What kind of business would you start tomorrow?

Vintage video store. Seriously. Offer modern amenities and collectibles or whatever to get em in the door, but wall to wall old school vhs. Especially horror, because the box art was WILD. effectively I want to be Randall from clerks. 

Or- a burger joint. I live in tourist hell and the mouse pays my bills. I can't walk 30 feet without tripping over a themed burger place, usually cars. They're always PACKED. They have a million beers and a million burgers. Seriously the place that just opened down the road has more than 50 burgers on the menu. 

There is one thing I've noticed though, the clientele at these places is aging. They keep doing hot rods and classic cars and Elvis and E36 M3. Those are antique these days. Not classic, not retro. Y'know what's retro? Fast and the furious. I want to do THAT. limp Bizkit, grid girls, frosted tips, neon, PlayStation one. Still make burgers. Who cares if they're E36 M3ty, I'm not looking for repeat customers. Offer a special. Tuna no crust. Park some absolutely 100% nopi nightmare either inside or outside. It would be hilarious, and is super retro to the current generation. 

I often think about doing freelance IT for small businesses. I was dabbling in that in early/mid 2020 but didn't have the cash for tools/spares/equipment to make it a full-time job. Now I do, and grinding away 9~5 every weekday is getting really tiresome.

Datsun310Guy said:

In reply to birdmayne :

One factor is your employees need work.  You gotta keep these guys working all week or they move on.  Three day weeks don't cut it.  

I would go solo, no employees. No mouths to feed except my own and my kids. Operate on word of mouth and do one job at a time. Sounds great. 

I actually left my "dream job" recently due to 2-3 day work weeks, couldn't afford to be there any longer. 

GameboyRMH said:

I often think about doing freelance IT for small businesses. I was dabbling in that in early/mid 2020 but didn't have the cash for tools/spares/equipment to make it a full-time job. Now I do, and grinding away 9~5 every weekday is getting really tiresome.

IMHO, what needs to be invented is an IT version of Uber.  Ideal for the WFH+gig economy these days.

One retirement business I think about is selling something at Auto Shows or races.  Some travel, cars, cool places?

The Vintage Race in July at Road America sets up vendor booths.  Books, shirts, artwork, toy cars but it's all been done already.  What do I have that is different? Also I'm not wanting to move 900# of books every other weekend.   

The Chicago Auto Show has a ton of vendors but I'm not interested in selling steak knives, glasses cleaner or Mackinac Island Fudge.   

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

specific marque parts?

Or art?

edit- WRT the art- sell the art for the makers.  There's quite a bit of automotive art being produced- help them sell it.

Snake oil vaccine treatment. "Take this vaxxinaway and all toxins from the vaccine will be exhuasted from your body, mRNA particles will be neutralized, and 5G chips will be disintegrated via a natural, safe, and effective process. Side effects are possible and will vary person to person. All side effects are temporary, usually lasting less than 12 hours, and include headache, fever, nausea, and fatigue. For best results, take one dose (5 drops) sublingually every 8 hours for 72 hours following vaccination jab. These claims have not been verified by the FDA." 

The snake oil will be water, citric acid, and blue food coloring. $25 for a small dropper bottle that provides 10 doses (50 drops). 

I'd make a fortune. 

alfadriver said:

GameboyRMH said:

I often think about doing freelance IT for small businesses. I was dabbling in that in early/mid 2020 but didn't have the cash for tools/spares/equipment to make it a full-time job. Now I do, and grinding away 9~5 every weekday is getting really tiresome.

IMHO, what needs to be invented is an IT version of Uber.  Ideal for the WFH+gig economy these days.

So, Best Buy's Geek Squad but with worse working conditions and run by a more evil company?

I wouldn't start a business at this point in my life but there is a real entrepreneurial spirit in my family, so I'm used to hearing about and coming up with business  ideas. Some crazy, some not.

Where I live there's a small town about 15 minutes away. It's know for recreational activities in summer, and with the current boom in housing is in the process of doubling. There's a big park, and lot's of water. Ten years ago there was an ice cream/burger/hot dog place, but they closed down and that demand is not being met.  There's also no canoe/kayak rental either. Most of the people moving into the town are from the city and used to certain amenities. The food/takeout food/restaurant situation is currently abysmal. There's a lot of opportunity there.

I mentioned this one before. There are a lot of high end and mid level cars locally, and people are increasingly looking for high end products and services. I'm convinced that there's a good market for a premium oil change and lube service, the opposite of the $20 oil change places, that can also offer product knowledge and consultation. The secondary market would be supplying the local motorsports enthusiast with the premium lubricants that are often difficult to get.

In Aruba there is serious car culture and people look after their cars. Yet the only car washes are guys with a pressure washer in a plaza parking lot washing cars for people that are shopping. I pitched the idea of a coin-op car wash to my buddy who lives there and he thought it would be a huge hit. I considered a number of ways you could get it startd by making it the place to be like car shows/cruise nights, and giveaways, and once thought I might actually make that my retirement business, living in Aruba. I was too chicken to spend the money and start it. I haven't been in a few years. I wonder if anybody did?

In reply to GameboyRMH :

In actual practice, spot on.  

But it does seem that it can be done "better" than Geek Squad.  "Better" being incredibly open in terms of what that means- cost, speed, quality, etc.  I don't know enough for reality.  Just the perception.

GameboyRMH said:

I often think about doing freelance IT for small businesses. I was dabbling in that in early/mid 2020 but didn't have the cash for tools/spares/equipment to make it a full-time job. Now I do, and grinding away 9~5 every weekday is getting really tiresome.

That's actually a great idea. When I was really young (like, 19-21?) a small part of my business was on-site IT service and I had all the clients I could handle. Mostly we had to say no. I was not charging enough (I think $50/hr for onsite work?) and nowadays if you're good I bet you could charge $150/hr and still have all the work you could handle once the word got out. I even had a contract with the state of Ohio for a while and lost it when I couldn't guarantee <24 hour turn-around. I lost it to a company charging two or three times my rates. I could do the work, but couldn't get there fast enough for them.

At the time, I was a lot more naive, and got burned on at least one big deal where I upgraded an entire office's worth of computers and they stiffed me. I don't remember the total bill but it was four figures and enough to hurt when you're small time. The risk is definitely higher than working 9-5.

dculberson said:

Self storage units are a perennial money maker, but finding someone to manage them can be a pain if you don't want to do it yourself. The next step up is, to me, a great market: small office/warehouse combo units, the kind with a row of units each having a single hole toilet, 10x10 office area, utility sink, and 1,200sf warehouse area. There's one near downtown here and I have literally never even seen a "for lease" sign on it, but it's always full. Put it in a convenient area and you'll have people calling all the time looking to lease. Everyone from small contractors to hobbyists to dance studios need space like that. You take care of exterior maintenance, make it so each unit has its own utility meter, and the tenants are responsible for interior maintenance. Include a passthrough for property taxes and any increase in maintenance costs in your lease, and if you've got tenants, you're making money.

It might not work for a run down area, but any decent town is going to have a continuing need for space like that.

My "I won the lottery" always going to lose money business idea is building high end RVs out of Tesla semis.

Most of the mini storage places are big companies now, that have the money to build big places. Getting into that game is not cheap. 

The commercial space you describe is what I have now. It's 7 spaces in a row, all are 26x50 with a 13x30 front corner office space. There's a roll up door as well. At the moment there is a cabinet maker, painter, embroidery shop, pool builder (2 spots), an insurance guy, and me. It's positive cash flow every month, never vacant, and will sell for good money when it's time. The cash flow is not huge, it's the selling of it later that makes it worthwhile. 

In reply to Steve_Jones :

How do you even get to buying one or those buildings?

I have an idea for a variation on vintage car leasing that I've been stewing on for some time now... I still need to dig deeper into it though.

I've put serious thought into prop and equipment rentals for photography / videos. Having a storeroom with tripods, light stands, lights and the basic stuff like that to having different things like claw foot tubs, vintage props (record players, chairs), background set fillers, or sheer fabric for backdrops in various colours.

It'd appeal to a very niche demographic but majority of the things don't require a heated/powered storage so its relatively low cost expense wise (obviously there is cleaning required after use, but can be factored into rental pricing). Could establish yourself with 'smaller' (tripods, lights, filters, fabrics) items and one 'bigger' item be it like a claw foot tub or phonograph, vintage lanterns. Could probably get business with a theater group as well for specific props. Would depend on the local area of photographers available, I know locally I know about 5 on a personal level and of all the weddings I DJ'd last year (9) I think I saw the same photographer once and none I knew previously. So YMMV

My idea is to do something other people can't do. More an more people are making good money in IT and other industries and are taking on side-businesses like owning real estate, storage units, flipping houses, etc.  They don't have the time to deal with renting and managing properties, and certainly don't have the skills or time to deal with the broken water heater call at 11pm on a Friday. I have done all of that stuff and more, and if I can't do it, I'll find someone who can. I'd be on retainer for some people, managing based on a fixed percentage of rent or property value or whatever. I would charge a high hourly rate for people who just need something one time. Own a DIY car wash and need someone to run our and check on a leak or inoperative bay? Need someone to repair some perimeter lights at your storage facility, and fix that fence while they are there? Need someone to screenn tenants and change locks and clean up after a move-out while you work and vacation? Just let me deal with it, at a price. 

I can't think of anything that I would want to work that much for. I like the flexibility of my current gig, working from home, and 2021 I was a happy meal away from $100k for the year. 

No desire to work 60-80 hours a week for less money, no good health insurance, etc. My fiance's RA meds would be something like $6k per month without my health insurance, and we pay ZERO for them. 

Steve_Jones said:

yupididit said:

I have 5 years left in the military before I can retire at 20. After that, I'm opening a wedding venue and getting into wedding supplies. Like linen, furniture, decoration. 

Make sure the wedding industry has recovered before you jump in. Most parts of the USA were not allowed to have gatherings for at least a year, and many parts of the wedding industry will never recover from it. Not only was there no business for a year, most people have pivoted to smaller weddings now, and that trend will be here for a long time. 

The venue owners and wedding industry folks that I know say its booming. 2020 was hard but they cane back strong 

Wiring garages and installing chargers for electric cars. I hear a lot of people looking for this as very few homes have 220 volt service in the garage. 

yupididit said:

Steve_Jones said:

yupididit said:

I have 5 years left in the military before I can retire at 20. After that, I'm opening a wedding venue and getting into wedding supplies. Like linen, furniture, decoration. 

Make sure the wedding industry has recovered before you jump in. Most parts of the USA were not allowed to have gatherings for at least a year, and many parts of the wedding industry will never recover from it. Not only was there no business for a year, most people have pivoted to smaller weddings now, and that trend will be here for a long time. 

The venue owners and wedding industry folks that I know say its booming. 2020 was hard but they cane back strong 

As a wedding Dj, I know I'm already booked solid from late July to mid September so I have to agree. 

In reply to pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) :

Property management is big business in Florida. Wanna fix toilets that some 400$ land beast blew apart after a wing feast at hooters? You can. 

Seriously though finding competent people doing said job is impossible. If you're good it can work. 

ddavidv said:

Vintage car/bike repair. Mechanical stuff only. It always amazes me the number of people who have collectible cars that can't work on them.

If you can figure out how to get in , a once a Month service to Charge the batteries and start up all the cars in a museum collection , maybe once every 6 months take each one for a spin around the block....

I know people with a lot of cars that cannot just jump in one because they were sitting too long.......

Combine blue collar needs with white collar.  Open a machine shop in my home town.  Last decent one closed down a couple years back (which I don't understand as there is tons of business in the area that could benefit.)  Add in a functional CNC area for actual prototype work from the Universities and a couple other places, maybe an industrial SLA printer section?

That would be the meat and potatoes, but for garnish I'd do engine building and other hot rodding stuff.  Offer a nice discount if you bring in something that me and my employees hadn't seen yet.

I've never had the desire to own my own business or be my own boss. 

But if I were independently wealthy and did not need an income to live I would definitely be detailing.  The instant gratification that comes from that is everything. 

In reply to Nick Comstock :

It's a shame you live so far away. Based on the thing from the other day, I'm convinced there's money to be made and I could use a detailer.