Simple jobs
Here’s another blog post inspired by a discussion with the kids.
Relatively simple things, it appears, can also be quite profitable.
Back when I worked at Hattams as a 16-17 year-old, the alterations for trousers and jackets and things were done by a bloke called Telly who lived up the road. Trouser shortening was $5, in most cases passed-on to the customer. Sometimes I’d be tasked with taking the trousers etc up to Telly. It turned out all those alterations, many at $5 each (and no doubt similar minor jobs from other places) had managed to fund an enormous house (and this was in Elsternwick — even in the late-80s, it was expensive) and a shiny new Mercedes in the driveway.
The barber shop in Glen Huntly where I’ve gone for years is run by a bloke and his two sons. It’s a fairly basic type of haircut you get there — the current going rate is $20. The family lives around the corner in pretty big, very impressive house.
I think the lesson here is that if you can do moderately skilled, even if it’s simple and cheap, do it quickly and efficiently enough and you can still make yourself a lot of dosh.
