How To Start And Operate Your Own Firewood Supply Business.
Unpredictable fuel costs and the necessity of keeping warm in
the winter have resulted in "boom sales" for manufactures of
wood-burning stoves. There has also been a return to the use
of the fireplace as a form of supplementary heat and as a
luxury that promotes the "cozy" atmosphere sought after by
both middle class and affluent families. This renaissance in
the popularity of wood heat, and upward spiraling sales of
associated equipment, has created a demand for firewood that's
almost impossible to fulfill.
A very important element: This demand has caused the price of
firewood to almost double over the past several years.
Whatever the "going price" for a cord of firewood in your
area, you can expect it to increase by 20 to 30 percent each
year for the next ten years or so.
Your potential market is a varied as the weather; it is also
somewhat dependent on the weather. You'll find buyers among
apartment dwellers as well as home owners. The rich buying
firewood perhaps more than the poor; those concerned with
the purity of the environment and the so-called "voluntary-
simplicity" folk seeking a return to the "pioneering" life
are all part of your market.
And don't think for a minute that firewood sales are limited
to the colder northern states. people living in Sunny
Southern California and along the Gulf of Mexico buy and
burn firewood for the same reasons as people living in
Minnesota and Montana.
One of the secrets of success in this business is understanding
why the people in your area burn firewood. Then it's a matter
of learning when and how often they need it, and positioning
yourself to fill those needs.
It doesn't take special education or training to become
successful firewood supplier. Just for the record, the
backgrounds of people operating businesses of this kind
range from farmers to unemployed factory workers to
doctors, lawyers, real estate salesman and even university
professors.
The kind of equipment you'll need varies according to the
type of business you want to establish, and the kind of wood
you will be supplying.
The first prerequisite to the establishment of your business
is to decide what kind of business---wholesale to retail
outlets, or retail to the general public--you want to operate.
