Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Entrepreneurial Trial Balloon–here’s mine, what’s yours???
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March 7, 2008 at 8:08 pm #586520
charlabobParticipantI’m thinking of adding to the Charla Group’s bag of tricks. That’s the LLC under which I do contract writing and book agenting.
I go back and forth to the dread east side at least four times a week. Would you pay someone to do your errands that involve the drive to BellRedKirk and doing something?
I originally thought of this because JoB mentioned, at the geezer brunch, a required trip across the bridge that she wasn’t looking forward to.
I can’t carpool because my schedule is unpredictable and I can’t transit because I can’t walk from the bus stops…but this seems like a virtual way of optimizing gas use. “I drive so you don’t have to.” Sort of a targeted concierge service.
Would you (or people you know) use this service? What would you pay? What kinds of things would you want done? The nice thing about this is there’s virtually NO start-up cost so if it turns out that no one wants to do it, well, I’ll just keep driving.
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What kind of business would you like to start? Why haven’t you done it??? What would it take? Talk about it here–you might get enough encouragement to Just Do It!
cb
March 7, 2008 at 10:00 pm #616980
JoBParticipanti like this idea… i could do local errands.. things that need to be done during the day… like waiting for the repairman.. for a small fee;)
March 7, 2008 at 10:09 pm #616981
AimParticipantI love the idea!
I need to get up and running selling the skincare products I’ve been making and using. And perfumes. I keep getting compliments on my scents, and have been told I need to sell them, and I still haven’t gotten set up.
Why? Sheer laziness disguised as “being busy.” ha!
March 8, 2008 at 12:15 am #616982
JoBParticipantaim.. i am interested in your skin care products i think.
i am just a sensitive girl:) … unfortunately that isn’t a joke when it comes to my skin and products.
March 8, 2008 at 1:40 am #616983
AimParticipantJo, you and JanS and I should all grab a beer and chat sometime. I will happily share some of my secrets until I get things up and running! My skin is ultra dry and really sensitive too, so I am exceedingly careful about what I use on it.
March 8, 2008 at 1:45 am #616984
JoBParticipantsounds good to me.. as ong as i don’t have to drink beer:) can’t do alcohol:(
March 8, 2008 at 2:17 am #616985
JanSParticipantJoB…I’ll drink your beer…:)
March 8, 2008 at 6:05 am #616986
AimParticipantHA!
I’m as happy with coffee or a cupcake as I am with a cider or margarita. “Grab a beer” was my generic substitute for “let’s do coffee”
March 8, 2008 at 8:03 am #616987
JanSParticipantyum….cupcakes…I’m all for any of it :)
March 9, 2008 at 1:34 am #616988
KenParticipantI can identify a “need” I see here in WS but others have to decide whether it can be done as a business.
Food delivery:
Being limited to corporate pizza and pretty bad Chinese might seem like an acceptible trade off for living here, but I don’t thik it has to be that way.
If Lee’s Asian, Budda Ruksa and a few more could sponsor the startup of a co-op delivery service, I suspect they could pump up their share of the take out dollars around WS pretty quickly. Another based in White Center could greatly expand the ethnic choices for takeout/delivery as well.
March 9, 2008 at 1:48 am #616989
AimParticipantKen, you’re absolutely right.
Companies like “restaurants to go” deliver over here, but they charge an arm and a leg. A company that costs only a small percentage over the cost of the food would probably do well. It would be worth considering to see if a free delivery could be arranged with the restaurants via a cut of any business brought in.
March 9, 2008 at 3:50 am #616990
charlabobParticipantKen, I think this is a great idea! Do we have any lurking MBAs who can tell us how to decide whether it can be done as a business and how to begin? I know how to do feasibility studies for software, but I’ve never thought about the feasibility of other projects. Probably the same set of concepts:
1. See who else is doing it and how (are they in business to support the businesses–the population–both?
2. Survey restaurants for interest
3. Survey people for interest
4. Start small
5. Just do it :-)
March 9, 2008 at 3:54 am #616991
charlabobParticipantHey, it sounds like you-all have made great progress in encourage Aim’s skincare business — and I, personally, endorse anything that involves the eating of cupcakes.
We can turn into a virtual entrepreneurial incubator with real time food.
March 15, 2008 at 8:43 am #616992
BusinessOwnerMemberI hired a part-time personal/executive assistant. I pay $12.50per/hr, this includes drive time and gas reimbursement (if required). Hope this is helpful.
March 18, 2008 at 5:49 am #616993
charlabobParticipantThanks, BusinessOwner–it is helpful to know a bit about the market. I know a number of people who hire “concierges” almost fulltime –I figured there was a market for people who needed the same kind of service — for fewer hours.
c
March 18, 2008 at 3:35 pm #616994
GinaParticipantA drive through coffee shop that also sells diapers.
I have heard over and over again how the last diaper seems to vanish, and the baby stinks, and an emergency run for diapers results.
“I wish I could just stay in the car, and get a latte and diapers.”
I am surprised that the drive through convenience store has never taken off. This is an untapped market.
Never acted on the idea, because I felt that mass franchisees of gas stations/convience stores would be doing something of the like. But picking up boxes of diapers with coffee seems like a doable idea.
March 18, 2008 at 5:05 pm #616995
charlabobParticipantThis seems like an excellent idea AND all you’d need is a couple boxes o’ pampers plus WSB word of mouth to see how it worked.
I completely agree about drive-through convenience stores. We needed cold meds last night and it was a toss-up (literally) which of us felt good enough to go out. I thought longingly about a drive-through.
Of course, in an age where we’re all supposed to walk if our destination is less than 2 miles, it might take some effort to admit we wanted to use it. But I suspect, at some point, we all do and would.
Why not put together a package of emergency staples (diapers and *good* bread) and offer the idea to your favorite latte drive-through? And see what happens.
March 19, 2008 at 2:01 am #616996
PDieterParticipantI’ve never done anything but have my own business. Since you asked I’m just starting a new one that I think is pretty much a new idea in the remodeling industry. Facilitating the Do It Yourself(er).
here’s an explanation.
http://homepage.mac.com/riverwader/RemodelConsulting/Personal45.html
March 19, 2008 at 3:01 am #616997
beachdrivegirlParticipantAim- you are dead on with “Restaurants to Go” I ordered a meal a few weeks back. And my one lonesome Italian meal was over $30 completely ridiculous! I think a delivery of service would work great or even someone to be at your house for deliveries and what not. I have stopped ordering from a couple of stores b/c they only deliver during week days and give you a 2-3 hour window…
March 31, 2008 at 4:52 am #616998
charlabobParticipantOK, first of all I’m popping this back to the top of the list to see what ideas folks new to the forum might have.
But, mostly, I want to be sure everyone read the article on the front page about Garlic Jim’s takeover of part of the Safeco pizza franchise. What can you do if you put your mind to it? Pretty much anything! Charge the biggest cat!
(Ask me about the cat and mouse … I hate when old folks tell old stories — even when the old folks is me.)
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