Recession-proof skill / trade to make a little income. Ideas?

Teacher? Forget it. people will homeschool...how about a bicycle repair man?

I haven't read all the posts just the first page. Several mentioned get a tow truck. I about feel out of my chair. We ran a tow service for over 20 years and I don't miss it one bit. There are quite a few regulations but none of which regulate fairness, it is a business that has alot of cut throats, high overhead - our last wrecker in 1994 cost $40,000 and ins. was around $1,000 per month. My DH had to help remove bodies and since we had a truck large enough to tow semis he had to have EPA training for hazmat. The hours are terrible, not family friendly and the money ain't all that.

I had a conversation with a doc about the drunks in the middle of the night and he was saying how he has to get out in the middle of the night to patch up the drunks and I told him, "At least you have good lights and help, my DH is in the dark, the mud, the ice whatever and by himself."

As I mentioned, I've only read the first page of postings, my suggestion would be to loook around at what you can begin doing where you're at. Is it woodworking, jewelry, handyman , start getting some experience and a following that you can take with you. If it is web building or something that you can market through the web it doesn't matter where you are.

Good luck.

A tow truck? Wouldn't be a choice for anyone in our family but glad we have a good friend in the business.

I chose a passion of mine. I love Emergency Medical Training Skills. Would be a paramedic, but it doesnt pay enough. So, I went and became a certified instructor through the American Red Cross, ASHI, NSC and ECSI in FA, CPR, AED, Wilderness FA, Sports FA, Animal FA, Child FA, etc. OSHA requires companies to have trained personal. Training IS NOT CHEAP...Which is good for me...So I started ECT.Emergency Care Training - Critical Response Skills | Wix.com

Being a "jack of all trades" able to do all minor jobs from hedge trimming, mowing lawns to replacing leaky faucets, replacing windows, shingling etc. is always needed. There are always widows living alone who need help to maintain their homes. Any man or woman in our area who is handy can find work helping the elderly. People find contractors and professionals too expensive. My husband used to do work for several widows but only has one left now he does repairs for.

I have noticed locally too; the two funeral homes here are never lacking for customers. Both places have changed owners over the years but never close their doors.Morticians and their helpers are never unemployed even though it is a dying business!

When I think of small engines, I also think of small boat motors. Only folks around here that work on them are the marinas. And they will charge you like you have one of the million+ dollar houses around the lakes !!
Moonshine......well that does go on still. The local sheriff and his challenger, both call it a "novelty" !! They ain't real concerned about it !!

Knife maker (make knives and war weapons without electricity)

Gunsmith

Tire repair

and a seamstress (many people have NO CLUE how to repair garments anymore)

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I see a very dark cloud on America's horizon,
and that cloud is coming from Rome.
- Abraham Lincoln

I don't want to sound boastful because what I am adding is sincerely geared to be helpful.

Neither my family, extended family or community has been touched by the economy. Sure costs are up but no one we know is changing their lifestyle or slowing down on costs.

We live in a midwest farming community, end of story. Our local ground yields much less than north of us or primo locations like Iowa, but still, we are fine. Agriculture will be the last thing standing in our economy. Food is king.

My dh is a specialized ag equipment road service tech. His salary provides a comfotable lifestyle, money for luxuries and I only work for personal fulfilment, not neccesity. He started out as a small engine and repair guy doing lawn mowers and chain saws at a local small tractor dealer. He learns quick and is self taught. His mechanical aptitude earns him more than his architect brother.

The point is that even if there is a huge economic fallout farmers will need their equipment to run. They may be trapped into keeping older equipment and someone has to keep it running! In the meantime it is a good living and if things go south it will be an even better living. People will stop getting cars repaired LONG before large farm equipment stops getting repaired. For now, work is steady.

There are several ag recruiting businesses that "head hunt" workers. Just google ag jobs. These places keep track of job seekers as well as employer clients. They place people in jobs based on location/willingness to relocate and abilities. One thing that is in SUPER HIGH demand is custom applicators. These guys drive sprayer equipment to spread fertilizer and various chemicals. The salaries start out in the 30's plus benefits and acreage bonus. Many want experience but I know personally that finding a reasonably intelligent worker is hard for them so if you are smart and eager you may be able to get past the lack of experience.

These custom applicators work for farmer co-ops. Most average farmers cannot afford their own sprayer so these co-ops that offer the service are pretty darn secure.

The place dh works for is in constant need of shop workers to work on equipment. They hire people that seem lost, slow and lazy so if a guy has half a clue and a decent work ethic he could move up quick. It's in central IL to anyone who may be interested.

Anyway, my bet is on big ag.

I think welding ......lots of ads around here for them....friend does welding..they make lots of gates and fencing....they wanted to put a business in here for welding, town did not let them , they moved thirty five miles away, opened their shop, and are thriving..

Shoe and boot and leather repair: The place near us is always busy. It seems no one knows how to repair leather goods anymore.

If you're close enough to a town and have the room, horse boarding. My SIL did that for many years and made decent money.

Best for last: Knife and saw sharpening. We have a local guy who retired from teaching and somehow acquired a bunch of sharpening equipment. He taught himself how to sharpen kitchen knives and such, then set up shop at the Saturday farmers' market two towns over. Two months later he was working fulltime and turning away business.

No joke. Folks may put off going to school and even going to a doctor___but when they can't put off dying, the next of kin always has a small stink time window to get an undertakers services with adequate personal closure expectations regardless of the economy.

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"I didn't have time to slay the dragon. It's on my To Do list!"

Western NC area. We need plumbers and small engine repair men. We have a plumber who does a good job if and when we can find him. He only works alone and if he gets a "big job" (translation: a job that will cover his bills for one week) then he does not bother to answer his phone that week.

Our small engine repair man whom we used for 5 years up and decided to stop serving people from our town since we don't live in his town! Oh, he will still take our chain saws and mowers in for repairs, but he takes care of his town folks first and refuses to even give us an estimate of how much longer. There is no point taking things to him any more. The next guy we tried found himself in jail for some drug charge and the last one we tried sleeps till noon.

So - small engine repair and plumber. This area could use both.

I think one main thing to keep in mind is reliability and honestly. I do like the plumber we have used here but, he is not reliable. If you start up in a new area, just be nice and honest and reliable. If you do not know how to do a job, try hard to refer the customer to someone else.

Good luck.

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Meanwhile, Back in Saluda

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Great suggestions and discussions everyone. Thanks!

If anyone else wants to throw any more ideas out there...let us hear em!

Gravedigger. My BIL opens and closes graves for several cemeteries and makes a little steady money that way.

Another job you might want to think about is upholstery. People who have good, old furniture will always need this service. You don't need much in the line of equipment, mainly a quality sewing machine and a decent work area, and being rural is not really a problem as long as you aren't too far out from people. Someone who is skilled can draw customers from quite a large area. and anyone who is good at it gets a reputation from word of mouth advertising. People who use upholsterers do it because they really care about their furniture, they might be antiques or just family pieces. Older furniture is much better built than the pressed board stuff they sell today, and it's well worth reupholstering once in awhile.

Just an idea.

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-Northern NYS

The last time we took our business fiances into the accountant we talked about this. He said he's been doing taxes for 40 years and the only two occupations that never decrease when the economy is bad is HVAC and being a mechanic.

It's also going to rely heavily on the area, if you go into an area that already has a business established that is the same as yours, you will not do very good.

Bob