Crap - It Might Be Out

The pooper-scooper business is not out, but it isn't moving forward just yet either. The owner has received a bid from another buyer, and until that gets resolved, I am not going to get involved. I'm not interested in a bidding war for a business as basic as this. Should the deal fall through, I will again consider it.

But I have all but convinced myself that I want to own my own business...be my own boss.

So I am looking at a slew of other businesses to buy, while waiting to see if the doggie doo business is viable. In addition to the list from the previous post, I am also looking at:

Small Grocery Store
Sign Fabrication, Manufacturing and Install
Vending Route With 42 Locations
Carpet Cleaning for Management Companies
Party Store Including Balloons and Helium Rentals
Pest Control
Billiards/Pool Hall

Right now, the Vending Route is leading the pack. It is very well priced, and would provide income similar to the poop business, however it would be longer hours and more physical work. It is also different in that a lot of the price would be related to buying the assets - 85 vending machines. I will probably be setting up a day to go out on the route with the current owner to see what it is like.

Every business will have negatives. But I am trying to avoid those that are obviously a problem. For example, the carpet cleaning business sounds good in a lot of ways, however, it would mainly require night or weekend work for the cleaners. And new laws in AZ have made it illegal to employ illegal immigrants, which had been the main workers in this industry.

Another important factor is to avoid industries that could be hurt by the presumably upcoming recession. There are a lot of pool cleaning businesses for sale here in AZ, but a recession will likely hurt this luxury industry, and many like it.

So the search continues, but I am beginning to narrow down the types of business that I would get into. And if the doggie business does fall through, I'll be bummed about all the missed joke opportunities like: Q - "How's business?" A - "Picking up!"

Holy Doggie Doo

When I was a lad, I used to have a job mowing lawns around the neighborhood. It was my first job. I would go to about 5 neighbors houses every week or two during the summer and cut and bag their grass. I made between 5 and 20 dollars per yard depending on size. Big bucks!

One day I went to cut my neighbor Mr. Bender's yard. He was in the yard with a shovel and trash bag swooping up his dog's poo. He said, "I just wanted to get this up before you shredded it all over the place....kid, if you could figure out a way to make money from picking up dog crap, you could be a very rich man."

Well, I don't expect to be a very rich man, but I'm about to check it out.

Let me get you up to date...

I started this blog when I first decided that I should quit my job and take some sort of adventure. I have blogged about all the steps I took from that point on: quitting my job, detailing my plans, selling my condo, storing my belongings, embarking from NJ (with CuzJoe), seeing as much of everything I could see for 20 weeks, landing in Phoenix, retrieving my stored belongings, renting an apartment, and summing everything up.

To come full circle, I need to talk about getting a job. So let me get you more up to date...

I spent the first full month in Phoenix recuperating from the adventure, and generally feeling quite content and proud. By October, and the second rent check, I slowly came around to the idea that I had better start thinking about earning a buck. By November, I had actually convinced myself that I should act on October's thought, and I posted my resume on Monster.com. Within a week, I had 4 head hunters contact me, and my Citigroup experience seemed to be a sought after quantity. I went to two interviews and had one good phone interview. I was being seduced back into the corporate mindset. Fortunately the holidays intruded.

I holidayed in San Fran for Thanksgiving and Haddonfield for Christmas and had the best of times for both. I've said it many times before; holidays are best when they're spent with family. The time in between was really a dead time, so I got re-addicted to reality TV and seeking out good places to eat.

During the holidays, and through to now, I have been changing my career perspective. I finally had an epiphany moment when I had a call from one of the headhunters. She described in perfect detail most all of the specifics of the the Citigroup job I quit last year. In other words, I was a perfect fit. But with every de-ja-vu detail, I felt more and more irritated and tense. Same old, same old - NO, not the same old for me. I must do something different!

I came to the conclusion that I want to start my own business. Yep, be an entrepreneur. My first thought was a collaboration between me and Mr. T. We'd open an auto parts store - "Murphy Auto". I suggested it to him, and he seemed into it. "Pierce Parts" is a nastier name, he decided. I've been in contact with NAPA Auto Parts and some other franchises, and I've been extremely underwhelmed with their responses.

I decided to search the web, and check out other business opportunities. When I mentioned this to SixPack, he suggested that I check out the "business brokers" in phoenix. Business broker?? So I googled it and came up with a googillion to choose from. All with web sites listing all the businesses that are for sale in the world. I paged through hundreds of them and came up with 3 business brokers in the Phoenix area that seemed real. I contacted them.

Dan was the first to respond. And he ended up being the only to respond. Dan's a "buyer broker", which means he represents the buyers in a business purchase. 99% of the brokers in this are "seller brokers". Dan says he is the only buyer broker in Arizona. I checked it out; I think he's right. Though he's a bit too verbose, I think I actually trust him (even though he's a republican).

The gist of what I've done with Dan so far is we both look on-line for businesses to buy and we try to narrow down what type of business would be right for me to run. I've gone through thousands, and he's suggested a hundred, and we set our sights on a first pass list of the following:

Dry Cleaners
Coin-Op Laundry
Limousine Service
PostNet Mail and Shipping Business Services
Pet Waste Removal
Wine Shop and Wine Tasting
Sandblasting Business
Smoke Shop
Water and Ice Store
Parking Lot Striping Company
Home Inspection Service
Golf Cart Dealership and Service
Ed McK's indoor Rock Climbing Structure Building Thingy (this is separate because mom put me in touch with Ed, and we have just emailed each other and will be discussing whether there is any fit to be found.)

While I am still pursuing the Limo Service, Smoke Shop, Parking Lot Striping Company, Golf Cart Dealership and Ed, one of them stuck out as a first to pursue. Yes, the Pet Waste Removal company.

All I'd have to do is walk around, in beautiful Phoenix weather, in shorts and a T-shirt, and pick up dog poop. Pooper Scooper. Doo Duffer. Turd Herder. [post your own pun here]. And for that, it sounds like I could make close to the same hourly wage I made when I quit Citi. I guess it's all the same when shoveling s**t.

Tomorrow I will be going to my first meeting with the seller of business. I think it will be a good experience to learn from. However, I actually like the idea of this poopy business. It's was written up as one of the best new businesses in America. Perhaps it is for me.

Either way, I think I will be a business owner of some kind in the next few months. I'll post whenever anything interesting happens. This will bring my blog full circle from quitting my career to starting a career. Then I can print off this whole blog, bind it in leather, and put it in the far corner of my closet.

Oh, The Places You'll Go...And What It'll Cost

I'm still enjoying the sunsets here in Phoenix and finding my way around my new hometown. I started mapping out my 140 day odyssey, and tweaked my back from sitting on the floor in an awkward position for too long. I was finally able to finish it so I thought I'd post a picture of it.

Also, I have spent some time accumulating all of my credit card bills and banking expenses. I compiled a detailed spreadsheet, and have finally determined (with an accuracy of around +/- 5%) that the trip was terribly expensive. From what I can tell, the whole trip cost me: $25,481.11. Before starting the trip I had guessed that it would cost somewhere between 20K and 30K, which turned out to be a pretty good guesstimate.

I summarised the expenses into some broad categories, and here's where the money went:

Cash - $9,251.82
Flights - $1,183.80
Food - $2,406.12
Gas and Auto - $1,787.19
Hotel - $3,880.19
Insurance - $1,728.52
Other - $3,172.44
Sightseeing - $1,242.92
Technology - $828.11
Total - $25,481.11

So that about wraps it all up. Sure, I still need to find a job or career, and also will probably buy a house eventually, but for the most part, I am now done with the Road Trip...well, at least this Road Trip.

I really did have the time of my life, and I'm sure I'll take the things I learned and get out and see much more of the world.

Cheers,

Scott

Grand Finale - Bryce and Zion

The final Road Trip is finished. I'm now done with the Road Trip after taking an awesome 5 day, 4 night adventure with TP, Mr.T and Beana as well as the Treason dogs Scully and Bronson. We all piled into an RV (Clyde), relegated Pre to a tow dolly, and headed North to Utah to experience both Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. What a grand finale to Road Trip 07!


We borrowed the RV from TP's boss and picked it up on Tuesday. It was a 36 foot long Land Yacht behemoth, and TP quickly took to loading it with a quantity of food that could easily have fed a small country (perhaps 90 percent was brought back with us). And on Wednesday morning, we attached Pre to the rear, and embarked on a scenic 9 hour trek from Phoenix through the desert, past the Grand Canyon, across the Lake Powell dam and on to Utah and a KOA just outside of Bryce Canyon NP.


Along the Road Trip, I had frequently passed by KOA's, without ever taking advantage of them. These are (k)campgrounds that are somewhat standardized - the Walmart of camping. My mistake, because the ease of use, stocked camp store, washer and dryer, and clean bathrooms and showers were quite impressive and would have made for some easy camping.


Of course having an RV to live out of also makes for easy camping. With stocked refrigerator, freezer and cupboards, combined with the KOA facilities, it was like being at home. I can now see how the RV "full timers" can live for years on the road. Just pull in, hook up to the water, electric and sewage, expand the slideouts, perhaps set up your satellite dish, and spend a few weeks at a stunning location with all the comforts. Outside of gas (and of course the RV purchase), it's a pretty cheap and interesting lifestyle. (Here's a link to one of many sites about Full Timers.)

We arrived after dark at the KOA and performed the basics of setting up our campground. Mr.T steadied the RV, I started a fire, and TP and Beana tended to the dogs, unpacked, set up chairs, etc. We then sat around the campfire snacking for dinner, cooking smores for dessert, and drinking the rest of the night away. It was a relief after such a long drive to be settled in and ready for the next few days. (BTW, thanks to Mr.T for doing 100% of the driving.)

The next morning, with TP tending to the pups and Mr.T actually working!, Beana and I headed into Bryce for our first look and a stunning and strenuous 5 mile hike. The first look is literally breathtaking. At Sunset Point we looked out over the Amphitheater, which contains some of the most striking Hoodoos (strange spires and pilings of limestone shaped by wind and water). Sunset Point was also the start of the combined Navajo and Peekaboo trails we had chosen for the day.


The hike started out with a series of steep downhill switchbacks that led straight down to Wall Street, a half mile long slot canyon with steep walls on each side towering straight up. This beginning was just a first glimpse of the many stunning sights along our hike.


The combined Navajo Loop and Peekaboo Loop trails formed a meandering figure-eight through the Cathedral. It was a series of treks up and down ridges of hoodoos. Because of the vast depth and diversity, coupled with the dramatic elevation changes, every few dozen paces provided new and exciting vistas and I couldn't keep my camera in my pocket. I took 130 pictures during the nearly 4 hour hike, more than at any other complete day. (Check more of them out in the photos section, some are pretty awesome.)


Many thanks to Beana, without whom I would not have pushed through the long, strenuous and wondrous hike of Bryce Canyon. It was unforgettable and "bad ass". If you visit Bryce, it is magical to look at, but to fully be appreciated, you need to hike down into the hoodoos.


Returning to the KOA, we found it inundated by about a hundred cyclists who were on a week long trip through southern Utah and its parks. TP had already befriended all of them and we spent hours listening to their travels and stories before firing up the grill for burgers and dogs. As has been standard when camping, nearly everyone else at the campsite was asleep shortly after sundown. I'm not sure why there isn't as much appreciation for the night sky. This remote part of Utah provides some of the clearest skies with the Milky Way easily visible and passing satellites can be spied if you are looking in the right direction.

The next day, with TP still tending to Scully and Bronson, and Mr.T finishing up his work week, Beana and I took the advice of a fellow RVer and headed to the slot canyon that is part of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (a part of Bryce makes up the top step of the Staircase). After 6 miles on a dirt road, we stopped at a secluded creek and proceeded to follow it out and back more than 2 miles as it wound through a long series of slot canyons that it created.



We walked right along the creek bottom, stepping over or into it as we wound through the canyons. At first, the canyons were no more than 8 feet or so, but as we went downhill with the stream the narrow canyon towered up probably more than 100 feet. The walls were washed smooth, and prodded out with bulbous noses and chins. With very few others in the canyon, it was a beautiful and peaceful trek. Scully and Bronson would have loved it, and had we known what awaited us, we would have dragged them and TP along.


Returning to camp, it was time to pack up and make the move into Bryce Canyon's campsite. Beana and TP took Pre in to scout out a site, and Mr.T and I went to drop the tow dolly off at the local U-haul. We reunited and set up at the Sunset campground, just outside of Sunset Point. So we went there to see the sunset. The prior night Mr.T and I had gone to see the shadows as dusk approaches, and this time, Beana and TP joined me for the beautiful display. It's an impressive display as the sun falls and the moon rises and the depth and beauty of the canyon is displayed as the shadows grow across the Amphitheater.

The night ended with clouds creeping in and a BBQ of salmon, shrimp and veggies. I wrapped the salmon in aluminum foil, but in a stick of butter, and placed it on the grill. Beana prepared the skewers of shrimp and veggies. Surprisingly, all turned out superb, though so much was cooked we could only finish half of it.

The next morning, we jumped into Pre for the 18 mile driving tour which presented stunning panoramic vistas along the rim of the canyon. We returned back to camp just before the rain started; the rain followed us all the way to Zion National Park.

While I liked Bryce Canyon the best, TP, Mr.T and Beana seemed to like Zion better. Zion was BIG. Huge rocky mountains, boulders of enormous size, provided an overwhelming and dramatic contrast to the intricacies of Bryce. The continuing rain kept hidden and misted some of the larger panoramas that were probably there, but this was made up for by the waterfalls and powerful rivers the downfall produced. At the entrance, the ranger was almost giddy at the dramatic changes water causes at the park and urged us to continue on.

Unfortunately, the rain coupled with my exhaustion, dissuaded me from venturing in for a hike. I regret that I did not see more. Mr.T and Beana caught the shuttle (the only way into a part of the park) and were able to do a little hike. They said it was great. On their way back, a part of the canyon collapsed and stopped traffic. Apparently, Mr.T and a half dozen other tourists hopped off the shuttle, cleared the road way, and Mr.T absconded a rock the canyon had spit out.

One night at Zion's camp (spent mostly in the RV due to rain), a long beautiful ride home and it was over. The best trip yet, I'd say.

Sunrise Sunset - Home in Phoenix

One week ago today I moved into my new home. My new home! It feels so fantastic and I'm ecstatic about it.

I am situated in North Central Phoenix close to the intersection of the Carefree Highway and I 17. Unfortunately, I can just barely hear the traffic on 17. But it is somewhat drowned out by the light sounds coming from the Ben Avery Shooting Range, which sounds like dull firecrackers off in the distance or the sound of popcorn popping. Neither the traffic nor the guns distracts from the beautiful sunsets from my balcony.

The view is why I chose this place, and it was a great choice. Every single night since being here, I amble out on the balcony for the last dozen minutes as the sun slips behind the distant mountains and then for the next 10 minutes as it colors the sky and any clouds that may be present with yellows, oranges and reds. I'm paying $28.09 per day ($871 per month) and the sunset alone is worth every penny. (Here's a link to the final 3 minutes of one of my Sunsets.)

Besides the sunsets, I am also loving this apartment complex living. Everything is so easy. I have my own washer and dryer, a garbage disposal and an ice maker - I never had these before, and I don't think I ever want to live without them again. The complex also has a beautiful pool that is rejuvenating when the temperatures soar over 100, which had been every day other than today when it peaked at 98. If anything goes wrong, even if a light bulb goes out, I just stop by the concierge and they send someone to repair it. My sink had a slow drip, so they had a guy come over and totally replace the faucet fixtures. It's the simple life, and it's great.

Craigslist - what a great website. On Tuesday, I was the first to reply to the offer of a free, little used, pillowtop queen size bed, box spring and frame. I then found a cool, pine corner table and benches ($126) that are pretty unique and fit well into the dining nook. I have moved my single bed into the living room until I can find a loveseat or sofa.

But more than anything, it is great to have my stuff back. I spent the first half of the week moving all my boxes and furniture up to the apartment, and then sifting and sorting, and finding the right place for each item that I deemed important enough not to discard. I like my stuff, and I like having it back again. It's been a long road between then and now, and it's good to be making a home again.

I'm keeping my cell phone number and email address, but my new home and mailing address is:

removed because swza said it was wrong to put my address on the web for fear of identity theft

Feel free to drop by anytime.