this when I was doing gutter cleaning and roofing. Very hefty returns, and with the right marketing it can be a very lucrative seasonal business. So long as you have qualified help to perform the work, particularly in the cold winter months when ice forms on rooftops. One of the few times I ever feared for my life was when I was installing christmas lights on a 6700sqft house and I stepped on a small patch of black ice in the valley of the roof. Slid down the valley about 10ft before stopping about 2ft from my ladder entry point. The 30 ft drop would have killed me instantly.

As far as the Christmas tree idea goes, it is definitely solid. But to hell with consignment, negotiate in bulk early (October or September), maybe you can get the growers down to $20~ per tree if you buy 1000 trees(6-8ft trees). Go and pick up all of the trees a few days before Thanksgiving weekend, move to a location near the area you plan to distribute them at. Put up fliers on neighborhoods which are open to solicitation to notify the public to get cash on hand the week before. Hire 5-6 guys that already have trucks and trailers, pay them $20-30 per hour to sell trees door to door for the Thanksgiving weekend. Saturday and Sunday, 2 10 hour days, so lets say $3.6k total for labor, and cover their fuel bill, so let's say an even $4k. Markup the trees to $100 for a 6ft. tree, $120 for 7ft, and $140 for 8ft. Total profit could exceed $100k in two days if properly executed.

I might just do this next year.

Also, after visiting 3 Christmas tree farms in the mountains this past weekend, I know just who to contact and where to go.

 

[CommonCents]

You could probably get most existing tree sale lots to promote your delivery/setup business.

 

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[CheekyMiscer]

I did this when I was doing gutter cleaning and roofing. Very hefty returns, and with the right marketing it can be a very lucrative seasonal business. So long as you have qualified help to perform the work, particularly in the cold winter months when ice forms on rooftops. One of the few times I ever feared for my life was when I was installing christmas lights on a 6700sqft house and I stepped on a small patch of black ice in the valley of the roof. Slid down the valley about 10ft before stopping about 2ft from my ladder entry point. The 30 ft drop would have killed me instantly.

As far as the Christmas tree idea goes, it is definitely solid. But to hell with consignment, negotiate in bulk early (October or September), maybe you can get the growers down to $20~ per tree if you buy 1000 trees(6-8ft trees). Go and pick up all of the trees a few days before Thanksgiving weekend, move to a location near the area you plan to distribute them at. Put up fliers on neighborhoods which are open to solicitation to notify the public to get cash on hand the week before. Hire 5-6 guys that already have trucks and trailers, pay them $20-30 per hour to sell trees door to door for the Thanksgiving weekend. Saturday and Sunday, 2 10 hour days, so lets say $3.6k total for labor, and cover their fuel bill, so let's say an even $4k. Markup the trees to $100 for a 6ft. tree, $120 for 7ft, and $140 for 8ft. Total profit could exceed $100k in two days if properly executed.

I might just do this next year.

Also, after visiting 3 Christmas tree farms in the mountains this past weekend, I know just who to contact and where to go.

What the hell is that how much xmas trees cost in the US? 100 for a cheaper tree? Thats straight up daylight robbery. From what I remember most trees here cost like 20$ but I could be wrong. I've cut down my own tree for several years.

Mind=blown people are willing to pay that much for a tree that'll get thrown out soon after.

 

[RHL]

What the hell is that how much xmas trees cost in the US?

No, virtually never. They do cost like $15-40 at most big box stores, maybe $80 MAX from a tree farm unless you're getting a true monster, like a 15+footer. The only people willing to pay $100+ for the tree will be very rich people. In the NE, rich means doorways far off the road, possibly blocked by gates, so no ringing doorbells to get a sale. It also means far fewer houses per neighborhood because the properties are huge, which means fewer sales per mile driven.

You want a winning idea? Buy smaller trees (5-6ft) from lots at cut-rate prices by negotiating early, possibly even taking trees that tend to be cheap sellers off the lot's hands. Then, instead of targeting a massive price point that is unlikely to actually exist, take your load of trees, mark them at normal prices for larger trees (6-8ft), then drive them into a city and sell them out of the same truck to people in row-homes or people in apartment complexes without cars. Then there's no risk of ruining the experience, because you can't bring a tree home on public transit, so it's not an experience they were planning on having anyway. You save a metric ton of gas because 1000 people live in a 3 block area in a big apartment. Have a trailer where some of the trees can be brought out and rotated/shown for sale. Help little old ladies carry the tree up for $15 extra. Hire college students or teens on break, I've used this for a bunch of things. You can easily top the best wages they'd qualify for and get the best help possible for just $10-12, then you have one supervisor work with them or go all absentee at most sites and man a phone to respond to any crisis. You'd do well, I think.

Here's a fastlane lesson too: You're almost always going to do worse if your product/service targets upper-income earners' inconveniences rather than median/lower income earner's needs. Driving to get a tree if you're rich is inconvenient. If you don't have a car, it's impossible. Target the need, not the inconvenience. Target the large group rather than the small group.

This principle is why Enterprise Rent-A-Car is a nearly 20B national company, while Gotham Dream Cars has three offices and grosses an annual amount that the CEO of Enterprise probably finds in her dryer lint basket when she forgets to empty her pockets before doing the wash.

 

[RogueInnovation]

You could add in additional things like lights or a box of decorations (since people might say "I would but I don't have decorations either" tinsel/star/balls/candycanes).

The tree is just the foot in the door. See how far you can leverage it.
I'd get the orders and cash first if possible, that way its hard to fail because if no one buys it just costs you knocking on some doors.

A similar biz is to look at lawns and say "hey your lawn looks like it could use a mow" and then either sell those leads to landscapers, or, hustle up some guys willing to do it, then making sure to sell extras.

 

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[Get Right]

Tis' the season bump.

 

[jockinbox]

Tempting

Anyone execute last year?

Might take this up and make a day to day progress thread for shits and giggles

 

[Bigguns50]

http://www.livingchristmas.com/
^^I like what this guy does. So did Cuban.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-5-6-ft-Fresh-Cut-Fraser-Fir-Christmas-Tree-FSCT301/205581608
Of course H.D. is in on this.

I do like the idea of a local company delivering trees. If you order one on-line...what if the Mrs. is home alone ? Or no one's home ? They just drop it off.

Locally, maybe set delivery appointments and up-sell the setup....and offer all the other possible up-sells.

 

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[jockinbox]

http://www.livingchristmas.com/
^^I like what this guy does. So did Cuban.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-5-6-ft-Fresh-Cut-Fraser-Fir-Christmas-Tree-FSCT301/205581608
Of course H.D. is in on this.

I do like the idea of a local company delivering trees. If you order one on-line...what if the Mrs. is home alone ? Or no one's home ? They just drop it off.

Locally, maybe set delivery appointments and up-sell the setup....and offer all the other possible up-sells.

nice, thanks for the links

he charges a lot tho

I personally dont like the installing idea, would take way too much time

any ideas where I can get the trees from?

Thanks!

 

[Silverhawk851]

Ship 1000 trees to Fulfillment by Amazon? hmm....

 

[MoneyDoc]

Ship 1000 trees to Fulfillment by Amazon? hmm....

I'm on it right now!

 

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[Silverhawk851]

I'm on it right now!

People killing it http://www.amazon.com/christmas-trees/b?ie=UTF8&node=13679421

Rank hard, rank fast, better price, more addons, better value = $

 

[Napoolion]

I joined too by making a guide on that idea. I have always wondered about that business, will try in small scale this christmas.


Also I made an e-book on this idea. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PITLXYU/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20
Maybe smart, maybe stupid. Tested it out anyway.

 

[ddzc]

I still don't understand how these aren't popular:

No eye poking reaching for xmas gifts.

On a side note, MJ hit it dead on. There's nothing more fun than a good day out in the snow, axing a nice xmas tree with your significant other or family and ropping that thing to the roof of your car. Inventing something to install and remove Christmas lights without having to go on your roof and falling off it is a good idea, but then again it only makes money 2-3 mths a year.

Post some ads up for the service on kijiji or craigslist. Gauge the audience and determine the need. If you get a flood of emails or calls, then go for it. If you don't, then you know it's a fail before you go out and buy/rent all of the equipment. I always test the marketplace before going balls deep.

 

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[ChasingPaper]

I joined too by making a guide on that idea. I have always wondered about that business, will try in small scale this christmas.


Also I made an e-book on this idea. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PITLXYU/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20
Maybe smart, maybe stupid. Tested it out anyway.

Sold any copies? That's a hell of a niche market. Could do very well and dominate or not sell any! :O

 

[Napoolion]

Sold any copies? That's a hell of a niche market. Could do very well and dominate or not sell any! :O

It's my second book, so always not sure what I am doing. I knew it was hit or miss, so far miss, however I uploaded it yesterday. Will do a little marketing campaign then and post the results if I have any.

 

[ffp504]

Im starting to plan this for next season. Has anyone done this or a tree pop up shop?

The tree pop up shop is a no brainer for storage of the trees and extra sales. All you need is to rent a tent or fence. Find a strip center or vacant parking lot on a busy street and work out a week or two lease deal with the property owners. Hire a few guys to unload and bring the trees to peoples cars and take payment (cash or with a app). Some farmers my way are willing to deliver the trees to your pop up shop.

Let know if you anyone is doing this in there area or have in the past.

 

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[Napoolion]

If anyone is interested in my research on it, you can snatch the book free from Amazon in the coming days: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PITLXYU/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

Or just send me a message at here for your free book, would be happy to give it.

Best wishes,
Silver

 

[eliquid]

There are a couple services like this that deliver a Christmas tree to your door for $45 online.

 

[Mr.B]

You can always double back to the same properties a week or two after Christmas and get paid to take the tree away...

 

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[Mattie]

I'm the old fashion type: Cut your tree down yourself. Nothing like going out and picking one out and trampling through the snow. Warm hot chocolate. I'm used to living by tree farms. Sure, they sell them in the parking lots too. I just always preferred going on the tree farm. And usually where I lived back home the garbage pick up just makes a day to pick up all the trees after Christmas.