Update

Just realized that I forgot to update the blog. I will be down until the new year as I'm recovering from back surgery presently. I hope everyone has a great holiday season


Sincerely,

Roger

Corkboot

Investigate prices before you sell

Yesterday I had the pleasure to help out an old acquaintance. He was looking to sell a half load of cedar and fir logs. In our discussion he mentioned that he had an offer on the table from an individual looking to buy his 35 logs for $900. I will be honest, it stopped me in my tracks. I asked, "How many board feet do you have and what are the current lumber prices in your area?" He had no idea, but I'm sure the gentleman with the offer on the table did. I took the time to help him out and show him where to look up a good board foot calculator and a cubic metre to board foot calculator as well. With that I then recommended he check out the local lumber dealers to compare board foot prices in his area. We discussed the different size lumber that could be manufactured from his logs as well and I showed him where and how to locate the clear lumber. As it turns out, the old friend will make almost $1500.00 more if he gets the logs milled and sells the lumber himself.

Things to consider are:

1)Don't jump in and do business with the first offer put on the table, get several
offers and compare price and options.
2)Know what the local markets are allowing product to be sold for.
3)If you have the time to sell your product on your own and it makes sense, take
advantage of the opportunity around your schedule.
4)If you are not sure what your product is worth, just ask. There are people,
companies and organizations out there willing to help. If you are uncertain where
to locate people that are willing to help, ask other woodland and woodlot owners,
farmers, wood workers, wood product dealers...

Remember - take a tree, not a forest!

Follow up to last weeks topic

Over the last week several people have asked how much impact can a small purchased item from a local source truly have on a local economy? I will give you a couple of examples.

1) Portable miller - to mill a log(s)things that are needed from the local economy - gas, blades, files or filing equipment, tools, oil, welding supplies, safety equipment, advertising, depending on location vehicle (gas, maintenance), depending on type of saw will need a tractor, bobcat or loader or a labour force, first aid - training and supplies, clothing and work gear, equipment to haul logs or trucking firm to work with you, food and beverage supplies, side lumber and sawdust - how do you utilize this material so it is not wasted, mechanical requirements for your equipment, custom sawing, planning, re saw work - do you do it yourself or hire the work out?

2) Buying and selling local produce versus buying imported vegetables and fruit -has an effect on labour, equipment(from tractors to pruning shears), maintenance and repair, fuel, tools, feed if you're using animals, bags or boxes and buckets to carry items in, storage, energy and water. Are you on or off the grid? If you are off the grid, where did you purchase your supplies from? Do you run a road side booth or table at a market - things to think about tables, coolers, cash boxes, packaging, advertising supplies, awnings or tents or lumber for building material plus building supplies for home made booth or boxes, fertilizers - are they organic or chemical based, fencing, posts and vegetable sticks, ties. Do you run a green house? Is it plastic or glass? How is it heated - thermal, wood, electric or gas?

They say that for every item we purchase or sell we come in contact with 300 people directly or indirectly. Take for instance going to the market or store. What and who do we come in contact with? What do we purchase and how is our money re-spent? Is your money reintroduced into the local economy through restaurants, stores (food and clothing), for insurance, gas, oil, health care, home maintenance, home purchases, mortgages, rents, travel, taxes - to pay for military, roads, health care, government run programs, schools...?

Endless opportunities exist when buying decisions are carefully thought through. Not only for job creation but market potential. For every item listed above it makes us think about where the items are manufactured - locally, state, provincially or country wide? How and what is the item made from? Where is it from? How many people were involved in the manufacturing process? How many nuts and bolts were manufactured locally? What type of metal, compound, material is in the product? How is that milled or manufactured? Where are the machines from? Who made them and how? How many local people were involved?

For local woodland and woodlot owners potential is only limited to creativity. Income sources can come from logs, lumber and wood bi products, recreational activities, camping, birding, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, horse back riding, ATV adventures, produce, floral, health care, herbs, meat and game products, educational adventures, B and B's, home care items....

Remember - take a tree not a forest!

Update for CorkBoot.com

Some of the educational links and educational material have been sent to the web designers to label and attach to the specific areas of the site. As this material comes up over the next few weeks, the rest of the links and educational material will follow weekly as I am trying not to overwhelm the web designers with too much information at one time.


Thanks for your patience

Before You Buy

When purchasing items, do you look at the labels? Do you take into account things like where the item is made, how is it made and who has manufactured the product? Do you buy locally? How does your local economy, people in your province, state or country count? How much impact can a small item have on your local economy whether the item costs one dollar or a thousand dollars? How many people are employed locally? How many spin off businesses are affected by your buying decisions? How much impact does your money have in and on your local economy when it is cycled from business to business and person to person? If we all looked at the labels and made a conscious effort to purchase local product before buying imported product how many people would be working full time or part time? If each province, state or country has five hundred thousand to a million people residing there, and we made a conscious effort to look at labels, and spend that couple of dollars from our weekly budgets on local produce and goods, it is mind boggling what effects a local $1.00 purchase has.

Remember - take a tree not a forest!

Thinking outside of the box

When you are trying to create a new market place for your products,think outside of the box. The best way to describe this action is to give you a few scenarios:
1) House flipper or investor - do you build,fix and sell or do you calculate rental or lease income over a longer duration of time to compare profit and equity?
2) Farmer - do you sell products to a buying house, or do you create an alternate market in a large town close by, or do you do both?
3) Residential construction company - do you build a subdivision to sell or do you compare lease income over a longer period of time against profits and equity from selling the homes?

All you have to do is grab a pen and paper, write down how you are currently selling your products on one side, and on the other side write down where you could sell your products. Make sure it is completely opposite to your current methods. It might seem trivial but surprisingly many good ideas can be created,used and profited from.

Remember - Take a tree not a forest!

Multiple market places to prosper from

When selling product(s) keep in mind there are many nationalities in the world, many lifestyles and characteristics. Although no two people think the same they might have similar interests. When selling items - diversify. Reach as many people in as many areas as you can handle. Be open to new ideas. If you are not maximizing your profit potential, research and develop new techniques to reach individuals and companies from other market types that may fall into your product demographics. If you are uncertain of what to try next don't sit back and waste time. Ask for help from as many people or companies as possible. Creative diversification when done properly creates many opportunities and possibilities.Remember - take a tree, not a forest!