NA Work for yourself? NA

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Sundancer

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Sundog
About to fold my tent, ooze into retirement, after a long, long career in IT, which I have zero interest in extending: truthfully, with the exception of the web, and mobile devices, modern IT is mostly re-re-hashing/re-re-naming of decades old tech/ideas. . . bored out, actually.

Anyway, I'd like to work for myself, from home; I don't need to make a killing, or even have a positive cash flow right away - it turns out my two grand kids are rather more gifted than bright-average (ain't genetics weird??), and it will make sense to get them out of public education and into private school, when they hit middle-school age. My son is an AD military officer, so that tells you all you need to know about his disposable income, so I'd like to help out.

I have some ideas, done some mining, but I bet there are a bunch of arenas that haven't occurred to me - any of you folks home in your jammies and bunny slippers, making a respectable buck in a manner or method that pleases you?
 
Sundancer said:
I have some ideas
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Can't say it enough: commercial drones. I would say an IT guy with pilotage skills would make a good part-time consultant or operator. I'm hoping the normally overbearing FAA will require an A&P signed conditional inspection on drones over 500lbs GW in the near future. But I'm not holding my breath.
 
Where I am, anybody that has some sort of skill set. House painting, car dent removal, appliance repair, what ever, and shows up on time and does what he says he will, will do well and be able to charge almost what he wants.

I am in the same situation. Bored with work, eligible to retire with benefits and a small stipend. A friend makes $125K/yr. doing boat equipment installs and repairs. He has no formal training, works by himself ad turns work away. Only does the jobs that he wants to. Talked with another guy who pulls dents and dings from cars. For a 1/2 hr. job, he cut me a break because I delivered the car to him. Charged $155. He says that he wants to retire but cannot find anybody to train. The ones that seem to do well are the sole proprietorships. No payroll to meet, low government involvement. Pick and choose what jobs you take. The retired painted my rentals, worked by himself out of his truck. Did not do exteriors or new construction. He would come in match the paint, touch up the old paint. Charges $800 for two days work. I was happy to pay him because he was much more reasonable than the completion and stuck to the quote,showed up when he said he would. No drama/BS.

To me the deal is to have no debt. Enough income that the essentials like property taxes, insurance are covered. I am close to executing my plan. Do not know if I will be able to keep the plane, though.
 
I work from home and have for the past 14 years, and do quite well. However, I'm doing the exact thing you don't want to do, for a company that's, umm, too big to fail.

I did have a side business, but it was a niche thing. I turned a hobby into a ham radio kit business. That was nice; I got to do some really fun stuff and it paid for my hobby and some pretty nice vacations. The it just got to be a pain in the ass, so that's gone.

If I were in your shoes right now I'd love to just help other small business owners, who are generally ignorant regarding technology, take advantage of things like VOIP and properly run systems. I cringe when I see what a lot of sole proprietors and small businesses are doing (and paying) to have everything done half-assed.
 
Bell206 said:
Can't say it enough: commercial drones. I would say an IT guy with pilotage skills would make a good part-time consultant or operator. I'm hoping the normally overbearing FAA will require an A&P signed conditional inspection on drones over 500lbs GW in the near future. But I'm not holding my breath.
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That.

Drones would be what I'd shoot for.
 
Bell206 said:
Can't say it enough: commercial drones. I would say an IT guy with pilotage skills would make a good part-time consultant or operator. I'm hoping the normally overbearing FAA will require an A&P signed conditional inspection on drones over 500lbs GW in the near future. But I'm not holding my breath.
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Maybe, but you'll have to compete with 60,000+ part 107 operators, plus the unlicensed "my cousin will take pictures of your house for $50" guys. It can be done, especially if you find a specialty and get good at it, but it's not a gold mine for everyone.
 
DaleB said:
Me too; at low altitudes I think a 12 gauge with #6 or BB shot would do the trick.
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image.jpg
 
F01LA said:
Maybe, but you'll have to compete with 60,000+ part 107 operators
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Not on the large (+55lbs) commercial side that is being reviewed and tested. There would be no sustained rate structure for the current Part 107 drones, so you're correct on that part.
 
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