If you were to start a business today, what would it be?

I have so many of these ideas buzzing around in my head that it's hard to organize them, but most of them are too expensive anyway. So I'll narrow it down to ones that are in the 4/5-digit range, not hardcore techie stuff, and not one of the few too valuable to give away

Google Reader alternative: You'd be surprised how lacking the ones out there are right now, and how easy and cheap it would be to make a really good one (better than the original). But this is no secret and I'm sure many are working on it.

Drone aerial photography: Get started for 3 digits, cater to real estate agents and sporting events, easy peasy. If not for my other expenses getting in the way I would have done this already. Might not be possible to do this cheaply and easily for long, now's a good time while it's in legal limbo and the professional photographers haven't gone into it.

IT consulting with focus on security and encryption solutions: It's hot E36 M3 right now because of the "cyber war" scare, but companies are starting to realize that security can't just be an afterthought. You'll also get business from shady rich guys looking to keep their secrets...secret. I'm starting to edge into the destructive stuff, that's a whole other category I should keep in my head.

A few ideas:

Car restoration - one man, one stop operation. No empolyees. I know a guy out in York, PA who does this. Has a custom built shop in his back yard and a waiting list of cars to work on. The shop even has a tunnel that goes from the house basement to the shop - he can "go to work" without even going outside. The key here was he bought all of his tools and equipment (and built the shop) while he was working and thus owes nothing on it all.

Woodworking - similar to the idea above - have the shop and tools bought and paid for. Build furniture.

Custom bicycle frames.

At the risk of this turning into another political b/s thread, the stick in the spokes of any of these ideas is health care. Poop - how much do you pay for small business/low employee numbers coverage?

Gunsmithing, particuarly AR15 component manufacturing. Why? Good luck finding ANYTHING in stock anywhere for reasonable costs. You can legally manufacture anything that doesn't require a serial number (like lower receivers and silencer components), double check with the ATF first.

I am actually in the process of starting a Motorcycle accessories company. Fingers crossed!

A couple of small business owners have approached me to do consulting work - basically outsourcing some of their marketing. If I strung 10 or 12 of these together...

Lottery win - about a 1 mile road course and fleet of 600cc scaled down 1930s gp cars as a way to piss away a bunch of the winnings.

If we're talking about today today, I'd like to do vinyl stickers/decals on the side. I've been wanting to pick up a vinyl plotter, I think I can do pretty well at it and I can invest as much time and effort into it as I want on the fly which fits my current situation. Single dad with full custody and a full time job and all.

I already do computer repair here and there, but I wouldn't call it a business.

I'm always thinking about what I could start. I've decided on a few things.

It needs to be a "bootstrap" idea. As in...pull myself up by my bootstraps. No debt. Start while I'm employed by someone else.

It would probably be more "service" oriented than "product" oriented. I've been in manufacturing for a long time. Manufacturing of products is being outsourced offshore. Repairing products...not so much.

Think of it this way...what is the margin on buying and flipping used cars or houses? Compare that to the earning potential of the mechanic or contractor fixing cars or houses for owners who have an emotional interest in them?

Service is where it's at, in my opinion.

Other ideas on my mind:

I want to get a rollback and a couple of 20' shipping containers and start a storage container rental business.

A laundromat. There's a fair amount of overhead here...so it will probably never happen (but it's a business I could incorporate into a lifestyle of self-employment)

Rigging. Cranes, big trucks, etc. I'd love to have a business that basically requires me to own and operate toys (machinery). Effectively set myself up to get paid to do what I would be doing if I didn't have to get up and come to work.

Long term, I'll own rental real estate. I wish I could do it now...but "bootstrapping" this takes time.

Towing/recovery

or

Pimp

ClemSparks wrote: A laundromat. There's a fair amount of overhead here...so it will probably never happen (but it's a business I could incorporate into a lifestyle of self-employment)

I've thought about a laundromat before--I figure that if you do it right, you have it right next door to a bar in a college town. It also probably wouldn't be that labor intensive, likely about 2 hours a day of cleaning plus 15 hours a month of fixing stuff.

Prepper's superstore. (Ammo, military surplus, shooting range, water storage, freeze dried food, etc.) Not really a prepper myself, but I have to assume listening to each customer's theory of how the world is going to end would be entertaining.

Something that allows me to have people working under me doing work so I can take time off when I want and aren't "out of business" when I'm not working.

Ian F wrote: A few ideas: Car restoration - one man, one stop operation. No empolyees. I know a guy out in York, PA who does this. Has a custom built shop in his back yard and a waiting list of cars to work on. The shop even has a tunnel that goes from the house basement to the shop - he can "go to work" without even going outside. The key here was he bought all of his tools and equipment (and built the shop) while he was working and thus owes nothing on it all. Woodworking - similar to the idea above - have the shop and tools bought and paid for. Build furniture. Custom bicycle frames.

I need to get my head straightened out. I know nothing's idyllic, but this is the sort of thing which appeals, and it seems like people have gotten there from starting points a lot less conducive than mine... One foot in front of the other, but which foot, and what direction's "in front"?

Also, commuting to your garage via tunnel is the coolest thing ever.

Cotton wrote: Towing/recovery or Pimp

Serious: When in 5th grade they asked me what I wanted to do. With great foresight and much sarcasm I said "Hollywood drug dealer". After the laughter died down, my teacher asked why. I said "Have you ever heard of one caught?"

Why this thread brought that story back I have no idea.

Cotton wrote: Pimp

Damn beat to it.

Honestly no way in hell I could imagine starting my own business.

Around here, any kind of home reno, or cabinet making business is like a license to print money. I just did a bathroom reno, and thought I'd get a price on custom cabinets. 2 of the 6 places called me back. One was booked for 8 months, the other never showed. It took my neighbour 2 years to find somebody to do their eaves, and facia.

An alternative police force wouldn't be a bad business. Look how it's worked for the Mafia.

There are underserved mountain communities around california that could use a laundromat and dry cleaning service. Where my mom live people are on well water so many have to got to town 20miles away to do their laundry. I'm sure you could make money I just don't know the economics of laundry serve.

In reply to ransom:

I really hope to someday do an article/profile on the shop and his business. It's cool beyond belief. The shop looks like an old barn - complete with a silo, so it blends into the semi-rural area perfectly. But its actually a fully custom designed two story, concrete floored shop complete with a paint booth and frame rack.

When I win the lottery, I'm going to open a store on the trendiest street in town, with all the coolest stuff in the world. I will be open about 3 hours a week, and if anybody comes in, I'm going to scream "berkeley off!" at them as soon as they come in the door.

I might have run my own shop for a bit too long.

Build and sell basic computers. A $500 build would be miles ahead of a $500 eMachines.

Freelance mamographer.

I have a Christmas light installation business. I love it. It keeps me very busy for six months out of the year. In the next couple years it will probably evolve into a year round thing as commercial sales happen in the offseason.

Did I mention I love this business.

The 20 hour work days in November are not a problem

But I highly recommend a book before starting a business. And very highly recommend it to many here

The title. How making money is killing your business

As to the "No debt" thing, I do know a few filthy rich people. I don't know any filthy rich people who've never had debt. I won't say "borrow as much as you can." I will say that having a few bucks in the bank affords you to gamble with the bank's money instead of yours. If your business plan is worth a E36 M3, waiting for 20 years to save the money to get it rolling is downright retarded, IMO.

Owner of a chain of automated car washes. Very few employees and cheap prices.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: Owner of a chain of automated car washes. Very few employees and cheap prices.

Homeboy that I worked for in college said the wash itself was $1mil, not incuding the land. Full service (bad idea, IMHO,) 7 or 8 employees working on weekends. We'd average 200 cars a day on a busy Saturday, and I'm guessing the average spent was $10. Doing the quick math, I could never figure out how the berkeley the guy thought he'd ever turn a profit.

Also had a nice mercedes jump the rollers and go into the reclaim pond out front. Ouch. I'd never go into that business...certainly not if you expect to be "hands-off." $10 average ticket means a lot of cash money running through the place.

poopshovel wrote:

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: Owner of a chain of automated car washes. Very few employees and cheap prices.

Homeboy that I worked for in college said the wash itself was $1mil, not incuding the land. Full service (bad idea, IMHO,) 7 or 8 employees working on weekends. We'd average 200 cars a day on a busy Saturday, and I'm guessing the average spent was $10. Doing the quick math, I could never figure out how the berkeley the guy thought he'd ever turn a profit. Also had a nice mercedes jump the rollers and go into the reclaim pond out front. Ouch. I'd never go into that business...certainly not if you expect to be "hands-off." $10 average ticket means a lot of cash money running through the place.

Naa man. No employees. Fully automated. Stand alone, no cash credit card only 24/7