Making concrete blocks and other concrete products is
indeed a business with a strong foundation. These products
are in strong demand everywhere. Concrete blocks are the
basic commodity used in building everything from a backyard
compost bin to a huge multi storey building. They will never
go out of style. Unlike hula hoops or Rubik's cubes, which
are in style today and gone tomorrow, concrete blocks are
always in demand. If you manufacture cement blocks you will
find customers ready to buy your product everywhere in
North America and, in fact, nearly everywhere around the
globe.
Concrete products are heavy and transportation costs,to
distant destinations,are high. For this reason a local
manufacturer has a great advantage over someone further
away. Savings in transportation costs translate into very
competitive pricing. If in addition you are a small one man
operation, working from your garage, you have no staff to pay
and no rent for your premises. You can price your products
below those of your competitors and still make a very nice
profit.
If you want an excellent business, which you can start with
a very low investment, you will find concrete block making
to be a fine opportunity. You can start in your garage, using
hand made molds, for as little as a few hundred dollars. When
business demands it you can expand, using a home built
concrete block making machine, to turn out hundreds of
blocks per day.
The only things needed to get a start are plywood and some
sheet metal to make your molds.Plans are readily
available, with instructions, to show how this is done. In
addition you will need the basic materials, Portland
cement,sand,gravel and water. All of these things are
readily available at your local lumber yard.
After constructing the number of molds you want, you simply
fill them with the concrete mixture and turn the blocks out
to dry. This is a very simple process and one man can turn
out 100 blocks per day quite readily this way. When business
grows you will want to make more blocks and a concrete
block making machine will be necessary.
Commercially made cement block making machines are
expensive. If you have the money go ahead and buy one. It
will pay for itself with the greatly increased productivity
you can achieve. But there is another way. You can build your
own concrete block making machine. Plans are available for
building a very good machine using used auto parts and
sheet metal. Some welding is needed but a local welding shop
will do this if you can't.
Making your own machine is not really difficult if you have
a little mechanical skill. You can make a machine which
will turn out 800 blocks per day. A smaller hand operated
machine can also be built which is quite simple and will
turn out 200 blocks per working day. You will probably need
some help at this stage to operate the machine
efficiently. You will also need sufficient space to store
the blocks for drying.
In addition to concrete blocks you can manufacture concrete
garden ornaments, garden furniture, patio slabs, bird
baths, sundials and many other products which are in strong
demand.Plans and instructions are available for all of
these products. Your small business, which started in your
garage, can become a very big business which will provide an
excellent income.
John Mowatt is a freelance writer who writes about his
concrete block manufacturing business. This is a family
business from which he is now retired. He also writes on
health and fitness. For more info and resources go to
www.concreteblockmaker.com.
