How is it realistic for me to offer a high skilled service?

How would you start a service business where you have to have specialized knowledge? A business like yours anyone who can drive can start. But let’s say a business like HVAC or appliance repair, traditionally people that have a lot of experience working in that area eventually decide to go solo and start a company. It seems like these make up the majority of businesses.

First of all a steep learning curve and permitting process is not the majority of businesses out there. Looking at this list 90% of them you can do yourself with a few youtube videos, cheap tools, some practice. Obviously you will get faster and more efficient over time but thats part of anything.

Every business has some level of investment required. The greater the investments the greater the potential reward or potential loss. The investment in these skilled areas is more geared around TIME than money.

To start a waste management company you need a $240,000 garbage truck. To start a business based on a skilled trade you need experience, maybe some education, and likely some certification. You are really investing TIME.

Look at these as barriers to entry and investments. A certification is likely not that hard to get and keeps others out of the market. You want it to be hard remember? Everyone would do it if it were easy.

So its probably unrealistic for you to become a licensed electrician unless you are under 20 or already headed down that path. I get that. But should it be totally out of the question if you are at a dead end job in a dying industry working for the government when you would much rather be working with your hands? Maybe not.

Is making a time investment worth it for you considering all the factors? That is up for you to decide.

There are a ton of trades that you can learn on your own time while you have a full time job. Want to be a specialty carpenter and build home bars or wine cellars for people? Get into woodworking, join a local club, and find a local company that is doing it and is hiring evening and weekend work. Help your friend build one. Build one yourself. Before you know it you’ll feel comfortable doing it and you will be ready to get out and mix it up.

Remember that starting a company is a long game. We are making sacrifices right now so that we can design our life 5 or 10 years from now. We aren’t afraid to work for something even if the reward is a few years out.

The good thing about the this space is that most contractors or tradesmen who own companies are so short on staff that if you are a warm body and will show up you can get a job instantly. Go out and work in the field for a few weekends and see if it is for you.

You can get paid throughout the training process by doing this and it will supercharge your learning and experience as well as help you learn the industry overall.

Its all about risk and reward. You can choose to risk your time or your money. Do your homework and decide if a skilled service is right for you.

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About Me

I started the Sweaty Startup in December of 2018 because I believe the Shark Tank and Tech Crunch culture is ruining the real spirit of low-risk entrepreneurship.