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Firefighter/Entrepreneur seeking business ideas for off duty days

Idea threads

Lazershow

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Hi all, and hope all is going well with your endeavors! I am a career firefighter/emt with an entrepreneurial mindset always looking for new ideas and ventures to get into for my off duty days. I stumbled across this forum by accident (or fate), read a couple of threads, and I was immediately on board! People here are down to earth despite some of their successes or failures and are willing to share their knowledge and experience, my kind of place! Look forward to chatting and learning with you all, God bless and be safe out there.
 
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minivanman

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I think you could scale or franchise a vent cleaning business, focusing on dryer vents. Who else to trust but a trusted firefighter to clean the dryer vents that cause over 15,000 house fires a year! And for upsells, you could clean the lint from the inside of the dryer where the inside duct is, sell a 30" lint brush, new dryer duct from dryer to wall, dryer balls, Lintgard dryer safety monitor AND have your guys trained to go on the roof if needed to unclog the end cap. All great money makers. But wait..... since your guys are there and it is Firefighter Duct Cleaning..... why not upsell them to paint their house number on the curb. You and I both know every house in the world needs the number painted on the curb.
 

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Welcome to the forum Lazershow. One of the most valuable things you can do right now is read either or both of MJ's books, The Millionaire Fastlane or UNSCRIPTED . They form the foundational knowledge that we frequently refer to here. I suspect you'll also find that they explain much of what you've felt over the years and why you have an entrepreneurial mind set.
 
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MJ DeMarco

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Welcome aboard! Appreciate the intro.
 

Lazershow

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I think you could scale or franchise a vent cleaning business, focusing on dryer vents. Who else to trust but a trusted firefighter to clean the dryer vents that cause over 15,000 house fires a year! And for upsells, you could clean the lint from the inside of the dryer where the inside duct is, sell a 30" lint brush, new dryer duct from dryer to wall, dryer balls, Lintgard dryer safety monitor AND have your guys trained to go on the roof if needed to unclog the end cap. All great money makers. But wait..... since your guys are there and it is Firefighter Duct Cleaning..... why not upsell them to paint their house number on the curb. You and I both know every house in the world needs the number painted on the curb.

Thank you for the suggestion, I have thrown this one around in my head quite a few times but never really looked at it as lucrative or the way you put it. I will definitely be re-visiting this idea and thanks a million for your post.
 
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Lazershow

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Welcome to the forum Lazershow. One of the most valuable things you can do right now is read either or both of MJ's books, The Millionaire Fastlane or UNSCRIPTED . They form the foundational knowledge that we frequently refer to here. I suspect you'll also find that they explain much of what you've felt over the years and why you have an entrepreneurial mind set.

I will definitely be looking into these reads for sure! Thank you
 

Bertram

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Hi all, and hope all is going well with your endeavors! I am a career firefighter/emt with an entrepreneurial mindset always looking for new ideas and ventures to get into for my off duty days. I stumbled across this forum by accident (or fate), read a couple of threads, and I was immediately on board! People here are down to earth despite some of their successes or failures and are willing to share their knowledge and experience, my kind of place! Look forward to chatting and learning with you all, God bless and be safe out there.
Thank you for what you do. And thank you to your family for their selfless sacrifices.

As a firefighter you carry the selling attributes of courage, effort, good sense, responsibility, brotherhood and conscientiousness. And you know buildings and codes. I think you have the world at your feet.
 
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Lazershow

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Thank you for what you do. And thank you to your family for their selfless sacrifices.

As a firefighter you carry the selling attributes of courage, effort, good sense, responsibility, brotherhood and conscientiousness. I think you have the world at your feet.

It's an honor, thank you!

" I think you have the world at your feet."

Maybe, but I still live off a small salary so startup cost is very limited :)
 

GoodluckChuck

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You might consider publishing some content about you. Check out Gary Vee on Youtube. It won't take more than a video or two for you to get his point that publishing content and building an audience is a great engine for any type of business.

It doesn't have to be about anything in particular. Just whatever you find interesting and/or your experience as a firefighter.

You might spend the next few months or years exploring options and learning a lot. If you share your journey through a few media channels you will have a huge head start when you find something to sell.

I bet there are a lot of people who would be interested in the life of a firefighter/entrepreneur.

Also, the skills and experience/knowledge you'll gain from doing this will be tremendously valuable to any business venture you end up pursuing.

Cheers
 

Bertram

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It's an honor, thank you!

" I think you have the world at your feet."

Maybe, but I still live off a small salary so startup cost is very limited :)

Tell us more about you. Rural, metro? Are you EMT or trained in fire rescue? What level of training? Can you teach?
Are there any community or consumer needs you are uniquely aware of?
Or do you know of needs unique to firefighters or public safety?
For example franchising 3rd shift or overnight day care for single parents.
Special bagpipe-blocking foam ear plugs for the team on shift during weekly pipe and drum practice :hilarious:
 
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FierceRacoon

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Better a firm assessing your house for fire risk. Why not pay a couple hundred for a firefighter to stop by and do a quick check? And if the house has insurance, the insurance company should be happy to pick up the bill! Then you can hire other firefighters to help do those checks in their spare time.
 

FierceRacoon

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Another interesting idea is, sometimes people feel something is off but are reluctant to call 911 because they don't feel it is an emergency. But they would perhaps pay $50-100 for a quick check to feel at ease. Then you can have just a couple people come and double-check what is likely a false alarm anyway, allowing the person to sleep worry-free — and some day that could save some lives.
 
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FierceRacoon

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As another idea, I know two ex-Navy SEALs who do corporate seminars for various companies, where they teach the principles of teamwork. As you may guess, I have participated in one. Perhaps you have similar lessons to share. Obviously, it may take a couple years to adjust your experiences to other people's needs and polish your presentation, and not exactly a fastlane (=doesn't scale well), but may still be worth a try.
 

NMdad

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You might want to check out a relevant thread: HOT TOPIC - Are you ignoring the gold right in front of you?

I agree with the training-related business ideas that others posted (physical fitness training, teamwork training/seminars). You might also consider training firefighters for specialized situations, recertification, etc.--a friend of a friend who used to be a firefighter & paramedic does this & sales for a company.

You might also consider designing, patenting, & licensing specialized equipment & gear for firefighters. I recall a firefighter-founded business that makes firehose couplings.
 

BellaPippin

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Thank you for what you do. And thank you to your family for their selfless sacrifices.

As a firefighter you carry the selling attributes of courage, effort, good sense, responsibility, brotherhood and conscientiousness. And you know buildings and codes. I think you have the world at your feet.

Stop it Bertram, he's mine--

Ahem--


...Thank you for what you do. And thank you to your family for their selfless sacrifices.

As a firefighter you carry the selling attributes of courage, effort, good sense, responsibility, brotherhood and conscientiousness. And you know buildings and codes. I think you have the world at your feet.
 
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BellaPippin

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No wait for real now welcome -- I am thinking of becoming an EMT myself, I'd like to get into a fire department even if I weren't able to be a firefighter myself... maybe I could still help somehow? Lol

Do you have family/friends you want to spend time with as well? Or are you trying to get something more passive? I think that would be a starting point because you might not want to find yourself in two jobs and no rest. I second the read the MJ books so you can learn more about what makes a good venture that works without you or with (eventually) minimal input so you still have free time!
 

MHP368

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Back of the napkin math , you could start a medical transport company and run it for a month with 24/7 shifts for 20k.

Im talking the non medical ones , a ford f250 with a stretcher and 2 random guys doing transport. In my city its mostly contract work vs callouts but the competition is insanely bad (often 2 or more hours late) , your employees need no special training (you being a firefighter just makes closing sales easier)

I figure you could bootstrap this , maybe partner with someone and the two of you take the calls and make the runs on your off days while you get some capital together , that way its just the cost of the vehicle and the stretcher and whatever red tape (insurance and bonding) initially.
 

Lazershow

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Tell us more about you. Rural, metro? Are you EMT or trained in fire rescue? What level of training? Can you teach?
Are there any community or consumer needs you are uniquely aware of?
Or do you know of needs unique to firefighters or public safety?
For example franchising 3rd shift or overnight day care for single parents.
Special bagpipe-blocking foam ear plugs for the team on shift during weekly pipe and drum practice :hilarious:
Yes I am EMT, Fire I and Fire II, Pump Operator, and Aerial Operator for 10+ years. We are a metropolitan area with a population of 60,000+ give or take during season (Florida) and are a pretty busy department. I can't think of any community or consumer needs that Im uniquely aware of. The overnight daycare is a good idea however most of the parents that I know where both mom and dad are firefighters just work different shifts so one of the parents are always home with the kids, this could be a good on though! Dear Lord, if you come up with special bagpipe blocking ear plugs PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! :) lol
 
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Lazershow

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As another idea, I know two ex-Navy SEALs who do corporate seminars for various companies, where they teach the principles of teamwork. As you may guess, I have participated in one. Perhaps you have similar lessons to share. Obviously, it may take a couple years to adjust your experiences to other people's needs and polish your presentation, and not exactly a fastlane (=doesn't scale well), but may still be worth a try.
I listen to Jocko Willink, David Goggins, and Tim Kennedy almost on a daily basis, love those guys! Unfortunately Im a bit camera shy and I try and stay off the camera as much as possible :) I know, I love to go into things that are on fire but scared of a camera lol.
 

Lazershow

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No wait for real now welcome -- I am thinking of becoming an EMT myself, I'd like to get into a fire department even if I weren't able to be a firefighter myself... maybe I could still help somehow? Lol

Do you have family/friends you want to spend time with as well? Or are you trying to get something more passive? I think that would be a starting point because you might not want to find yourself in two jobs and no rest. I second the read the MJ books so you can learn more about what makes a good venture that works without you or with (eventually) minimal input so you still have free time!
Haha thank you! Im not sure what the pay scale for EMT/Paramedic is up north but I know down in Florida they do not make that much $ as a single certification, its much better to get the fire certs and be hired as a fire medic as opposed to just EMT or Medic, but if you would enjoy doing that then go for it.
I am looking to keep busy on my days off, I'm not the type that can sit still very long :)
 

cautiouscapy

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I think you could scale or franchise a vent cleaning business, focusing on dryer vents

I live in a rural area on the edge of a big city in England, and the chimney sweep I use is also a firefighter.

It's definitely reassuring! What minivanman says, with big emphasis on the fact that the company founder is a firefighter.
 
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Bertram

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Stop it Bertram, he's mine--

Ahem--


...Thank you for what you do. And thank you to your family for their selfless sacrifices.

As a firefighter you carry the selling attributes of courage, effort, good sense, responsibility, brotherhood and conscientiousness. And you know buildings and codes. I think you have the world at your feet.
All yours go for it you home-wrecker. :rofl:

There's a need for volunteers in every FD. Some are admin, some are equipment inventory.
 
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BellaPippin

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"...Thank you for what you do. And thank you to your family for their selfless sacrifices.
As a firefighter you carry the selling attributes of courage, effort, good sense, responsibility, brotherhood and conscientiousness. And you know buildings and codes.
I think you have the world at your feet." --- Bertram

--Michael Scott
 

BellaPippin

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Haha thank you! Im not sure what the pay scale for EMT/Paramedic is up north but I know down in Florida they do not make that much $ as a single certification, its much better to get the fire certs and be hired as a fire medic as opposed to just EMT or Medic, but if you would enjoy doing that then go for it.
I am looking to keep busy on my days off, I'm not the type that can sit still very long :)

Yeah I know it would be a pay cut! It would only be after I can secure rental income from real estate properties, as a "do it because I want". Is a Fire Medic just an EMT that works at the Fire Dept instead of a hospital ER? The plan is to get all the certs yes not stop at basic, or at least make it to EMT-P, but originally the idea was to make it into a fire dept.
 
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Bertram

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Yes I am EMT, Fire I and Fire II, Pump Operator, and Aerial Operator for 10+ years. We are a metropolitan area with a population of 60,000+ give or take during season (Florida) and are a pretty busy department. I can't think of any community or consumer needs that Im uniquely aware of. The overnight daycare is a good idea however most of the parents that I know where both mom and dad are firefighters just work different shifts so one of the parents are always home with the kids, this could be a good on though! Dear Lord, if you come up with special bagpipe blocking ear plugs PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! :) lol
Hoist the Guinness!!!

I have two FD-based franchise ideas for your to consider. They would benefit veterans and retired public safety workers/families, kids and teenagers, civic education, and local FD.

Sending you a PM.
@BellaPippin
 
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v1vr

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Welcome to the forum!

I'm a volunteer firefighter up here in New Jersey. You're living the dream of being a paid firefighter that a lot of my colleagues up here are chasing. Awesome stuff!

I have a few industry specific ideas that I have had on the back burner for a while. I'm working on achieving one of them, but that has been placed on the back burner as well. I really need to prioritize and make some moves towards turning these ideas into a reality instead of sitting around and being idle.

The one idea I'm working on now is to create a device that aids in the inspection of certain pieces of gear/equipment while minimizing or completely eliminating the exposure to carcinogens. The way it's done now is an unnecessary risk to your health. I've been dragging my feet on the electronics side of it and am thinking of just outsourcing this part of the development to get it off my plate. I need to get it done, get over the hump, and keep making progress. I have a few other ideas involving drones that don't exist on the market as of yet, but once again, I'm stuck with how to proceed and I'm not prioritizing.

As far as opportunities for you, training is a huge business opportunity that has exploded over the past few years. There has always been a "we do it this way because that's the way its always been done" attitude in the fire service up until recently. Now it's about constantly training, constantly learning, and constantly improving yourself and your department. You can definitely make some money as a consultant or by offering up your experience to others in the industry.

There's also a big push on minimizing exposure to carcinogens by wearing proper PPE during incidents and keeping your gear clean. This is the route I'm headed down with a few of my ideas. One of the ideas I had was to start a mobile gear cleaning service. A lot of departments don't have the right cleaning equipment or a place to put it. Some departments and towns don't have the money because this stuff is expensive. Many departments just don't emphasize the importance of keeping your gear clean. Some of the equipment, including stuff in my department, hasn't been clean or cleaned since the day it was removed from the box.

Why not buy an old rescue truck, outfit it with washers, wash basins, repair provisions, etc., and drive around from fire house to fire house offering turnout gear repair/cleaning along with mask and equipment cleaning? Gear is expensive, so you want to keep it clean and maintained so it's not failing in the field or giving you cancer after a fire. Sending certain gear out for repair also takes up time and having something same day or on the spot could be beneficial. I think something like this definitely has potential if executed correctly.

If you ever need someone to bounce some ideas off of or to get some feedback or a different perspective on something, let me know!
 

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