Services to Offer Shared From MOTHER EARTH NEWS  Written By: MOTHER EARTH NEWS editors BRING ON THE CUSTOMERS  Our first few queries were, naturally enough, from potential customers . . . but we soon turned most of them into repeat visitors by dealing with each one on a personal basis. We told them who we were and what […]

In the Beginning Shared From MOTHER EARTH NEWS  Written By: MOTHER EARTH NEWS editors A few years back I suddenly found myself without a job. However, what could have been a disastrous—or, at the very least, unpleasant situation—actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. You see, once we were faced with the prospect of not having […]

\Chimney Sweeps Sweep Up Cash Shared From MOTHER EARTH NEWS  Written By: MOTHER EARTH NEWS editors Chimney Problems Open Up One Heck of a Business Opportunity We can draw at least three conclusions from this short history lesson: [1] Since it now seems obvious that the “convenient” ways of heating a house — with natural gas, […]

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 […]

The Business of Culinary Herbs Shared From MOTHER EARTH NEWS  Written By: MOTHER EARTH NEWS editors This is one of the most important phases of the herb business and offers good opportunities for the beginner. The herbs that are dried and packaged are numerous, but for the beginner we recommend starting with the most popular varieties. […]

Selling Your Herb Products Shared From MOTHER EARTH NEWS  Written By: MOTHER EARTH NEWS editors Your best prospects for selling display cards of herbs will be found among supermarkets, grocery stores, health food store. and specialty shops. Any store that sells food is a prospect for a dried herb display card. A good time to see […]

A Guide to Selling Christmas Trees Shared From MOTHER EARTH NEWS  Written By: Jack Hope Buying and Planting Christmas Tree Seedlings Evergreen seedlings, which are two years old and about eight to to inches tall when you plant them, are commonly sold in lots of 1,000 (call your state Christmas tree association for a list of […]

Run a Small-Scale Sawmill – Part 3 – Cons of Becoming a Lumbering Pro Shared From MOTHER EARTH NEWS  Written By: James Fairfield and the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Editors An old sawmill—nestled back in a mountain cove and covered with kudzu and cobwebs from months of disuse—is just about as depressing a sight as a weathered […]

Run a Small-Scale Sawmill – Part 2 -Pricing for Profit Shared From MOTHER EARTH NEWS  Written By: James Fairfield and the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Editors SAWMILL PROFIT POTENTIAL Once you’ve narrowed your scope and settled on sawing and selling as your activities in the timber trade, you’ll still likely have to work away at it for […]

Run a Small-Scale Sawmill – Part 1 – Equipment Shared From MOTHER EARTH NEWS  Written By: James Fairfield and the MOTHER EARTH NEWS Editors SAWMILL EQUIPMENT SELECTION In order to choose the right saw, you’ll first have to determine what kind of operation you plan to run and how much money you can afford to invest […]