Are there any opportunities left?

Breakthru · Feb 4, 2021

Hilly said:
Thanks for the advice . I’ve not had the pleasure in all my days, I think a reputable accountant keeps them away to an extent .

Very much so. They look at the number of investigations relative to that accountant and rate them. However it cuts both ways in that if your accountant is just a glorified tax collector what are you paying for. Something as simple as Quickbooks can do most of what they do. You need to do some homework and then throw suggestions at them. As stated new legislation precludes them from giving advice.
Two examples not in our industry both guys ltd co status. (for Tax reasons)
1 bought a motorhome, reclaims the Vat and the Capital allowance as he needs it to stay in it when working on various sites. (supposedly)
2 Has a rather lavish garden office again deductible. Not sure whether he claimed for the hot tub or it came as part of the deal.
Neither of these were suggested by the accountants involved but given the go ahead. Number 1 was my suggestion. No 2 didn't want a motorhome but extrapolated the idea.
Why do reps all drive trucks/suv's . Lower tax and if on 24 hour call either for work or security on premises little or no tax. You just have to think or discuss with friends etc what may be applicable to your business and throw it in the pot. Accountant at worst will say no but might be able to accept a slight change to your proposal as that is not seen as advice.

czechmate · Feb 4, 2021

Goweresque said:
General household and business waste. Nothing toxic, no builders waste. House clearances, businesses having a tidy up, getting rid of pallets etc, people sorting their garages, that sort of thing. He comes and clears all my plastic and cardboard waste every once in a while. It all goes to landfill locally. He's just a skip on wheels basically.

Plastic and cardboard into landfill

manhill · Feb 4, 2021

How's your French?
Foreign Legion recruiting ??
A bit of excitement before pension age.k

deleted user 436632456 · Feb 11, 2021

Just discovered this thread,
I was a bit like the OP, was "lost" when I entered my early 30's.

Something I learned when setting up was never be afraid of a oversaturated market!! The curious thing about an oversaturated market is that there is liquidity in the market!!

A key point I will tell anyone is to analyse your competitors strengths, forgot about beating their weaknesses (anybody can do that), focus your business on how you can be better than their strongest selling point.

I tried going down the "niche" or "doing the jobs nobody else wants to do" route but you will generally find that it isn't scalable because its niche.

Tractorstant · Feb 11, 2021

farmboy said:
Train as a plumber/heating engineer. They’re all flat out round here and up round £50/hour. If you’re good at DIY I know people kitchen/bathroom fitting, bit of tiling etc making really good money for not much outlay

Yep, I can vouch for this! very difficult to recruit them

Gormers · Feb 11, 2021

Jobs no one else wants to do ...ie drains , septic tank emptying

Landrover · Feb 11, 2021

Tractorstant said:
Yep, I can vouch for this! very difficult to recruit them

Struggle to get decent tradesmans at all around here now and the one that are seem it's acceptable to charge a small fortune for what they do. If I had my time again I would have been a plumber or a spark licence to print money now

kiwi pom · Feb 11, 2021

hoff135 said:
Have been agricultural contracting for a number of years. Never in a big way, just a side line. More and more people trying to get into it. Id say there will soon be as many balers as fields round here.

Looking at maybe changing direction and getting into more groundworks. But again theres diggers poping up everywhere. But i get a steady amount of work with my little 3ton machine.

Failing that what else? Im in my mid 30s. No debt, no kids, not to many worries. Will inherit a small farm which i run just now which provides a very modest living which i could easily top up with casual work here and there.

However id really like to start and run a proper business rather than just stay at the same level all the time. Given im not responsible for a family etc and have a good base here youd think someone willing to work and push things would have a chance but its very difficult. Everything is done to death. Local village has gone from 1 to 5 joiners in the past few years. All people setting up on their own.

Whats left to do?

I feel a bit down that ive not actually achieved very much apart from knock my pan in for little reward.

Any inspiration?

Add: farm shops/ touristy things are not really my cup of tea.

If the farm doesn't keep you busy all the time why not retrain in a trade that you can offer part time. Plumber, mechanic, welder or something more advice based like an agronomist? Slim down the machines you need to just run the farm and hire yourself out.
Even a HGV ticket and do a few days a week agency driving, if you do the antisocial shifts, I'm told its ok money.
Labour only jobs like relief milking?

Pennine Ploughing · Feb 11, 2021

Is the OP any good with spanners, a welder and got somewhere to work from home,
And is capable of repairing stuff, and trading a bit of tackle, ?
If so this might be a better route than driving it, as you will be mostly at home, hours to fit in with the farm, on site if a cow calving etc, and can work on into the night if need be

Handy Andy · Feb 12, 2021

Nithsdale Farmer said:
The young lads with twin beacons and grassmen shirts are like rats from a sinking ship as soon the last trailer load gets pushed up the pit

What is it with those blokes who buy all that Grassmen merchandise and wear it with such pride like they're members of some exclusive elite club? I get that the young lads might be attracted to it, but there's blokes round here in their 40's who wear it.

Pennine Ploughing · Feb 12, 2021

Handy Andy said:
What is it with those blokes who buy all that Grassmen merchandise and wear it with such pride like they're members of some exclusive elite club? I get that the young lads might be attracted to it, but there's blokes round here in their 40's who wear it.

And most wear this

Fendt820 · Feb 12, 2021

Umbilical slurry. Much demand around you? Or like said. Tree planting. Ditching drainage. Or cutting lawns £25 a hour for a push mower around here

multi power · Feb 12, 2021

Robt said:
Ignore this short sighted advice. There is money in anything as long as you are prepared to work for it and charge the correct rate. I’d say look at jobs people hate! Look at jobs that are very labour intensive that you can somehow mechanise. If you follow ( which you aren’t ) you’ll lose money. If you are happy to drive other peoples kit and make them money ( which you aren’t ) then crack on. To say contractors make no money simply isn’t correct . How. Many have gone bust over the last 10 years

How many contractors have you seen get rich ?
Normally they end up with little more than a yard full of scrap

hoff135 · Feb 14, 2021

Fendt820 said:
Umbilical slurry. Much demand around you? Or like said. Tree planting. Ditching drainage. Or cutting lawns £25 a hour for a push mower around here

No slurry round here full stop. No dairy farm or silage pits either tbh.

Agree the a man and lawnmower for 25 makes a complete mockery of a 150hp tractor at 35 or 40 pounds and hour.

hoff135 · Feb 14, 2021

Pennine Ploughing said:
Is the OP any good with spanners, a welder and got somewhere to work from home,
And is capable of repairing stuff, and trading a bit of tackle, ?
If so this might be a better route than driving it, as you will be mostly at home, hours to fit in with the farm, on site if a cow calving etc, and can work on into the night if need be

I can do most things practical. I did actually build a few summer houses and cabins in my early 20s. Probably should have kept doing that haha even though im not a qualified joiner

Classichay · Feb 14, 2021

Or work for a “big time” contractor and then you end up in a fight over when he doesn’t pay you. Quite a few of these sorts in Shropshire ..., sadly a few are active on here ( not naming names but you know who you are) can buy nice fendt tractors but argue any bill. But runs round for bugger all trying to be competitive,,.. busy fool more like.

Dave6170 · Feb 14, 2021

hoff135 said:
No slurry round here full stop. No dairy farm or silage pits either tbh.

Agree the a man and lawnmower for 25 makes a complete mockery of a 150hp tractor at 35 or 40 pounds and hour.

Where are you located?

Vincenzosassone · Feb 14, 2021

hoff135 said:
I can do most things practical. I did actually build a few summer houses and cabins in my early 20s. Probably should have kept doing that haha even though im not a qualified joiner

Great job. I have seen works made by engineers that were totally out of perfection. They were graduated to do something totally wrong and then there are people like you that make some masterpiece but without degree cannot to anything. As the saying goes: who knows, doesn't do!
By the way, is this a known place?

hoff135 · Feb 14, 2021

Dave6170 said:
Where are you located?

North of scotland.

hoff135 · Feb 14, 2021

Vincenzosassone said:
Great job. I have seen works made by engineers that were totally out of perfection. They were graduated to do something totally wrong and then there are people like you that make some masterpiece but without degree cannot to anything. As the saying goes: who knows, doesn't do!
By the way, is this a known place?

Thanks haha. Not really its on private land

Are there any opportunities left?

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Up to 25%

25-50%

50-75%

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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