Sunday, July 31, 2016

No Jobs, But Plenty of Work

If you are over 45 and unemployed, you'll never work again at what you are trained to do as an employee.  More school offers no hope of efficacious education, only the trap of unbankruptable student loans.

On the other hand, there is plenty of paid work to be done.  I came a cross a Korean immigrant in Seattle, who operates out of a 75 SF indentation at street level in a high rise condominium (425 Vine St, Unit D, Seattle, 98121).  I have no idea why the architects specified this tiny storefront.  A bucket flower shop?  No idea.  But this fellow operates a bicycle cleaning business in the space.  He is killing it (which kids today say meaning doing real well).  He simply bought this means-of-production and went into business.

Malls are dying, but they also represent quite a bit of capital even if empty.  Cops can patrol only so much, and chasing taggers is dreary.  Retirees who own those big RV, the live-in Winnebago, etc, and often park on Walmart lots overnight since otherwise parking places are difficult.

Well, I met a couple who has parked on a large and largely empty shopping mall lot.  By being there 24/7 they are in effect protecting the asset of the mall owners.  What they are paid, I have no idea.  But the Winnebago becomes the means of production (24/7 security presence) and no doubt qualifies for biz depreciation, and gas as a biz expense.  Wonder how a CPA would handle all that?

You've got a computer.  Contract with under-protected malls to welcome RV parking for people who only want a couple of nights in town.  A constant flow of "watchers" is as good as a long-tern one for keeping the squatters out.  Monetize the parking-match website with localized ads selling to RVers.

What means of production do you have that you are not employing?  Or you see someone else has they are not exploiting?  If Mexicans can sell tamales out of coolers on the street, and every culture has the meat-in-roll offer, you can sell piroshkies (or pastys or calzones, depending on your culture.)

Sure, you'll have to give the cops one, but that expense is covered by your other customers.

Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.


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