HOW TO START & OPERATE YOUR OWN FIREWOOD SUPPLY BUSINESS

Unpredictable fuel costs and the necessity of keeping warm in the winter have resulted in «boom sales» for manufacturers of wood-burning stoves. There has also been a return to the use of the fireplace as a form of supplementary heat and as a luxury that promotes the «cozy» atmosphere sought after by both middle class and affluent families. This renaissance in the popularity of wood heat, and upward spiraling sales of associated equipment, has created a demand for firewood that’s almost impossible to fulfill!

A very important element: This demand has caused the price of firewood to almost double over the past several years. Whatever the «going price» for a cord of firewood in your area, you can expect it to increase by 20 to 30 percent each year for the next ten years or so.

Your potential market is as varied as the weather; it is also so­mewhat dependent on the weather. You'll find buyers among apart­ment dwellers as well as home owners. The rich are buying firewood perhaps more than the poor; those concerned with the purity of the environment and the so-called «voluntary-simplicity' folk seeking a return to the «pioneering» life are all part of your market.

And don't think for a minute that firewood sales are limited to the colder northern states. People living in Sunny Southern California and along the Gulf of Mexico buy and bum firewood for the same reasons as people living in Minnesota or Montana.

One of the secrets of success in this business is understanding why the people in your area bum firewood. Then it's a matter of learning when and how often they need it, and positioning yourself to fill those needs.

It doesn't take special education or training to become a successful firewood supplier. Just for the record, the backgrounds of people operating businesses of this kind range from farmers to unemployed factory workers to doctors, lawyers, real estate salesmen and even university professors.

The kind of equipment you'll need varies according to the type of business you want to establish, and the kind of wood you will be supplying.

Date: 2014-12-21; view: 1095