Garage Entrepreneurs

by Eric Tags: basic marketing, business idea, business ideas, creative juices, six figure incomes, startup costs, summer business, Young Entrepreneurs

Mar. 27^th 2009

Starting a business is hard work. Are you a motivated and talented individual who knows that one day you’d like to start a business? You’re not sure how to do it, or what you can be doing now to be an entrepreneur but you have a desire to try something new.

In searching the internet there is no one-stop-shop, definitive place for young entrepreneurs to find start-up resources. At Garage Entrepreneurs we would like to help you start your first business with our Business Planning Blog Series. Starting next week we are going to show you how to take a business idea from the brainstorming stage right through to planning, marketing, and selling your goods/services for a profit! The series will take place once a week for an eight week period, just in time for you to launch a business this summer.

To get your creative juices flowing, here is a list of summer business ideas that you will be able to start after our eight-week ‘Business Planning Blog Series‘. Feel free to add any ideas that you can think of!

• eBay Store: You can sell just about anything on eBay and thousands of people report six figure incomes from selling on the world’s most popular auction site.
• Tutoring: Do you excel at a certain subject at school?  Do you have a specific skill that others would find valuable?  Offer to teach others at a premium price!
• Start a Summer Camp: A few friends of mine started a baseball camp in Toronto last summer with a ton of success.  Start-up costs of employees, some basic equipment, and basic marketing and you’re off to the races!
• Landscaping/Lawncare: For a low up-front cost you could supply landscaping services/lawncare to a group of local residents
• Assistant for Seniors: Business executives, celebrities, and politicians have personal assistants so why not senior citizens? You can offer services such as running errands, booking appointments, or just spending some time together shopping or having a coffee.
• Gaming Gym for Kids: If we want kids to be active and healthy we need to make it fun. You could start a kid’s gym that uses gaming technology like the Wii Fit to deliver fun fitness classes.
• Customer Service Auditing: Businesses need customer services auditors (also known as mystery shoppers) to help improve the customers’ experience. I had a customer experience business throughout university and I built a steady client base that allowed me to make between $100 and $200/hour; not bad for a university student!
• Anything Green: In the last couple years we have seen an explosion of “green” products and services and the industry is expected to continue its high growth rate. There are opportunities for “green” products like stationary, clothing, handbags, and packaging to name a few and services like driving, dining, and cleaning. The possibilities are endless.
• Jewelry Store: If you’re crafty and creative you may enjoy making jewelry to sell in a store or online.
• Event Planning: Event planners are needed for everything from weddings to corporate functions. You need to be well organized and energetic.
• Mobile Applications: Applications for the iPhone and BlackBerry are in-demand if you’re a programmer.
• Freelancer: Be your own boss as a freelance writer, editor, consultant, graphic designer, programmer, etc. Freelancing is a very simple way to run your own business.
• Gallery: If you love art you can sell artwork online, ask to hang it in local coffee shops, or consider starting your own art gallery.
• Online or Boutique Store with Organic Foods/Products: Sales of organic items are up. Planet Organic, an organic retailer, posted a 106% increase in sales for 2008.
• Specialty Services for Pets: People love their pets. Bank on that by opening a pet spa, selling dog clothes, or starting a food retail business that offers organic food for pets.
• Interior Decorator or Designer: If you have a knack for design, you could start an interior design business. A membership with a wholesaler will enable you to make a profit selling furniture and accessories to your clients as well.
• Specialty Dessert Store: If you love to bake you could sell baked goods or chocolates with nice packaging and offer a delivery option.
• Personal Shopping Assistant: Sometimes people need a little help putting together the perfect outfits. Some malls now offer a ‘personal shopper’ service and there are opportunities to offer your services at malls that don’t already have personal shoppers available.
• Technical Assistant: If you are tech-savvy there are opportunities to help people who aren’t. You could help people set up their electronic equipment or give computer lessons to those who are “technically challenged.”
• Catering Service: If you love food and people you can start a catering service. A niche market like organic catering or ethnic catering could give you a competitive advantage.
• Professional Critic: You can review products, businesses, or services online or for a magazine. Consult with companies and offer solutions for improvement.
• Personal Organization Service: If you keep your home spotless, you may be able to help other people do the same. You can make a profit on people’s messy lives!
• Photography: Photographers are always needed for portraits, weddings, and other events. Once you build a portfolio your business could get hired for magazines and advertisements.
• Financial Planning: If you’ve been good at handling your own finances perhaps you would be good at helping others, especially students, manage theirs. Students need help balancing expenses, student loans, income, savings, and investing.

Pick one of these and carry it through our Business Planning Blog Series starting next week.