A rural ice delivery business is an unusual bootstrapping opportunity suggested by entrepreneur William L. Stewart in this article from Mother Earth News.

The link is a unique edition to our series on ideas for bootstrap startup ideas.

Stewart suggests few things are needed for startup:
• A large pick-up
• Plastic tubes for transporting the ice
• Tongs or some other tools for handling the ice blocks.

He recommends first combing your community for customers-restaurants, bars, construction sites, factories-in need of ice then take a trip to a larger ice plant and buy only what you believe you can sell.

Other additions as your business grows:
• An ice house either purchased or constructed yourself (Stewart suggests some instructions)
• Refrigerating equipment to keep ice cool longer
• A larger truck to transport more ice
• A crushing machine that allows sale of crushed ice increasing profits and potential customers

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