Jeremiah-
I love your list! I'm going to steal some things from it and suggest some modifications. The changes are just my $.02 and are worth exactly what you paid for them. I hope they are of some value to you, If not feel free to ignore them! :-)
First regarding the postcards, I would use the post office's new service, called every door direct mail, or EDDM for short. Basically you can cover WAY more ground this way and the cost of delivery is about 15 cents each. You can't deliver them by hand that cheaply. I know you lose the personal touch, but you WILL get calls in a concentrated area, and they will pay for more postcards to be printed and sent. And then while you're out making your pickups you can network with the neighbors. Don't forget the most valuable question to ask your customers..."Who else do you know that could benefit from my services?". You'll get a lot of unexpected business that way!
Love your thought on increasing contacts, or networking. Find all the chamber and other events in your area and attend them religiously. I would not pay for a chamber membership, because there are so many of them to join, and you could literally spend thousands annually doing this, but most chambers will allow you to attend a few events every so often for free.
While you're doing eddm, consider posting professionally printed "bandit" signs. I bought a batch of 100 for $3.00 each online and posted them locally. My phone immediately started to ring.
Stop dealing with steel. Really? I'd hate to give up that $1000 or more per month that I am getting. If it is a storage issue buy yourself a trailer to keep it in that you can close and lock, or secure in a fenced in yard. I know that we all are operating on different scales. I rented a warehouse when I really couldn't afford it, and now I don't know where I'd be without it. Organized storage is key.
Separating working from being busy. I know this may be anathema to some on here, but I don't work in the shop unless at least one employee is with me. Having a time card chunking away focuses me greatly, it makes you focus on whether certain tasks are worth the work for the return, we accomplish what I set out to do for the day and then I send him/them home. Besides, handling that large awkward item is always easier with a second set of hands.
Also, if it isn't worth it to me to pay an employee to perform a task, then it isn't worth MY time to do. THAT was a hard lesson!
Start charging for your services. To me this goes without saying. I don't pick up free appliances unless they are on the way to something else. Since my business is junk removal, people expect to pay for those services. I usually have a minimum of $125, although if it is a single appliance I will often do it for $75.00. If you look at 800-SNOT-PUNK's website, THEIR minimum charge was $265.00 last I checked. Yes, even for a single sofa.
Organization: you are speaking my language here. Used to be everything got thrown into my warehouse with just a few buckets for different materials copper alum etc. but I could never find anything. It was a big ****hole. With our winter slowdown we spent some time organizing. There is now an area for sellable items, an area for items to break down, an area for testing items, tool storage, power tool and workbench areas, and EMPTY FLOOR SPACE. (The usefulness of the teacup is in its emptiness. Master Po.). If you don't have room to work you are killing yourself!
I hope some of that is of some value to you and others on here. I am excited for 2013 and can't wait to see what the new year holds. Happy New Year to all my brothers and sisters on here and happy scrapping!
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