On the Road Making Money expertise to exchange

[Dust of the Sun]

I have a unique idea that is proven and am seeking someone currently living in a van type RV or Class B motorhome. I have in the past and now want to develop an adult education short course (1 day, maybe 3-4 hour course) using your expertise in HOW YOU LIVE AND TRAVEL in your van. Here's the idea:&nbsp; You are welcome to come here and camp at my virginia lake area resort area for around a couple of weeks minimum...2nd largest manmade lake in the United States...tons of boating and fishing...you can stay on my property for FREE in exchange for your life experience while WE develop the short course which you can take with you and make money on the road.&nbsp; There are adult education short courses offered everywhere...even my small town of a thousand has courses from bonsai gardening to ballroom dancing...you can make anywhere from $50 to $300 for a couple hours just chatting with folks who are NON-RVers and interested in slashing their living costs...maybe they've lost jobs or are losing a home to foreclosure...living full-time in a small rv or van is NEW to them...a new concept they will pay to learn about....for example: $25 a person / $40 a Couple for a Tuesday afternoon class from say 3 to 6 PM...I can develop the idea for you to use and your Van is THE PROP....and don't think you can't do it cuz you're not a teacher...I'll show you how. I want NO MONEY from you and have nothing to sell you....this is a mutually beneficial idea where we, together, will develop a 3 hour course that we BOTH can use....interesting huh?? Let's discuss this! mike<br>

 

[cyndi]

<FONT size=3>Hi Mike!</FONT><br><FONT size=3></FONT>&nbsp;<br><FONT size=3>I think that's a pretty great idea.&nbsp; And a decent trade off.&nbsp; I know various RV organizations offer seminars that can be pretty pricey.</FONT><br><FONT size=3></FONT>&nbsp;<br><FONT size=3>Also, I have a friend who has taught juggling at adult ed/night school for years.&nbsp; He makes between $300 and 500 for a course that lasts&nbsp;6 weeks, one night a week.&nbsp; The amount varies&nbsp;and is dependant on the number of participants.&nbsp;</FONT><br><FONT size=3></FONT>&nbsp;<br><FONT size=3>But you have to know that information is out there, free of charge.&nbsp; The information that was shared freely at the RTR was wonderful!&nbsp; I'm still so grateful!</FONT><br>

 

[Dust of the Sun]

Thanks Cyndi-<br>Yeah the point here is this course will be geared for the NON RVer...the person who is not now into the RVing lifestyle...doesn't own one yet, or is just starting to look...No doubt exisiting RVers are NOT the market this is directed at.&nbsp; For example I know a wonderful retired woman who has lost everything but got a van and fitted it to be a full blown lifeaboard RV and she is making a wonderful life now...problem is she is a thousand miles from me...we talk about doing this but I'm in COLD Virginia!! I already see, thru research, that in California, this idea is already taking hold...people who are losing their homes and jobs are beginning to turn to this idea...they say everything starts in California and makes it's way across country.&nbsp; And again, to emphasize, I am not asking for money ... just an exchange of expertise to develop this class...marketing and unique transportation is my forte and I am intrigued by this idea. Your post is a great validation of the concept. I'm looking at buying a van style rv myself but I am not an RVer and I NEED this future short course TOO!! Hope to hear from some new to RVing full-timers who may have gone this route out of necessity.<br><br>

 

[akrvbob]

Hi Mike, interesting idea, but how will you advertise it? Getting the word out is key, but I don't see an easy way to do that. As a way to make money I think an ebook on vandwelling is a better idea. Where are you located. If we are anywhere near each other I would be glad to share anything I know with you about this life. Bob<br>

 

[Dust of the Sun]

Hi Bob and thanks for the welcome and the offer to educate me. You bring up a really good point...that being the information is out there...heck info about nucleasr powered wiccan teepees and how to build them is readily available on the internet, no doubt. But here's what I have learned about people. Book learning and reading are not the mode of learning for a large segment of the population.&nbsp; They have to Hold it...Feel It...Experience it...See It...Firsthand. So while ALL of this is available online, nothing beats sitting there IN PERSON talking with the "expert" up close and personal. And many people prefer to learn something new this way. And of course having THEE Live-Aboard Vehicle sitting there as the class PROP is priceless. Plus.....PLUS....I live in rural Virginia and people are starved for things to do...especially those not into fishing/boating/hunting/golf and church events. Your other question about Marketing is a big topic but essentially EVERYWHERE....SOMEWHERE....SOMEONE is offering adult education or lifelong learning or non-credit classes of some kind. Even here in our small lake town are short inexpensive courses in bonsai gardening, ballroom dancing, digital photography, mushroom cultivation, beekeeping, computers, horse training...you name it. I'm sitting on the 2nd largest manmade lake in the USA, the Kerr Reservoir about an hour or so north of Raleigh and a mecca for fishing and boating. Would like to talk with you at length Bob!! Thanks. Mike<br>

 

[Tara]

I kind of think anyone who has the ability to successfully market this and set up classes in different places as they're traveling already has the ability to create a class - and we can already park anywhere for free, that is the point of van living. Do you bring any special educational or marketing skills to the table that would make a deal like this more worthwhile?

 

[Dust of the Sun]

Tara, I must totally respectfully disagree with your post. After having been involved in several big startup companies and even airline marketing I have found people may have tremendous marketable skills but most lack the mindset to fully exploit their expertise. I have one pen friend who lost everything and converted a van and now lives full time but she is flabbergasted that she could actually put together a class for the NON-RVer contemplating changing their living arrangement...she has come alive and thanks me constantly for opening her eyes to the possibilities...unfortunately she's over a thousand miles away so I am working with her long distance. You should see the difference in her attitude and emails and calls as she is now, for the very first time, thinking about marketing and researching all the venues where adult ed and non-credit and fun short courses are offered or could be marketed solo. I'm sure you are multi-talented and this would be a breeze for you but not everyone is like you and many people need guidance from others who have done things new to their experience...but with guidance they can find a whole new side to their predicament. And as to my pen friend, my payback is her friendship and knowing she has a whole new way to make some money, as money was very tight. If it wasn't for her privacy that I respect I'd ask her to post here in response to yours. Maybe this is something you are thinking of doing...if so, I wish you luck...this is EXTREMELY Do-able!!<br>

 

[Guest]

If anyone is looking for work, I will suggest here what I have suggested on Vandwellers yahoo forum, and that is working in National Parks....not for the Park Service especially, thankfully they have not given up the running of the Parks to private profit making contractors. Not to say they won't at sometime...they have already disposed of many jobs by using volunteers, older people who have already worked enough to live on investments, etc. and are now just bored with retirement. Another example of jobs disappearing. Those used to be great entry level jobs for budding park rangers, naturalists and interpreters. <br><br>My suggestion is to work for the concessionaires that operate profit making visitors services...like Xanterra. They have been operating in National Parks since their inception and they&nbsp; hire at minimum or close to it, wage... but will provide an RV space or cabin/trailer/dorm room for the help. A negative is you don't make much, a plus is you are living in some of the most beautiful natural places in America. Most of those folks spend their off time hiking the parks and environs, doing photography or whatever...<br>Good job hunting.....<br>Bri<br><br><br>

 

[dragonflyinthesky]

<P><b>Dust of the sun, this is a wonderful gesture to offer us. If I was ready, I would certainly take you up on your offer.&nbsp; I love marketing, use it all the time but am untrained and hope to take advantage of your offer to learn more some day.</b></P>

 

[Dust of the Sun]

I'd like to clarify alittle.&nbsp; I am new to RVs and am attempting myself to learn something new...I believe that as millions lose their homes and jobs, first the price of rv vans and motorhomes may well fall greatly but then as people realize the huge cost saving of living a mobile life versus the huge expenses of home ownership....the prices will go UP as people compete for viable, cheap living space. I'm kind of a futurist, studying TRENDS. Luckily, I am not poor so I have no need to go on boards like this trying to scam people out of money...I am selling nothing here but maybe goodwill and of course time and your&nbsp; firsthand experience with me will prove that out...the enemy as I see it is the bankster occupation of America...I enjoy the challenge of developing something new and must say this SITE and so far the people on it seem fantastic to me...I've done this before in a big way. This is a small endeavor as things go but I want to try and help some of those in a financial predicament find NEW ways to develop income. Now my ulterior motive is that I want to learn about the subculture of people pioneering the life of live-aboard vans...even larger Class B's...just happens to be a quirk of what interests me. I'm not interested in the hard-core condo-nazi $400,000 Class A mega- landyacht huge retirement income unfriendly crowd. Of course they already exchange information down to the minutia and are NOT who this whole effort is directed at or for. I want to learn too....from those of you doing this on a shoe-string and THEN WE can direct this information to people who are not NOW RVers...I hope I'm explaining this alittle better here. And yes an eBook is Great and should be done but alot of people also want to sit there WITH you and your fantastic learning prop: Your home...Your Van RV...Hands ON!! !Bob and Cyndi already seem like great resources of information on this board. I have several other ways to make money traveling&nbsp; (legit and ethical)&nbsp; that I used many years ago...even more appropo now... I can go into later if there is interest.<br>