Handyman Work, Lawn Service Business, and Other Startups

article image
PHOTO: MOTHER EARTH NEWS STAFF
The handyman work  that found its way to Orangevale, CA resident Jim Myers included building decks like this one. 

The following are business startups that readers established after reading articles in MOTHER EARTH NEWS.


Rural Handyman Work

I was selling real estate In Los Angeles when I first saw a copy of MOTHER EARTH NEWS. Well, I read that magazine from cover to cover, and before long I realized I was both in the wrong place and in the wrong line of work. Soon thereafter my wife and I packed up and moved to rural northern California, but I didn’t know–at that time–what I was going to do to earn a living. Then along came another issue. The article “Food Self-Sufficiency Tips” hit me just as hard as had the first issue I’d seen. t figured that if I really wanted to live in the country, I needed to team to take care of myself …and that included working for myself.   

So, being fairly handy and owning a few tools, I decided to try my hand at carpentry. My initial investment was $300 for redwood lumber, with which I made picnic tables, benches, and mailboxes. I set up shop on the roadside, and sold my first batch of items in a hurry. Then one of my customers returned to ask me to build a redwood deck at his home! Well, that was my first big job; it earned me $500 In just a week and a half. Our new lifestyle was, I thought, off to a pretty good start. 

  • Published on Sep 1, 1981
Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368