• Newsletter
  • Contribute
  • Advertise

Welcome to Homestead Hustle!
  • Home
  • About
    • Contributors
    • Giveaways
    • Free Newsletter
    • Become a Contributor
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise With Us
  • Living the Life
    • Day-to-Day
    • Funny Stories
    • Success Stories
    • Kids Who Hustle
  • Adapt and Overcome
    • Diversify the Homestead
    • Health Set-Backs
    • Overcome Objections
    • Taking a Loss
    • When to Hire and Fire
  • Marketing
    • Finding Your Niche
    • Network Strategies
    • Where to Promote
  • Fine Print
    • Forms and Tools
    • Insurance
    • Plan Your Legacy
    • Real Estate
    • Taxes
    • Major Purchases
  • Shop



A Nice Little Concrete Business

By HomesteadEditor on April 18, 2017 Visit Homestead's Website.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest

A Nice Little Concrete Business

Shared From MOTHER EARTH NEWS  Written By: Henry C. Horstig

There are many alternative ways of earning some bread without getting into the 9-to-5 ratrace. A concrete business contracting small-scale concrete repairs is one that any able-bodied man can start with less than a $5.00 investment and — with a little sense and a fair amount of hard work — parlay into an operation as large as he wants to make it.

concrete business

You’ll need a bag of cement (a sack of light cement costs less than $2.00), a hammer, chisel, small broom, some sand, gravel, a five-gallon can of water, some old boards, and a small float. (The small float is a piece of smooth 1″x4″ board about nine inches long with a handle on top, used for finishing off the concrete. Once your business is rolling you may want to invest in a good trowel … but chances are you’ll still keep that old float handy and use it often.)

Put all these supplies in the back of your jalopy and drive to a suburban area of any big city (one-family houses, five to ten years old, in the middle income section are the best prospects). Cruise along slowly until you see a crack or broken section in the sidewalk, someone’s drive, or the foundation of a house. As soon as you see anything that needs cement repair, stop and speak to the owner.

Point out the liabilities involved if someone falls on a broken sidewalk and emphasize that expensive repairs later can be completely headed off now with the proper low-cost preventive maintenance. When you quote a price of only $2.00 to $5.00 for most little jobs, they’re usually yours and you can begin immediately.

If the crack is small, enlarge it to a width of about two inches with your hammer and chisel. Mix some cement, sand, and gravel (usually one part cement, two of sand, and three of gravel is a good mix) directly on the sidewalk or a piece of your scrap lumber. Add water until the patching material is the consistency of soft dough, wet the crack well so the new concrete will adhere to the old, and trowel the new filler into the old crack. Tamp the new concrete firmly, level and smooth its surface with the float, sweep the surrounding area with your broom, cover the new work with an old board and collect your money.

Operate this little business only on good days, as a rainstorm can ruin your work. Once you find a prime neighborhood, go back day after day until you’ve covered it completely.

Try to take only the smaller jobs, at least in the beginning, and you’ll earn the most for the least effort. Later, as you plow some of your cash into better equipment, you can tackle the larger projects. A friend of mine started patching sidewalks in just this way when he was laid off from his regular job in the 1940’s. Soon, he was earning over $200 a week for three days’ work. He later expanded, hired help, and now owns a full-scale contracting business of his own.

 

Tags

  • business
  • cement
  • concrete
  • henry
  • horstig
  • mother earth news
  • plan

Related Posts

 
Finding Your Niche, Living the Life, Success Stories

Breeding Heritage Livestock for Our Farm and the Future

 
Finding Your Niche, Getting Started, Market Yourself

Twelve Ways to Sell Your Products

 
Finding Your Niche, Getting Started

A Guide to Selling Christmas Trees

 
Finding Your Niche, Getting Started

Start Your Backyard Flower Farm

 
Featured, Finding Your Niche

Grow Your Own Popcorn

Leave a Comment

  Cancel Comment


      Connect with Us

    • Get Our Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Mother Earth News

    • Live better... on less! You can have pure foods, clean water, lower bills - and the good life that you (and those you love) deserve. You'll find tips for slashing heating bills; growing fresh, natural produce at home; and more.
    • Subscribe today!

      Popular

    • Start Your Backyard Flower Farm
    • 5 Easy to Grow Plants to Sell on your Homestead
    • How to Troubleshoot Engine Problems in Your Tractor
    • Making Money with Angora Goats, Part 4
    • The true cost of starting a goat herd.
    • Recent

    • Tips to Make Your Small Space Comfortable and Cozy
    • Enjoy Your Homestead! Using Outbuildings and Designing Outdoor Spaces
    • Weather Damage: Should You Repair or Replace?
    • 6 Homestead Projects to Complete on a Weekend
    • How to Keep Your Homestead Pets Healthy


Delivered by:

Mother Earth News Grit Community Chickens Community Chickens Community Chickens
Copyright © 2025, All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Ogden Publications, Inc., 1503 SW 42nd St., Topeka, Kansas 66609-1265