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What business would you launch, If you got laid off due to C0VlD-19?

BizyDad

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I'd launch an action faking hotline...
 

Andy Black

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If I was an office worker and got laid off then I’d try to provide the exact same services to other businesses, but from home.
I fear people will skip over this suggestion so let me elaborate.

Imagine you’ve been working in accounts payable for the past 20 years.

You get laid off and start Googling for “work from home” or “make money online”. (God help you if you do as there’s many trip-wires lying in wait.)

After a lot of research you decide to create a course on how to teach Irish dancing because you’ve been giving evening classes for the last 10 years.

Or maybe you decide to dropship, “do affiliate marketing”, start a digital marketing agency, a blog, podcast, an “Amazon business” (whatever that is), or become a life coach.

Huh?

You’ve a skill that’s put food on the table and paid your mortgage for the last 20 years.

Why are you throwing all that skill and experience in the bin?

You’ll need to make sales and get customers and this may be new to you.

Newsflash... you’ll need to make sales and get customers whichever of the above options you pick.

So why not explore starting with what’s already paying your bills?

I’m taking my own medicine here. I’ve looked at other business models and have had some revenue from them. But if I lost my business this weekend then come Monday I’d do exactly what’s been bringing in the money these past few years.



These threads may be helpful:
> "Build Your High Ground" & "Grow What You Know"
> (Audio) Freedom, Motivation, & Grow What You Know
> Don't worry about selling your skill or time
> Are you *already* employed to solve problems?
 

Rabby

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You maybe laid off, because apparently companies needed loans to make payroll and banks are closed because employee distancing themselves from people

Possible, though I would hang on longer than many, I suspect. By the way, my comment was playful, and not intended to offend. I hope you take it that way.

Companies are already letting people go, which is awful to see. In some cases they have no choice. In others, I think bigger companies could have planned for better resilience. It's a bit early to have the unemployment numbers we're seeing. Presently my employees are unaffected (at least in terms of their employment), and I have no plans to lay them off or reduce their pay.

I don't employ hundreds of people or anything, but I do have a certain ethic about this sort of thing. In the event that I did fail to make my businesses resilient, I would want my employees to have a fighting chance without being dependent on me for income. Truth is, I think almost everyone should have a source of income in their back pocket at the very least, even if they plan to work a job forever. That makes you less dependent on the whims of one person, or the fate of one industry. So there's no reason you should wait to get laid off just to start something. My Company #2 even has a specific policy about this; it's a mandate that we provide financial education to our employees, including entrepreneurship, and that we allow for and support employees who are building their personal assets.

No plans to lay myself off either, although I would give myself a pay cut before I would let any of this affect my employees.
 

Andy Black

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If I was an office worker and got laid off then I’d try to provide the exact same services to other businesses, but from home.
 
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jdm667

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I like the app development idea - you can do it from home, and no amount of Covid can really slow down your development efforts (unless you get sick yourself :duh:).

If I needed quick cash, was healthy, and didn't have anyone at home to worry about infecting, then I would start a biz helping companies to deliver groceries or restaurant takeout.

There's no way that stores and restaurants are able to keep up with the current demand with only their usual gig workers (here in Massachusetts, Whole Foods & other stores were taking orders on Tuesday/Wednesday this week and are unable to deliver until Sunday at earliest).

I would also look into starting a company that cleans & disinfects homes, hospitals, apartments, college dorms, etc. - they are probably unable to handle demand right now.

The demand for online tutoring may go up, in response to schools & colleges closing & students at home for weeks or longer & needing 1-on-1 help.

Also, auction/estate clean outs (hire a retired auctioneer if you are not one, and hire some strong guys to help you clean out homes - I am not trying to be morbid, but this business will always be needed, and more so if Covid is worse than imagined).
 

BrandonL

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I have been making a killing selling freezers... those little chest freezers. I have already made $780,000 in profits in 6 weeks. They are pretty much sold out across the country. People have been buying them to store food, especially after the lockdowns started.

I have a contact at an appliance manufacturer. She has been holding stock for me for weeks. I have been buying freezers and immediately flipping them to appliance stores that are completely sold out and cannot order more because most manufacturers are backed up until May or June.

Once I sell my shipment, I turn around and buy more. I sell them to appliance stores close to the manufacturer's warehouse so they are shipped and delivered quickly.

I am about to order one last batch of freezers. If anyone wants to get in on this, let me know and I might be able to increase the order. I already have appliance stores waiting on my last batch.

The entire country is pretty much out of chest freezers for the next 3 or 4 months. Home Depot doesn't get any more until June. Lowes gets some in May. Even longer for smaller appliance stores.

In case you thought it, no I didn't price gouge the appliance stores.

Here are a few articles about this:


https://www.woodtv.com/health/coronavirus/its-insane-C0VlD-19-response-leads-to-run-on-freezers/

 
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Rabby

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A psychological investigation service, to investigate out why I laid myself off. :playful:
 
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Val Okafor

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I am just wondering aloud .. If you got laid off due to the economic downturn resulting from Corona Virus (C0VlD-19) what small/solo business would you launch with $1000 or less, seeing that no one would be hiring in the current climate?

For me, I would launch a mobile app development agency, because that is what I know. Wondering what other ventures would be the default for other people.
 
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reedracer

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OK, so it's not that HR services can't be offered as a freelancer. That's the part that confused me.

Yes, absolutely agreed that many people will not have the mindset, confidence, or desire to be self-employed. For many it won't be on their radar. For many others they'll think they need to take a course first. It's a bit of a shame.
The wife of a friend of mine was laid off from her H.R. position at Monsanto in the late 80's. She set herself up as sort of a corporate hitman for hire. She would evaluate a site or whole corporation and help them figure out who to lay off while maintaining continuity and maximizing savings. She worked for a cut of the salary the company saved the first year. She did this work for 7 years and made enough to retire. From then on she would help victims of discrimination in the workplace make their case and other philanthropic causes.
 

Andy Black

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it's a mandate that we provide financial education to our employees, including entrepreneurship, and that we allow for and support employees who are building their personal assets.
Nice. I work with a small team of freelancers. They’re pretty much full-time with me, but I try to structure things so I’m a client of their business and so they can take on other clients later.
 
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Rabby

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Nice. I work with a small team of freelancers. They’re pretty much full-time with me, but I try to structure things so I’m a client of their business and so they can take on other clients later.

It only makes sense, because if we get tired of all this business stuff we might wanna work for them ;) Really, it's just treating people right.
 

LightningHelix

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I fear people will skip over this suggestion so let me elaborate.

Imagine you’ve been working in accounts payable for the past 20 years.

You get laid off and start Googling for “work from home” or “make money online”. (God help you if you do as there’s many trip-wires lying in wait.)

After a lot of research you decide to create a course on how to teach Irish dancing because you’ve been giving evening classes for the last 10 years.

Or maybe you decide to dropship, “do affiliate marketing”, start a digital marketing agency, a blog, podcast, an “Amazon business” (whatever that is), or become a life coach.

Huh?

You’ve a skill that’s put food on the table and paid your mortgage for the last 20 years.

Why are you throwing all that skill and experience in the bin?

You’ll need to make sales and get customers and this may be new to you.

Newsflash... you’ll need to make sales and get customers whichever of the above options you pick.

So why not explore starting with what’s already paying your bills?

I’m taking my own medicine here. I’ve looked at other business models and have had some revenue from them. But if I lost my business this weekend then come Monday I’d do exactly what’s been bringing in the money these past few years.



These thread may be helpful:
> "Build Your High Ground" & "Grow What You Know"
> (Audio) Freedom, Motivation, & Grow What You Know
> Don't worry about selling your skill or time
> Are you *already* employed to solve problems?

@Andy Black why do I feel a sucker punch of enlightenment everytime I read your posts XD.
 
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GravyBoat

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Home Services biz.

Profitable immediately

Can still run during COVID 19 freak out

Get to network with high-end individuals

Providing REAL tangable value

Get paid same day

Scale to the moon, or use to fund other biz ventures.

You should be wanting to get "laid off" or quit your job.
 
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Kak

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I was in the Bahamas in late '18. I was not impressed with the food/drink offerings on the beach catering to tourists. The fried fish was terrible. I had a drink called a Bitch Slap. 151, rum and some other liquor and juice. It was so heavy on the alcohol, I couldn't finish it. My sister-in-law requested what I didn't finish; I suggested she sip it. She didn't listen and proceeded to guzzle it down. It took her three days to recover.

If you can provide quality grub and booze in these locales you'd clean up.

There was a moment in my life. Probably when I reached about 200k net worth when I realized that, IF I WANTED TO, I could just quit everything and open up a shrimp shack and live out my days with a fishing pole in the water. It has kind of been a joke, but kind of not. When rough times hit we laugh and talk about it. It was always strangely freeing.

Today, it is less of a joke than ever before, but not to quit. I just want one now. Among everything else I do, I need to open a shrimp shack in the West Indies. One day I’m actually doing this.

We will serve one entree. Shrimp. We will serve it 5 ways. Coconut, fried, grilled, blackened and cocktail. Drinks will be stiff, but drinkable. Cigars will be available. Open air. Thatched roof. Chill music. No Bacardi 151. It isn’t a spring break place.

Think Bob Dylan more than Bob Marley.
 
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Val Okafor

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Andy Black

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Mindset, the "hustle" lifestyle is not for everyone, especially if you have spent over 2 decades in corporate environment.
OK, so it's not that HR services can't be offered as a freelancer. That's the part that confused me.

Yes, absolutely agreed that many people will not have the mindset, confidence, or desire to be self-employed. For many it won't be on their radar. For many others they'll think they need to take a course first. It's a shame.
 

Chitown

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I'd probably start a shrimp shack in the west indies.
I was in the Bahamas in late '18. I was not impressed with the food/drink offerings on the beach catering to tourists. The fried fish was terrible. I had a drink called a Bitch Slap. 151, rum and some other liquor and juice. It was so heavy on the alcohol, I couldn't finish it. My sister-in-law requested what I didn't finish; I suggested she sip it. She didn't listen and proceeded to guzzle it down. It took her three days to recover.

If you can provide quality grub and booze in these locales you'd clean up.
 
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Andy Black

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I know lots of people with office jobs that just have no desire to go out on their own. Come 5 o'clock they want to be done and collect their $35 an hour on the way out the door.
Yeah, working for themselves doesn’t even cross most minds.

For the few that contemplate it many will dismiss it because “it’s not something I can do”.

Others are stuck fast by the script which has them believe they need to take a course before they can work for themselves (these are the ones I feel the most sorry for and want to help).

Many will fall prey to the vultures lying in wait.

I picture thousands of turtles hatching on the beach and trying to make it to the sea.

I fear those who make it to this forum are the few lucky ones.
 
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Val Okafor

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A psychological investigation service, to investigate out why I laid myself off. :playful:
You maybe laid off, because apparently companies needed loans to make payroll and banks are closed because employee distancing themselves from people
 
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BizyDad

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Not an action fake. I literally just got laid off today because of C0VlD-19.

1. I'm sorry to hear that.
2. Since this is now very real for you, do you have an answer to the question?
3. How can I/we help?
 

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This is excellent. Hav you been doing this before C0VlD-19 and just expanded? Are you planning on continuing doing this after C0VlD-19?

How did you get started?

Thanks!

Nope, I had never sold freezers a day in my life lol.

No I don't plan to continue after C0VlD-19.

I actually posted my story in it's own thread where I share some additional insight: Coronavirus made me $780,000 in profit in 6 weeks
 

minivanman

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If I was an office worker and got laid off then I’d try to provide the exact same services to other businesses, but from home.

None of the ladies in my wife's office would ever THINK about doing something like this. Although there are some very high paying jobs, the director has said he doesn't think anyone will be laid off, so that's a good thing for them. I know lots of people with office jobs that just have no desire to go out on their own. Come 5 o'clock they want to be done and collect their $35 an hour on the way out the door.
 
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socaldude

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Launch a pharmaceutical company and make a C0VlD-19 vaccine. :rofl:

There are lots of ways to get started , learn a freelance skill you can sell over the internet. Look at different commercial machines/equipment you can buy and see what products you can make and sell from home. Learn how to market it and boom you got yourself a little business.
 

PizzaOnTheRoof

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Launch a pharmaceutical company and make a C0VlD-19 vaccine. :rofl:

There are lots of ways to get started , learn a freelance skill you can sell over the internet. Look at different commercial machines/equipment you can buy and see what products you can make and sell from home. Learn how to market it and boom you got yourself a little business.
Reminds me of some "business advice' that I read on r/Redpill.

They said to start an oil company to become rich. Like yeah ok I've got a rig in my backyard and a few tankers in my bathtub. Just need a small credit line of $30 billion.
 
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