05-05-2009, 06:22 PM
I agree with the others - don't sell your stuff. There are better ways to get the money, and ones that will give you tax benefits and so on.
I think what you should do is write up a business plan. It would lay out your idea, and then put some (realistic) numbers to it to see if it makes sense. Having this will also help you with the bank, if it comes to that.
Here's an interesting US-based resource to get you going -> <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/index.html">http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/index.html</a><!-- m -->
EDIT - some other thoughts...
How far can you reasonably expand the scope of this business? Are your scratch-building skills good too? If yes, are there transportation advocacy groups looking for models? Local architectural firms? Museums looking for war-themed dioramas? Any other model or miniature building/customizing you can work into this? Are the local hobby shops looking for built-up/finished models? (I always thought that this would be a win-win for the hobby shops - you'd get paid to make up a diorama, and they'd get a way to show off what one could do if one would only buy X, Y, and Z products from them...
)
Are you willing to go into these other subject areas - military, aviation, non-rail? What about other scales? Are you willing to build entire layouts (carpentry, wiring, etc, etc)?
Anyway, just some thoughts that I hope help you with your plan.
Andrew
I think what you should do is write up a business plan. It would lay out your idea, and then put some (realistic) numbers to it to see if it makes sense. Having this will also help you with the bank, if it comes to that.
Here's an interesting US-based resource to get you going -> <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/index.html">http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/index.html</a><!-- m -->
EDIT - some other thoughts...
How far can you reasonably expand the scope of this business? Are your scratch-building skills good too? If yes, are there transportation advocacy groups looking for models? Local architectural firms? Museums looking for war-themed dioramas? Any other model or miniature building/customizing you can work into this? Are the local hobby shops looking for built-up/finished models? (I always thought that this would be a win-win for the hobby shops - you'd get paid to make up a diorama, and they'd get a way to show off what one could do if one would only buy X, Y, and Z products from them...
)Are you willing to go into these other subject areas - military, aviation, non-rail? What about other scales? Are you willing to build entire layouts (carpentry, wiring, etc, etc)?
Anyway, just some thoughts that I hope help you with your plan.
Andrew