Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Here is something I have been thinking about since i joined up here. Now let's say you live in a small town or fairly rural area and a lot of people are out of work, including yourself. The media is now calling it a Depression like never seen before in the history of the U.S.

There is food around but scarce. I mean the food in your community. You still have 3 - 4 months of food safe somewhere just for you. You have enough water to get you through a long time. Plenty of ammo and weapons. There have only been a few riots you know of in the area from thugs trying to break into stores and maybe a couple home invasions. I am just trying to paint a picture. Most people are down in the dumps but for the most part would help if they could.

You have plenty of PM's.

Now that the picture is painted I keep thinking of this scenario. Maybe it is a nicer picture than what is about to come or maybe it is worse.

Now I keep thinking... Instead of sitting around, there must be something I can do. Not only to help but earn money. The problem is that nobody will have money to pay me. I am wondering if targeting the upper class who might still be working. I mean in the Great Depression not everyone was out of work. The rich and some of the middle class were working.

So I wonder if there would be something to do to earn money from them. Something they would need.

Also with those out of a job I guess there would be more bartering. I could do something for a plumber and in return get my toilet fixed. Or do something for a farmer and get vegetables in return.

But do you have any ideas what trade might earn someone some money during a situation like a depression?

I have my ideas and thoughts and have read plenty but I am always up for new ideas. And of course I just like talking about it :)

One idea is becoming a hunter/gatherer. Shoot game and bring it back. Maybe getting a few others to help in return for a few meals etc.

Thoughts?

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Booze.

10 ch

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

That is a good one. That is something to prepare for before the SHTF. How would you get the booze after? Make it yourself??

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Security.

Period.

:yes:

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Exactly, need security to protect your booze stash, and yiour ammo stash and your food and tobacco and fuel and...

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

you and how many other " hunter/gatherers "

in a severe food shortage
dogs and cats could be gone after two weeks

everyone sees pictures from other countries of people picking thru garbage dumps for food
and say to themselves, i could never do that
when people are hungry enough, the unacceptable may become " ok "

i think we had a thread awhile back about cannibilism

http://goldismoney.info/forums/showt...ht=cannibalism

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Short term employment. Believe it or not, there simply ISN'T that much game out there ( lower 48 ) when it comes to feeding the population.

Last depression, white tail deer were so depopulated so fast it took until the 50-60's before they came back to a huntable population many places.

Growth job of the future will be small, locally produced food like veggies, chicken, etc.

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

some thoughts.. people with tractors could plow up gardens for others in exchange for money or goods.

Another thought [because I live in a rural hunting area] The woods is the LAST place you want to be if you have a bunch of city fools out trying to hunt..Even on our private property I wear blaze orange when I take the dog for a walk in the woods.

Im going to be getting more info from a professional Barterer at our meeting next month. I will be happy to share what I learn. One problem I see is many people will have nothing to barter with. Perhaps developing contacts with local farmers, be keepers and livstock owners now might be a good idea.

What do you have these people may want?

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Is also my take on it. I live an hour away from D.C., meaning if the govt takes care of their own (and they usually do) should still be somewhat of an economy around here. At present, their is still job growth here(excluding Washington DC) Problem is going to be all the crack heads exiting DC into its suberbs. I fear , that unlike the depresion, people in general are not as civilized, where in, being in a small rual setting will have many advantages. Has been said before, when people loose, people loose it, or something like that. Am looking at a couple air powered riffles, and means to muffle them , for silent hunting, sshhh. Alot of park land around where I live. Actually looking at a .45 cal air gun that can shoot ANY .45 cal jacket. 200 grain HP @160 ft.lbs/217 joules should be able to take down fair sized game and alot quieter. Does not have that 'crack' that a firearm has, so do not think anyone would even think they heard a gun go off. Also looking at the .50 cal air gun, though a universal .45 jacket is nice.

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

I like the way you're thinking. It's all very well to talk about guns and ammo and how much gold and silver we can stack up, but ultimately the source of your true wealth will be in how you can make yourself useful to others. I have been developing a method to make colloidal silver properly so that it is available on a local basis. You can follow this effort in the GIM colloidal silver forum. This stuff is useful and in the SHTF scenario will be even more useful. I am not going to elaborate on why it is useful here as you should do your own research. There's also the little known and actually suppressed fact that the stuff really doesn't travel well. What is now sold in Health Food Stores and so forth is very much degraded by having it jiggled along in a truck for thousands of miles. And it would be advisable and to go ahead and start up a business supplying colloidal silver on a local basis and start it before the SHTF. All you need is a source of distilled water and the patience to learn a few principles involved in how to do the job properly.

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Start stocking up on peoples' daily needs now. TP, tampons, toothpaste, diapers, etc. When the SHTF, you will be the retailer getting gold for toilet paper.

Of course, once your supply is out good luck restocking.

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Well it sounds good but my fear is that people will not have money or gold or silver to pay for my items. It might be more of a barter. Like Anne up the street needs tampons and TP so in exchange she bakes me a chicken pie to last me a few days. I am not looking for profits but more of giving to others in the form of a local business... being well known for what I have, in exchange for food, etc...

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Look into wine making, or home brewing beer. Make a bunch and shelve as much as you can to age until needed. Many websites can tell you how to get started. Search for "home made wine".

Fun hobby too.

In anything short of SHTF, you may also enjoy a little "extra protection" by people who want to make sure nobody messes with their alcohol supplier.:s1:

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Something I've wanted to get more involved in, and great skills for post-collapse business.

http://www.preservefood.com/masterfoodpreserver.shtml

Buy the necessary supplies now and be in a position to help people convert their food into long-term preps.

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Here's an example, a bit lengthy and tedious, but he's got real experience.

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

buy an old airport bus.

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

I have come to the conclusion that I am going to be more 'quiet' about preps/stocking up. Is somewhat difficult, being that shopping has simplified for me. I get a cart hit one isle and out in less than 5 min. Yesterday, $194.00 diapers(3 sizes) and TP. Girl at register said stocking up? I simply ansered, yep. Simply put, my dad always told me when young, that their will always be the haves and the have-nots, and the have-nots will take, by force if need be, from the haves. Yes, you can stack'em up like cordwood, coming in through the door, but having a wife and child, will opt for a softer aproach , and use that a last resort. Maybe , when the time comes, and someone ask, say I know a guy who knows a guy, give me a day and can get it for you but will cost this. or something to that effect.

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

I don't know if you could really do a business if the SHTF, but you could provide a service and use that service to organize with others to create some mechanism to provide basic survival needs.

A mobile food preparation setup could be a useful tool to help others and to use for organizing...a mobile woodfired pizza/bread oven setup in the town's square would be useful. You could sell/trade bread/pizza, trade for ingredients, trade bread for security guards, help people bake things from their ingredients, etc.

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Taco trucks? NASTY!
No, really- a shuttle bus.

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Gunsmith. :ok:

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

And people wondered why I left an 18+ year career in computers (management) and got a second degree in gunsmithing. I spent over ten years as a gunsmith. I finally retired from that. Though I still keep my hand in it.

I'm considering a store. Kind of a swap type store.

I'll have used clothes. Used towels and sheets. YES, all will be clean.

Also a reading room - I have about a three thousand count library of hard back books. But no loaners. And you WILL stay where you can be seen if you want to read one of my books.

We will have a 'Friday/Saturday' night at the movies. I've duplicated my Home Theater so that means I can project up to 300 inches of HD movie DVD's that we have started collecting.

Plus the wife will have a small kitchen to cook out of and provide food during the movie on Friday/Saturday night. Friday night will be 'date night' and YOU MUST be over 18 to even get in. Saturday night will be family night and we will welcome everyone.

Plus probably a 'smoking room' of some kind that will also be a small saloon as well. Where you can purchase a drink or two and also get enough tobacco and a couple of rolling papers to have a couple of cigs along with your drink. Plus strong coffee can also be had.

I'm working on plans for a still right now. Plus two of my friends brew their own beer right now and we have already discussed them joining us. They love the overall idea.

If I can find a sewing machine, we will also stock in bolts of cloth and a few patterns to make shirts and dresses.

Those are but a few of the ideas we have been discussing. Find a two story building. Live on the second floor and have your store/theater/saloon/reading room on the first floor.

I might even start up a 'fix it' business and might even do some gunsmithing as well, though I never want to get into buying and selling guns. It's just not worth the hassle and generally there's little profit in it.

Just my .02

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

I agree with Andy and others...

Locally produced food, and other localized services ....(learn multiple trades)

I am fast approaching self sufficientcy but its amazing how many common items that will be difficult to self produce...such as Salt etc...

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Tool Sharpening service
Electric Motor repair/ low voltage DC conversions for refrigerators, power tools.
low budget privately owned BUS/ transport ( think cheap diesel van)
small engine/ generator repair shop.
Rototilling, contract haybaling.
Farrier
Blacksmith
brewer
distiller

Re: Local Startup Business When the SHTF
 

Those folks in town are going to want to plant gardens, maybe get a chicken or two, maybe rabbits. Who is going to supply them? Not the local "farmers", who are likely growing only hybridized corn, soybeans, or wheat. What these people will want is open pollinated (OP) seeds, sometimes referred to as "heirloom". Seeds can be bought and stored much like your other preps, in oxygen-free lightproof storage. Most will remain viable for several years.

They will also need someone to instruct them. Maybe a couple households on the block have grown tomatoes and bell peppers in the backyard, but to eat regularly they're going to need greens and herbs and potatoes and squash, and most people won't have a clue about growing those. And a chicken? How do you get the eggs out of the chicken??? :biggrin: How do you get chickens out of the egg? And you can bet none of them will know how to slaughter a chicken or rabbit. You can teach them, though.

Maybe you aren't very far out of town. You've determined you can grow all your food on half an acre, but you've got an acre which could be plowed. Plow that other half and plant clover, which fixes the nitrogen. Maybe you can rent that space to a few folks while you teach them how to grow their own food. After all, the only thing they've ever grown is grass, and their soil won't even grow worms.

Got a compost pile? Why not make it three times as big? People are going to want fertilizer or soil amendments, but the big truck won't be dropping off any more bags of Miracle-Gro. And you can teach them to start their own compost piles. Don't overlook vermiculture either.

Maybe you've been wanting to build a pond, or stock the one you have with tasty fish. You can see where this one is going...

Here's the best part: you are selling your knowledge and resources, but the people who aren't completely broken (the lazy, the entitled, the living-in-denial, etc), the ones who want to learn, they won't just be customers, unless you treat them that way, of course. They'll be allies, and neighbors, and maybe even friends. They will remember your willingness to "give" even as you make yourself more secure. And to think "strategically" (as if creating allies isn't enough), you will learn everything there is to know about them.
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Stealinator, most airguns are very loud. A .22 rifle, with a subsonic load, will be quieter. I like the Aguila 60 gr SSS. And for the game you'll be getting with either one, why not invest in a slingshot?