What is a phone number worth?

I'm in the process of closing out my business due to a career ending injury in July. I've had the same phone number for my business since 1987 and have run a reputable operation with no oustanding debts, obligations or warranty claim issues. I don't want to sell the company name but would be willing to sell rights to use the phone number and name until June 30 2010 when my yellow pages contract expires plus maybe negotiate a deal for another year. Would this be possible to accomplish without leaving myself open to a big legal mess down the road if they misused it?

My business was a small operation doing about 80% referral, grossing between 250-300K a year at about 30% above going market rate. Any advice on what something like this would be worth or am I just dreaming?

Hi, A few years ago a local well established and reputable company's owner passed away. The business had been in operation in my prime market area for over 50 years. The deceased owner had no wife and only 1 son who lived in another state and was not a roofer. They decided to sell all the business assets and just let the business end. I checked with the phone company and they said i would have to catch up payments on his half page ad plus keep it current which would have cost me around $10,000 up front and $2,500 per month for several more months. Then they said if i waited about 4 more months until his advertising contract was up ( 1 yr to the day from the time of his contract ) that the very first caller asking for the phone number could get it for 20 bucks a month for as long as you want it. They open at 7 am and i started dialing about 6:50 am and was lucky enough to be first. I got a lot of work from it for about 6 months and then it started to dwindle down a little at a time. After about 2-3 years i let the number go as i was not getting any more calls from it. It would be a very good deal for someone who wanted to start their own business from scratch or you might be able to sell it to one of the larger companies in your area. Sorry about your injury. I don't know what we would do if something like that happened to me. :dry:

Victoria and Nanaimo's cost of living is one of the highest in Canada, it's very rainy between December and March but they get next to no snow. Edmonton gets as low as -35 in the winter, the cost of living is lower and getting any kind of work there is as easy as making a phone call. We have offices in both locations, we are always look for experienced roofers, sales guys, estimators and/or supers.

Vaa: Here is a link for year round average weather info for Nanaimo.

http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?Province=ALL&StationName=nanaimo&SearchType=BeginsWith&LocateBy=Province&Proximity=25&ProximityFrom=City&StationNumber=&IDType=MSC&CityName=&ParkName=&LatitudeDegrees=&LatitudeMinutes=&LongitudeDegrees=&LongitudeMinutes=&NormalsClass=A&SelNormals=&StnId=192&

Another link for Edmonton.

http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?Province=ALL&StationName=edmonton&SearchType=BeginsWith&LocateBy=Province&Proximity=25&ProximityFrom=City&StationNumber=&IDType=MSC&CityName=&ParkName=&LatitudeDegrees=&LatitudeMinutes=&LongitudeDegrees=&LongitudeMinutes=&NormalsClass=A&SelNormals=&StnId=1867&

Of course theres no such thing as a rain out in B.C on the coast they work in the rain if they can.

Many more dry days to work in Alberta the B.C?

Vancouver is nothing but condos and highrises plenty of balconys.We were in edmonton in july,it never really got warm for us.As we were landing the pilot goes welcome to Edmonton its 55 degrees out this afternoon. :woohoo:

Edmonton is so cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mike you want to roof in that cold weather?

Not hard you just buy a truck and a ladder,your jobs move every couple days!When the heat get warm,jump on a plane for nz.Then back to bc.

You have mail kage.

Give me an e-mail seen-it-all,I am interested.

They have a crane come in to load when there working on it.

No theyre using new slate

Here is a YouTube video someone has shot and around the 5:21 and 5:51 mark they pan the roof and you can see the catwalks over the dormers and at the end of the building.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76Eno_YOG6Y

Its a time consumer thats for sure,I heard they get quit a bit for danger pay on top of labor.

They are changing it out slowly,one side is new slate and the other is still old slate when your facing it.They have walkways built up on the dormers,its really a diffuclt job.I imagine it will take a few more years.