Mobil Oil Change Business – To Buy a Franchise or Not to Buy a Franchise, That Is the Question

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If you are thinking of going into the Mobil Oil Change Business – you may have asked yourself; Should I buy a franchise or not. After running a franchise company called The Oil Change Guys for many years, I had seen both pros and cons for franchisees who have bought into the concept. Not long ago, someone asked me:


What would be the advantages and disadvantages going with a franchise apposed to going at it your self?

Now first off you must realize, that there are not that many Mobil Oil Change franchises available on the market in the first place. There is only one mobile franchise company that comes to mind, that has any strong brand-name identity; Oil Butler. There are however, several fairly well-known business opportunities that sell Mobil oil change business packages.

A person can buy a Mobil Oil Change business opportunity and use whatever name they wish for their company, this would be good for an entrepreneurial type, who wishes to build a strong local brand in a community, or servicing fleet business in the region.

If one is to buy a Mobil Oil Change franchised outlet, typically they will pay a $20,000 franchise fee, which is a definite big upfront cost. Those that buy a business opportunity will be buying a trailer, or equipment that they can put inside of a pickup truck or van. The prices for Mobil oil change equipment amongst the business opportunity crowd is pretty competitive, so, there is no one gouging you on price.

Likewise, a franchise or cannot charge its franchisees too much money for the equipment or use of the brand-name, because this would put its franchisees at a competitive disadvantage in the marketplace and the franchisee would have to recoup the initial startup costs, by charging more to its customers. There is strong demand in the sector, but there is also competition from fixed site locations and even Wal-Mart Auto Centers, where I get my oil changed.

Many Mobil Oil Change franchisors will tell you that they have fleet business available and contacts with large companies and this could start your business off at a fast pace. This is important because it takes a long time to build a serious customer base, without thoroughly blitzing the local market.

Building mobile oil change routes is very difficult, and to make money, these routes must be very efficient, and the customers must be very close together, especially considering the price of feel right now at three dollars per gallon. Additionally, in many markets, there is a quite a bit of traffic, and it cost a lot of labor to drive through that traffic to get to each customer.

So, if the routes are not tight, the costs of the operator will skyrocket due to labor and remember that automotive technicians are commanding a very high price right now in the market due to the shortage of auto mechanics. To make money in this business it is all about efficiency.

If someone is a very entrepreneurial driven individual then they may not like taking orders or having people tell them how to do things. If this is the case, then they will not like being in a franchise system. Theoretically, a franchise system has already made all the mistakes and the mistakes are built out of the business. So the franchised operator generally will go through a much quicker learning curve and thus, they will say if the money that they paid for the initial franchise fee.

One thing that many new Mobil oil change operators do not realize is that just because you sign up a customer does not necessarily mean that you will make a lot of money off of each one. This is because the average customer only changes the oil in their car every three months or 5000 miles.

The real money is not in the personal car market, but rather the fleet business market, where there are lots of trucks, buses or cars all lined up in a row. The mobile oil change business does not work well running like a pizza deliver service on call, unless properly grid out the city and that is a whole different type of business, but it can be done and it is fun to do.

Securing key accounts in fleet business is paramount and if a franchisor can help you do that quicker, then I would say they are worth every dollar. If they do not offer that type of marketing or assistance, then they may not actually be the great advantage that it would be franchise buyer might believe. If you know nothing about the business, then a franchisor generally has pretty good training, and many of the competitors who sell business opportunities do too, although, I have never attended any of them.

One other issue that is important to the Mobil Oil Change franchised sector, is that many franchisors have specific deals with certain oil companies, and you will be locked into using a certain type of oil. This is good for bulk purchases at a relatively low price, but problematic when you find a specific fleet customer that will only use a specific brand of oil in it is not the one that you are allowed to sell or carry. This can hurt sales, so ask such questions upfront.

So if you are thinking about buying a Mobil oil change business as a franchise or starting your own these are some the things that you will need to consider. If you have any additional questions, you need to seek an expert. There is a great book online that you can buy called Melric’s Mobile Oil Change Guide. I hope this answers your question.

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Source by Lance Winslow

Does Sitting Too Much Cause Sciatica?

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Something that many people know is that sitting too much causes sciatica. After all, one thing that many cases of sciatica have in common is that the people that suffer from it generally have jobs or lifestyles that involve sitting for a good portion of the day, whether it be working at a desk in an office, being a truck driver, or a student sitting in school for many hours a day.

But surly this can’t be the whole story, can it? There are so many other people out there that sit just as long, if not longer, that never experience the pain of sciatica. What else is going on here?

Well, for starters, sitting for long periods of time can cause stiffening in the muscles of the hips and back. This is probably one of the most common reasons why people develop conditions such as piriformis syndrome where a muscle becomes tense and irritates the sciatica nerve.

I understand that many jobs require sitting for many hours on end, such as office jobs or driving jobs and situations like sciatica or “trucker’s butt” may seem unavoidable. However, you certainly don’t need to sit continuously for 8 hours, do you?

Take a break every two hours or so and stand up from your desk or pull off to the side of the road and get out and move your body a little bit. Something as simple as this can be huge in preventing that muscle stiffness from developing and getting your blood flowing again.

Secondly, most people do not sit properly. I know so many people that put their wallet in their back pocket while they sit down or people that slouch or slump down in their chair while they’re working. These kinds of habits are just setting you up for sciatica.

You see, sitting with a wallet in your back pocket raises one hip higher than the other, which in turn, throws the whole spine out of alignment. And sitting with poor posture, that is just misaligning the spine as well.

When this happens, pressure and stress are not spread evenly through the spine the way they are meant to be and this can cause things like muscular imbalances and bulging discs in the back or hip areas.

It isn’t a big leap to go from bulging discs and muscle imbalances to sciatica pain and the belief that sitting is responsible for it all.

Really, though, it is important to realize that the act of sitting itself isn’t responsible for sciatica. Sitting is a normal and commonplace thing in our society. The problem is in the way that we sit.

Many of us sit for too long without taking breaks to stretch or just get up and walk for a few minutes. Others of us have developed poor habits while we are sitting that contribute to back problems. Indeed, sitting isn’t the problem so much as being smart about how we sit. Make sure you take a break every few hours to stretch and make sure you aren’t holding yourself in unusual positions while you are sitting either.

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Source by Leroy Lombard

Chevrolet Corvette Named After a War Ship

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Chevrolet Corvette named after a War Ship you say? Corvette is a French word given to (nautical, historical) a flush-decked warship of the 17th-18th centuries having a single tier of guns; it ranked next below a frigate; In the modern navy, a lightly armed and armored blue water warship, smaller than a frigate, capable of trans-oceanic duty.

Most modern Navies of the world include War Ships in the Corvette class in their fleets. You may remember seeing in the news ROKS Cheonan (PCC-772) was a South Korean Pohang-class Corvette of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN), commissioned in 1989. On 26 March 2010, it broke in two and sank near the sea border with North Korea. North Korean torpedo from an attack submarine was believed to be the cause of its sinking.

In 1953 the first of the classic Corvettes hand built in Flint, Michigan named after a famous class War Ship the two door sports car was meant to be a gentlemen’s sports car. Although a Classic beauty it was under powered with its 6 cylinder engine it almost fell by the wayside.

The birth of the Chevrolet Corvette may not have happened had it not been for the War. You see steel was still in short supply back in 1953 which sent the car designer looking for a new idea. A promising new product hit the market that was durable and could be shaped into ca car body without much trouble. And a revolution started with the invention of fiberglass. The first of the Corvettes were hand built with fiberglass bodies and standard Chevrolet parts.

The 53 was powered with Blue Flame 6 cylinder truck motor that proved to be underpowered for the Corvette. It did get some upgrades to spice it up a little a three duce intake set up and by 54 some of the dealers were installing Paxton supercharges.

Many say had it not been for the development and release of the small block V8 a 265 cubic inch engine of 1955 the Corvette would not be with us today. From 1955 on the new V8 put the Chevrolet Corvette on the map being a true performer.

Owning one of these classics today has become a matter of immense pride. From the first to the models be built today they are stylish and classic and many appreciate the beauty of a high powered Chevy Corvette. Although very costly there is the attraction of their fuel economy. For the adventurous true connoisseur they are especially popular.

The market for restored Chevrolet Corvettes is powerful with the invention of internet auction sites, buying and selling these classic beauty’s has become safe, easy and convenient. You can find restored original condition better than when they were new. Another class out there is restored using the latest technologies like disk brakes and modern power options and air conditioning. Many get attached and will not ever let them go.

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Source by David Nettles

How to Build Your Own Photo Booth For Cheap

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Photo booths are very expensive, bulky, and difficult to transport unless you have a big truck. Furthermore, custom photo booths are hard to come by these days. However, you can save a lot of money by designing it yourself.

Firstly, the material that your booth will be built out of must be chosen. Generally, the best way to design a booth is to build a frame/carcass using aluminum extrusions or t-slotted aluminum profiles. The reason why aluminum profiles are the best choice in this case, is because they are lightweight, easy to transport, and come together and apart like Lego. In other words, you will be able to put it together and take it apart in a matter of minutes.

For the exterior panels, a wide variety of materials can be used. This can be plastic, plexiglass, or even plywood. Everything depends on where this booth will be used and how you want to decorate it.

Several software applications, such as FrameXpert or AutoCAD, will let you design your own 3D aluminum frames and preview them. Then, aluminum frames for photo booths can be bought or ordered through a wide variety of manufacturers and retailers.

The cost for a complete photo booth using Aluminum Frame Designer is under $1000. Generally, the frame costs around $500-600 and all the panels, shipping, and camera equipment add another $300-400 to this cost. Comparatively, a pre-built photobooth usually sets you back over $7000, hardly a viable price unless it will be used every day. And, unlike the pre-built booth, the aluminum-framed custom booth will come apart in a matter of minutes and fit in the trunk of a regular car, making it perfect for one-time events such as weddings, parties, banquets, and also photo booth rental businesses.

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Source by Sonya Blade

Strip Club Vs Gentlemen’s Club – What’s The Difference

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What’s the difference between a strip club and a gentlemen’s club? If you’re going on a big night out with the boys, this is something you should know. Once you’ve been to a few strip clubs, it’s time to upgrade and head to a gentlemen’s club to see some real women.

First of all, and this is the most important difference, the girls are hotter at a gentlemen’s club. Not only are they hotter, but they’re also classier. If you’ve ever been to Cooter’s Horndog on Interstate 27, you’ll know what I mean. Sometimes it’s the difference between a Playboy model and a truck stop prostitute. The women at these clubs can be not only sexy, but so classy and attractive that you’ll want to come back and see them over and over again. If you’ve got a few beers in you, it might even be love.

Another difference is that the place will be cleaner. If you’ve been to some local strip joints, you know that there are some places you don’t want to sit down. Some places have tables that are so sticky, you wonder how many gallons of beer have been spilled there, and whether the bartender understands the concept of “wiping down.” At a nicer place, it will really be immaculate in there. They’ll also have it nicely decorated so that you feel a sense of class, unlike some strip clubs that feel like you’re in somebody’s creepy basement. They’re usually better lighted too, so you can see the girls better.

A gentlemen’s club will be less likely to be full of drunken idiots. Or at least they’ll be wealthy, well-dressed drunken idiots drunk on expensive booze. While a strip club lets in any old local yokel (and they roll in there in packs), these places are a little bit pickier. You have to at least be decently dressed to go in. The higher price also helps cut down on the riff-raff that gets blown in off the street.

One of the signs of a gentlemen’s club is that they’ve got a valet to park your car. You don’t usually see this at strip clubs, especially the ones located in storefronts. This shows that the place has some class. You’ll also get this idea from the bouncers when you approach the door. They’re less likely to be drooling as they check your ID, and they’ll make you feel like the amount of money you’re paying is worth entering their establishment.

That’s another key difference – the money. If you’re going to a nice place, you should expect to bring some bills. First of all, the cover charge is going to be much higher. This ensures that only the right kind of people get in. Drinks will also cost you a lot more than you expect. You should also know that you’re one dollar bills aren’t going to get the strippers shaking it over to your part of the stage, and you’re not going to get a lap dance for ten dollars.

If you want to really enjoy your strip club outing, a gentlemen’s club is the way to go. But be careful because some regular strip joints advertise themselves as a “gentlemen’s club,” complete with a cheesy neon sign and $10 monkey suit for the bouncer. Ask around and make sure it’s the real deal or you’ll end up wasting your time and money.

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Source by Abigail Aaronson

Understanding the Risk of Concrete Dermatitis

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One of the most common construction materials is concrete with more than a million workers in various occupations using it regularly. However, not many people are aware that exposure to wet concrete poses some risks. If you use concrete in your work or you supervise any work that makes use of concrete, it is a must to learn about its hazards, one of which is developing concrete dermatitis.

What is concrete or cement dermatitis?

This is a skin condition caused by contact with cement. The combination of the cement’s wetness and chemical abrasion and corrosion can lead to skin irritation. When people working with cement become sensitive to cement’s additives such as chromium salts then they could develop allergic dermatitis. Some of the symptoms of concrete dermatitis are redness, itching, blister formation, swelling, and scaling.

Who Is at Risk?

Cement is a basic ingredient in many building materials such as tile grout and plaster. It is also a binding agent used in making modern mortars and is also added in modern stucco or render to make it more durable. So, aside from construction laborers working with plain concrete, other workers or using cement-containing materials are also at risk of concrete dermatitis including those who do concrete finishes, who use precast concrete, truck drivers of ready-mix concrete, carpenters, cement block and brick cement layers, tile setters, plasterers and terrazzo workers. In addition, over exposure to cement dust is also hazardous because cement dust when mixed with sweat becomes very corrosive. Those at particular risk include cement plant laborers, cement drilling workers and disaster emergency units such as firefighters.

Why is Wet Cement Hazardous?

Portland cement, the most common cement type, consists of calcium oxide which turns into the highly alkaline calcium hydroxide when water is added to cement. On the pH scale, ph14 is the highest alkaline point and calcium hydroxide has a pH of 12-13, making it extremely damaging once it gets onto human skin which has a normal pH of 5.5 and is actually slightly acidic. That acidic layer of skin helps it repair damage and because alkalis counteract acid, prolonged skin exposure to strong alkaline substances such as in wet cement can cause severe skin damage.

First Aid Treatment

If fresh cement comes into contact with skin, rinse the skin with clean, cool water at once. Likewise, if cement gets into the eyes, flush with clean, cool water for about 15 minutes. Seek medical help if irritation does not subside.

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Source by Cory Grant

Origins of the Baltimore County Fire Department

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One of the more unique fire fighting forces in Maryland is that of Baltimore County. Its combination service consists of several volunteer fire companies working in concert with the all paid Baltimore County Fire Department Maryland’s oldest municipal county fire agency. This revered and unique cooperative force protects a large suburban county surrounding Baltimore City.

In the middle 1800s the county area surrounding Baltimore becomes known as “The Belt” home to various mills and industrial complexes. Through the 1870s, mills and adjacent company villages increasingly fall victim to fire. The closest firefighting resources are the steam-powered fire companies from the by then mostly paid Baltimore City Fire Department. In 1878, the Waverly Fire Department organizes as the first in the county. The Towsontown Fire Company forms soon after, in the county seat known today simply as Towson. Local residents fund both the county paying for the fire houses and apparatus. While better than nothing this is inadequate for protecting the developing industrial areas surrounding Baltimore.

By 1881, city budget tightening brings a request that the county pay an up front fee for fire protection. Negotiations for a lesser amount are fruitless the city to fight fire in the county no more. With only two volunteer fire companies, County Commissioners contract with Charles T. Holloway. A past Chief Engineer and Fire Inspector of the Baltimore City Department, Holloway also began the city’s Insurance Fire Patrol. He also designs and builds chemical fire engines and hook and ladders and recently helped form the Pittsburgh Fire Department. Holloway agrees to help create a county fire department over which he will serve as Chief Engineer for six months.

In July 1881, the Waverly Fire Department disbands directed to turn their station and apparatus over to the new county fire department. On September 1, the Baltimore County Fire Department begins with seven horse-drawn chemical engine companies all but one built by Holloway. These are housed in as many fire stations in “The Belt” each including the Waverly Station with paid firefighters. The more distant Towsontown company remains volunteer with just a hook and ladder. Property of the Towsontown Fire Company transfers in 1883 to the County Department although it remains reliant on volunteers. On January 8, 1884, Chief Engineer Holloway resigns, his six-month tenure having lasted several years.

By the first half of 1888, the County Fire Department has nine stations each with a chemical engine plus four hook and ladders. The county owned Towsontown Station still relies on volunteers with a similar operation developing in Catonsville. On June 1, Baltimore City annexes the northern 2-miles and western 1-mile of “The Belt”. Seven county fire stations are lost adding apparatus, firefighters, horses and equipment to the Baltimore City Fire Department. The county department is left with fire houses in Highlandtown and Canton each with chemical engines plus two hook and ladders one in Canton the other at volunteer operated Towsontown.

In subsequent months the department rebuilds. In 1890, the new Catonsville Station opens under the county department the volunteers at Towson replaced soon after by paid personnel as well. More county stations follow by 1892. In 1894, the county department begins adding steam-powered pumping engines. About the turn of the century, various volunteer companies form often funded in part by the county bringing suggestions by 1901 the paid county department with its 10 stations be abolished. One volunteer group the Sparrows Point Volunteer Fire Department has seven companies in as many fire houses protecting the expanding Maryland Steel Company complex and shipyard in the southeast county.

On January 1, 1919, the city again annexes over 46 square miles from the county this time on all three sides plus a smaller southern portion from Anne Arundel County. This creates the boundaries of Baltimore City and County as known today. Lost are eight county fire houses plus six volunteer companies. As before, the Baltimore County Fire Department is left with meager resources -13 personnel for one engine now staffed with paid personnel at Towson, one engine at Catonsville and a driver assigned to the county-owned engine of the Pikesville volunteers. Nineteen volunteer departments remain however only about 10 have modern apparatus. Lost are 39 paid personnel, eight motorized engines and two hook and ladders. The County Department will not operate as many engines again until 1943 and it will take until 1949 before they have another ladder truck.

In subsequent years, the County Department rebuilds operating at times from barns as well as taking over other recently defunct volunteer companies such as in Essex and Relay. In April 1942, the County Department begins ambulance service from three of its stations. After World War II, growth brings tract housing and industry seeking spacious locations near skilled but less costly labor. The suburban building boom that follows absorbs once rural areas especially near the city line. Various new volunteer companies form as the County Department also expands to meet the growing demand.

In 1954, radio communications begin from a central dispatch facility in the new Towson Station. In 1957, a paid fire department under Bethlehem Steel replaces the volunteers at Sparrows Point consolidating to a single new firehouse. At the close of the 1950s, the County Department has 14 engines, one ladder truck, one tanker and six ambulances from 10 stations. There are 31 volunteer company stations including at least two ambulance companies plus several campus facility, military and industrial departments.

The 1960s bring further expansion of the County Department as the proliferation of volunteer companies wane. By decades end, the County Department has 22 engines, five ladder trucks, one tanker, eight ambulances and several special units from 18 stations. There are 33 volunteer company stations including two ambulance companies plus facility, military and industrial departments all operating as a cooperative force.

In the early 1970s the County Department like the city begins paramedic ambulance service. In subsequent years and decades, the Baltimore County Fire Department expands further adding more stations including paramedic ambulance only facilities. In 1987, the Sparrows Point department goes to the County Department becoming Station 57. The latest county station opened in 2009 a replacement multi-service facility for Parkton Station 60 in the rural northern county.

Baltimore County’s fire rescue service is provided by a unique system that includes an all career County Fire Department with 25 stations operating 30 engines, 9 ladders and 30 paramedic ambulances. This agency works in unison with various volunteer companies also with an impressive fleet of resources including engines, tankers, ladders, rescue trucks and paramedic ambulances. While other counties in Maryland now have municipal county fire departments these typically came after World War II. The Baltimore County Fire Department is the oldest such entity in Maryland and is one of the more unique cooperative municipal paid and volunteer fire and medical service agencies in the nation.

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Source by Rusty Gill

Pros and Cons Of Various Types Of Barriers

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A head on crash is very severe when compared to other types of highway crashes. It takes just a few seconds for vehicles moving at highway speed to cross the median and collide with the vehicles from the other side of the lane. Median barriers are effective in separating the opposing traffic streams of a road physically. It also helps to stop vehicles moving into the opposite lane accidentally and to avoid pedestrians crossing the road at risky places. In 2006 there were 821 median cross over accidents that resulted in fatalities on U.S National highway system alone.

The factors that influence the selection of a barrier system are the type of the vehicles involved, roadway geometry and the potential severity of any head on crash incident. In most locations a standard barrier capable of redirecting the vehicles to the right area would suffice. However, in locations with complex geometry, adverse environmental conditions, heavy truck traffic and high traffic volumes and speeds, a barrier with high performance is necessary.

There are basically three categories of median barriers. They are detailed below,

Rigid barriers

The most common type of the median barrier in use today is the concrete barriers.

Pros:

– They are widely used because of their maintenance free characteristics, low life cycle cost and safety performance.

– They are very effective in avoiding vehicle crossover collision on accident prone regions with high traffic volumes and speed.

– They can also be used in areas where the required median widths to install other types of barriers is not available.

– Jersey barrier is a modular concrete barrier that allows the vehicles to collide on its lower slopped face, pivoting it back in its original direction.

Cons:

– Comparatively the installation cost of rigid barriers is high.

Semi rigid barriers

It is otherwise called as guardrail or guiderail. These rails are made of metals and they are collected in segments supported by posts or blocks.

Pros:

– Unlike rigid barriers, semi rigid barriers are designed to absorb more energy from the impact and the entire assembly move or deflect during the crash. Hence, lesser damage to the vehicle.

– Installation cost is less.

Cons:

– They are only suitable in the areas that are not sloppy and have good soil condition.

– The cost of the repair following an impact is high.

Cable barriers

Typically it consists of multiple cables that are connected to each other in a series of posts.

Pros:

– It is the most versatile and forgiving barrier system in minimizing the median crossover crashes. This absorbs most of the energy of the impact and reduces the forces exerted on the vehicles and its occupants.

Cons:

– Considerable time and cost must be spent maintaining, endangering motorists and workers during each repair.

The other factors that are considered before deciding the barrier type are road alignment, crash history and the number of lanes.

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Source by Robert Lawson

Wholesale Salvage Merchandise: A Definition

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Wholesale salvage merchandise is a product category used in the wholesale and closeout business to refer to merchandise that has either been damaged, or has been exposed to a situation in which the potential for damage is high. Salvage is a term that was first used to refer to products that were transported on trains that derailed. For instance, if a train was transporting a container of electronics, and a derailment took place, the insurance company would pay the owner of the load for the damaged electronics. The insurance company would then take possession of the damaged merchandise and dispose of it through wholesale channels. A salvage buyer primarily purchases inventory that could have become distressed due to an accident, fire, or flood. While the salvage buyer can purchase this type of inventory for literally pennies of the original wholesale cost, he must sort the products out and try to repair any damaged merchandise.

The salvage category is appropriate for a retailer that has access to consumers that can tolerate slightly damaged merchandise in exchange for the implicit savings. A salvage reseller should consider purchasing items where the potential for damages is diminished. For example, a television has a much greater change of being damaged if a truck transporting it crashes, than a pair of jeans would. And because it is much easier to sew clothing than it is to repair general merchandise, most experienced salvage buyers will prefer to focus on apparel, and soft goods for that matter. Because of the nature of this wholesale category, it is imperative that buyers inspect the goods in person, so that they can ascertain what percentage of the inventory can be sold as is, and the cost involved in repairing any damaged items. If an inspection is not possible, the buyer would want to obtain a low enough price that will mitigate his risk in making a purchase sight unseen.

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Source by Donny Lowy

How to Make Money Fast by Retrieving and Returning Shopping Carts

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Are you looking for a way to make money fast? If you have a large utility vehicle, like a pick-up truck, you can retrieve and return shopping carts for a cash reward.

Most every mid to large retail grocery, variety and department store has a stock of shopping carts on hand. They are purchased by the store, of course, so that customers can use them when shopping in their store.

Shopping buggies are expensive. The average cost to the retailer for just one is between 75 and 100 dollars. Large ones like the kind you find at wholesale and club stores can run upwards of 200 dollars or more.

Most retail stores have dozens of them; busy big-box stores may even have hundreds of them. Purchasing enough of them to meet a store’s demand and traffic levels requires a significant expenditure of cash.

It is, therefore, in the best interest of the retailer to protect that investment. Most retailers do their best to make sure that carts remain on store property. However, shopping buggy theft is all too common. The average store loses about $8,000 $10,000 to per year to this problem.

Because they are so expensive to buy, many store owners and retail companies pay cash rewards for the return of their carts which have been stolen (or “borrowed”) and not returned. Cash rewards typically range from 25 to 50 dollars per cart.

Here’s how you can retrieve and return those buggies for cash: contact retailers in your area which have shopping carts. Find out if they pay for returned carts. Many do, but won’t give cash rewards to just anyone. (Store owners don’t want the public to abuse the reward system by stealing carts themselves in order to get the reward.) Usually you have to sign a cash-for-retrieval contract.

You’ll have to provide some forms of identification, usually a driver’s license plus one other item (like a Social Security or credit card). You may have to sign a waiver absolving the store of liability in the event of something unforeseen.

You can make arrangements with any or all of the retailers in your area. The more contracts you have, the more money you can make.

If you’ve lived in your city for any length of time, you’ve probably seen common dump sites for stolen shopping buggies. Visit these areas regularly. Additionally, get in the habit of keeping your eyes open every time you’re out and about town. You’ll probably spot discarded shopping carts regularly. You can pick these up and return them as you come across them, or store them at home until you have several of them.

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Source by Scott Lindsay