I’m trying to find ideas for what each reader of this question could do given a small loan that could re-“factory” there local economy.
I don’t have capital, but I think that some production canning equipment could be used in our local farms. I wonder if I can invest in that instead of an index fund.
And I have always wondered where all the little various size rubber grommets and stuff come from … like perhaps it would be interesting to start micro-factories with each just making one thing. Like drawing back manufacturing locally instead of waiting for mega-corps to do it.
I think asking this question is getting a list of stuff like that could be helpful to our various locales.
I like the thought, and if people come back with ideas then that’s great.
For me, I know that in my area if you just get a set of cleaning supplies, a car and a laundry machine, you can pretty much immediately get a job cleaning airbnbs. Similarly, heavy equipment like backhoes or skidsteers or jackhammers can be used for any number of profitable tasks, or else can be rented out when not in use. I personally have considered buying a mechanical tamper (used, about $1000), renting it on marketplace for $50 per day until get my money back, and then just owning it for my own personal projects.
But in general, your idea of micro-factories to produce generic goods won’t pan out great. The problem is that no one really cares where rubber grommets come from when buying rubber grommets - they just want them. Now, and cheap. Supposing you were able to even get up and running and work your way onto some stores’ shelves, you would still need to compete on price with identical grommets made in china by megacorps. Which you can’t do, because you are paying western wages to your workers and do not have their economies of scale, and global commodity markets are in fact competitive, and the margins are already razor thin.
Modern manufacturing in developed nations tends to start with niches or novel ideas. If you see a problem in your community, or something in life is pissing you off - that might be an opportunity to make something useful that other people would like to buy for a price you would sell it for.