Starting a business has never been easier, and you’re dying to take advantage. The problem is, you have the entrepreneurial spirit but lack the resources. It takes a lot of money to get a company off the ground and up and running. Without enough startup capital, the business is bound to slip into the red and close down. Quite simply, there is no point in taking the risk when the result is inevitable.
Well, it doesn’t have to be as long as the idea is on point. Yes, this is the technological era where “geniuses” are inventing revolutionary devices. Still, not everyone can be Steve Jobs. More importantly, not every customer wants a Jobs-like character to appear out of the blue. Whisper it quietly, but low-tech works. In fact, it’s incredibly effective when done correctly.
The key is to focus on a service which is popular, accessible, and somewhat niche. Below are five ideas that fit the brief. This isn’t an exhaustive list and you can add hundreds more to it, so start brainstorming.
Daycare
Charging parents to take care of their kids isn’t reinventing the wheel. The model has existed for centuries and will continue to do so for another hundred years. However, there has never been a better time to be in charge of a daycare company thanks to the shift in society. At the moment, both men and women want careers, and moms aren’t expected to transform into a housewife. So, families need a quality, affordable service more now than ever before.
What you want to do is highlight your experience working with kids. Parents are nervous about leaving their children with strangers and need reassurances. Also, a criminal history check is a wise move to put their minds at ease. This should be mandatory for every employee when the business starts to expand.
Other than security issues, moms and dads rely on things such as flexibility and socializing. They need their kids to mix with other children, and they also want to be able to call on the service at different times throughout the week. An excellent way to deal with the latter is to center your business hours on a typical office job.
Errand Service
All it takes to run an errand is time, an able body, and a pinch or organization. If you have all three, then your to-do list will never escalate out of control. It doesn’t get as low-tech as doing the grocery shopping, so why is there is a market for it in 2018? With the internet, can’t everyone do it remotely anyway?
The answer is yes they can, but they may not want to due to a number of reasons. Most middle-aged men and women will be happy to use the World Wide Web to their advantage, yet the older generation won’t be as technologically savvy. They prefer to do it in person but can’t because of their health. This is where you come in, the guardian angel.
For a fee, you’ll take care of the day-to-day activities which they can’t do. As long as you’re trustworthy, the whole family will appreciate the service as they don’t have the time to look after them all of the time. Senior Errand Service has more. For those that want to branch out, you can advertise to people who are busy. For example, set up a dog-walking service during the day while they’re at the office.
Food Truck
Once you have an oven and a few tasty recipes, your dishes may be the talk of the town. After all, aspiring cooks have to start somewhere, and not everyone is lucky enough to work in a Michelin star restaurant in France. The biggest expense is the truck, but there are ones available for less than $15,000. If the business gets off the ground, you’ll a return on your investment in a blink of an eye.
The key is to stand out from the crowd through your recipes. Yes, everything should be delicious but it’s about the style of cooking too. People aren’t going to flock to a hot dog stand because there are thousands of them in a five-mile radius. Cuban cuisine, on the other hand, isn’t as ubiquitous. The fact that it’s exotic and different, as well as mouth-watering, should be enough to grab a customer’s attention.
A word of warning: obtain a license before trading. Otherwise, it’s illegal and you may get shut down and fined.
Knick-Knacks
Selling old things on eBay used to be fashionable about ten years’ ago. Nowadays, it’s not as cool because people want the latest in technology, and advertising t-shirts online don’t quite hit the mark. Still, there is room to make a living because of the rise in retail prices. Customers get tired of paying a premium for products and services and want to reduce the costs.
You can do this by promoting your old belongings online. As well as clothes, DVDs and video games are appealing to certain buyers. And, if you don’t have enough to fill demand, you can replicate them with Perfect Image Video. They also do CDs so that you can sell a wide range of retro stuff.
It’s wise to consider using eBay and Gumtree and Amazon as these platforms are already set up and ready to go. However, if you want a separate site for the business, be sure to use them still to raise awareness and gain exposure.
Apparel Alterations
We live in a throwaway culture. If a person buys something and doesn’t like it, they either throw it in the trash or send it back. Thanks to the internet, there are millions of returns every week. From a buyer’s point of view, it’s a waste of time and energy because they want their items to turn up without having to wait a lifetime.
An apparel alterations company can act as a middleman. Sure, they can send clothes back and go through the hassle, or they can get you to sew their garments for a small fee.
Don’t you think most people would rather wait fifteen minutes than three days?