How much time do you want/have to invest in it? Are you looking to sell some stuff over the internet on the side, or do something part or full time? How much risk are you willing to take?

Bordello.

Full or part time?

Willing to work weekends, and how much?

Will this be your only source of $$$?

I know some, but need to know more about your situation. I just helped a buddy get set up, due in part to the fact that I sell the equipment he is using, in a job that is mostly weekends and involves a lot of travel.... to airshows, county fairs, and other events.

But, he will be able to turn $400-1500 profit a weekend if he does it right, although not every weekend. His initial investmet was about $8000-10000, most of that he can get back if he liquidates because he purchased mostly used equipment and it won't depreciate much.

Contact IMI and tell them that you want to sell their ammo and will move more of it than Botach because, well you know. Also there is some cool Israeli gear, like slings etc that you could sell on the same website.

I've been thinking of this often myself and believe it or not you have all kinds of options.

First thing to keep in mind is that a good business will have to have a banking connection and line of credit to cover the inconsistencies created by cash flow.  Any companies or businesses fixed cost, rent/utilities/payroll, will have to be paid regardless of sales or cash flow demands.

With this in mind, a $50,000 down payment on a business can line you with good financing for up to a $250,000 or more with the right fincial institution and presentation, business plan etc.  This opens alot of options.

The other thing to consider is how much work you personally want to do.  With proper financing you can hire a good business manager and oversee or you can manage yourself.  Most people I know that have failed have failed because it was more work than they cared to do.

Successes I've personally seen.

Dry Cleaners, typically this is one actual cleaner with a number of small outlet drop off and pick ups.   This is a cash and carry business which has benefits and I know two guys who loved owning this type of business.

Automatic coin car washes are always a favorite for the minimal time involved.  Rental Storage also fits in the catagory.

Most fun I've known is the guy who makes a living doing what he loves.  One buddy of mine opened a boat rental and bait shop. Hell most of these guys who sell guns for a living have me envious and I know a couple who started at gun shows only and have now quit there day jobs.

Most failures I have known has been in retail and resturants.  The retail failures were product selection and location related while resturants were the long hours.  I do know a couple that are very successful at resturants but they did it by hiring a competitant resturant manger which puts in all the hours.  

Biggest personal I should have was a Oil Change business with an adjacent coin operated car wash. I could have picked it up for $25,00 but the location turned me off.

Worst I looked at was a motorcycle repair shop that was part suppler relationship dependent. It too was $25,000.  

These $25,000 businesses did not include buildings which were leased from the owners and part of your overhead.

Luckiest accidental business was my neighbor got an inheritance and paid off his house.  He got his car dealors license and started buying cars at the car auction one at a time for the fun of it.  He develped such a reputation for good prices and fair dealings, he bought a lot.  He sold his house to build a bigger one.  This all happened in six to nine months.

As you can see, the real problem in starting a business is not the money.  It's the willingness to take a chance and the opitons are so many.

Tj

Real Estate rental can be a pain. Remember you own the property and are liable for it. Repairs, up keep and chasing down rent can be costly.

For real estate investing, it is better to buy depressed properties. Upgrading/repairing them and then selling. For this you might want to work with a good home improvement type contractor, as well as a good RE agent to look for and sell your houses. Once you get rolling, get your own RE lics.

Well, I refurbish and sell Graphotype machines, used to print military dog tags. These machines were built from 1940-197? and made like tanks, take care of it and it will last forever. I came into this by accident because my first machine that I actually use to make tags broke and nobody was around who could fix it except one company that got $80/hour including the 3 hour drive. I learned to fix it, then brought another and fixed it, and so on and so forth.

Anyway, a set of tags sells at a show anywhwere from $5-10 depending on the crowd and competition, you will have about $.65-80 in that set depending on what quanity you buy your tags in. 90% of my customers for these machines are surplus stores, but a few work them on the road like this guy will. A good airshow crowd will let you easily sell 150-600 sets or even more on a weekend. Same for a large county fair. Kids go crazy for these things.

He set up with the machine ($1850 plus delivery at my cost or you pick up (I don't ship them, trucking companies destroy them and I prefer to actually show the customer how to use it)), a concession style trailer to work it out of, a new honda generator to run it if no power is available, a canopy tent to use if he cannot get the trailer to the site, an appliance hand truck to move it on, a hitch for his SUV, signs, and all the assorted small stuff. He plans to work an average of two weekends a month plus a couple week long state fairs. Most of my previous customers who do this have done really well, one purchased a second machine about a year later to work bigger shows with two and set up at two smaller shows on the same weekend.

I sold a wing of the Confederate Air Force one a couple years ago and another wing is picking one up from me next week.