Video Professor

Risky business is more than just one of my favorite expressions or a movie from the ’80s starring Tom Cruise. Risky business is what scares away many people from trying to create something unique. Not that I blame them. The fear of failure is something few people are immune to. But in this day and age when the power of the Internet is capable of reaching millions, any ideas may just have an audience. You’d be surprised.

The Not-So-Risky Business of Pets

Pet people can be a little nutty. All my friends who love their furry friends would agree. If you can think up an idea for pets, there is a good chance that it is not-so-risky business after all. How about these.

Are you looking for that perfect accessory for your pooch? Do you enjoy changing his/er “look”? How about a unique custom-designed wig? Wiggles Dog Wigs, the brainchild of Ruth Regina offers a variety of wigs and hair extensions for your dog. And while they are seriously adorable (and I’m not even a dog person!), they are not cheap. The wigs run from about $30 to $60, and the extensions are about $25.

How about the smell of your pooch? Could it be improved? If so, you can try out of Mungo & Maud’s Petite Amande dog fragrance. At $75 a pop, you bet your dog will smell much better than the backyard. There is even a matching shampoo.

Lastly, is your dog too cool for all the other dogs around? Yes? Then check out  some cool shades, and fancy outdoor gear or jewelry at Doggles.com. The company is doing so well, they will soon be opening stores!

Would these pet-friendly business ideas seem like risky business to you? Well, I’m sure they did to the people who started up these wacky businesses, but they went for it, and it seems that it sure has paid off!

Other Not-So-Risky Businesses

Diving into a seemingly risky business is not reserved for the pet obsessed. How about these risky business ideas gone right.

Luckybreakwishbone.com sells fake wishbones. In 2006, it made $1 million in sales. Not bad for it not even being Thanksgiving!

Are you into acting? Well, maybe this risky business is not so much acting, but it is successful. Santamail.org made $1 million in 2006, and all you’d have to do is pretend you’re Santa and get paid by parents to send mail to their kids.

I personally do not like dolls, especially ugly ones, but apparently there are plenty of people who do. Uglydolls.com specializes in selling ugly dolls and in 2006 made $2.5 million in sales doing so.

So this might all sound like more than just risky business ideas, it may sound downright wacky. But in this world, nothing should be too surprising. And if one thing is for sure, risky business sells.

If you have ever wanted to start your own home business, then you are certainly not alone. The advantages of a home business are obvious and numerous. The biggest advantage is that you are your own boss, and you can run your home business the way you want. It also allows for a more flexible lifestyle, less of a commute, and the ability to avoid all the bureaucratic nonsense that frustrates so many professionals, just to name a few.

You also have the ability to fill a niche market better because you can be a lot more specialized with a home business. So if you have a passion for something specific or if you just see a need that needs to be filled, you could create your own home business, and there is no telling how well it might be received. Take a look at some of these home business ideas from Entrepreneur.com that you might not ever think of.

Bathtub reglazing - The popular colors for bathtubs in the ‘70s were pink and blue; brown in the ‘80s; white in the ‘90s; and now black, as we head in the new millennium. Not all homeowners can afford to replace their bathtubs just to keep up with new and popular remodeling trends. However, many of these same homeowners can certainly afford to have their bathtubs reglazed as a method of inexpensively updating their bathrooms’ appearance. Starting a bathtub reglazing service requires very little working experience, and the equipment is readily available through paint and industrial supply stores. The service is best marketed by establishing alliances with industry-related businesses, such as construction companies and property maintenance companies who can utilize the service for their clients. The bathtub reglazing can also be marketed to end consumers via a display and demonstration booth that can be setup at home and garden trade shows to collect sales leads. The potential to profit will vary greatly in this home business and be determined by factors such as material cost markup, number of bathtubs reglazed, and operating overhead. However, once established, the business can easily generate an income in the range of $40 per hour.
Intercom Installation - Recent technology changes in intercom systems have made them extremely easy to install, as intercoms are now available in wireless form. Due to these recent changes in the product, starting a business that sells and installs wireless intercoms is a fantastic business opportunity for just about anyone, regardless of construction or business experience. Intercom systems have wide range of uses including: Installations in baby nurseries, residential and commercial. Business applications for warehouse to office communications. Security applications for residential and commercial door entry use. Overall this is a very good choice for a new low-investment home business start-up that has the potential to generate a very lucrative income for the owner-operator of the business.

Most people might not think of reglazing bathtubs or installing intercoms, but these are services that need to be filled, so you can take advantage of these areas with your own home business, especially if you have some construction or business experience.

If you have ever wanted to start your own home business, then you are certainly not alone. The advantages of a home business are obvious and numerous. The biggest advantage is that you are your own boss, and you can run your home business the way you want. It also allows for a more flexible lifestyle, less of a commute, and the ability to avoid all the bureaucratic nonsense that frustrates so many professionals, just to name a few.

You also have the ability to fill a niche market better because you can be a lot more specialized with a home business. So if you have a passion for something specific or if you just see a need that needs to be filled, you could create your own home business, and there is no telling how well it might be received. Take a look at some of these home business ideas from Entrepreneur.com that you might not ever think of.

Bathtub reglazing - The popular colors for bathtubs in the ‘70s were pink and blue; brown in the ‘80s; white in the ‘90s; and now black, as we head in the new millennium. Not all homeowners can afford to replace their bathtubs just to keep up with new and popular remodeling trends. However, many of these same homeowners can certainly afford to have their bathtubs reglazed as a method of inexpensively updating their bathrooms’ appearance. Starting a bathtub reglazing service requires very little working experience, and the equipment is readily available through paint and industrial supply stores. The service is best marketed by establishing alliances with industry-related businesses, such as construction companies and property maintenance companies who can utilize the service for their clients. The bathtub reglazing can also be marketed to end consumers via a display and demonstration booth that can be setup at home and garden trade shows to collect sales leads. The potential to profit will vary greatly in this home business and be determined by factors such as material cost markup, number of bathtubs reglazed, and operating overhead. However, once established, the business can easily generate an income in the range of $40 per hour.
Intercom Installation - Recent technology changes in intercom systems have made them extremely easy to install, as intercoms are now available in wireless form. Due to these recent changes in the product, starting a business that sells and installs wireless intercoms is a fantastic business opportunity for just about anyone, regardless of construction or business experience. Intercom systems have wide range of uses including: Installations in baby nurseries, residential and commercial. Business applications for warehouse to office communications. Security applications for residential and commercial door entry use. Overall this is a very good choice for a new low-investment home business start-up that has the potential to generate a very lucrative income for the owner-operator of the business.

Most people might not think of reglazing bathtubs or installing intercoms, but these are services that need to be filled, so you can take advantage of these areas with your own home business, especially if you have some construction or business experience.

The idea of running your own small business is appealing to many people on many levels. If you went through your entire life and got along with every boss that you ever had, then you would probably be the first person to do so. So, if you have quality small business ideas, then running your own business would have the benefit of never having to deal with a boss you hate.

You also have the final say for how everything will run in your business. If you have profitable small business ideas, you can run a business the way you want to. More and more unique small business ideas are finding success in today’s market, so if you have always had an idea, but possibly thought it might be to obscure, you should at least give it a try. It is nearly impossible to tell what will catch on and become profitable. You might have thought it would be impossible to sell millions of goofy looking shoes made out of rubber that make your feet smell, but Crocs have become pretty successful. Small business ideas come in many forms, and they don’t even have to be that great of ideas, just promoted well. There are companies out there selling bottled water for $40 a bottle and water is still free at drinking fountains all over the planet. If you make a product seem essential or exclusive, you can get people to buy it, plain and simple. Take a look at one of the most unlikely small business ideas and tell me that almost anything can’t be sold.

The energy drink market has exploded with hundreds of different sugary tasting beverages for people who need a blast of energy or just want to feel their limbs shaking for no apparent reasons. One of the companies to capitalize on this trend was Go Fast. Troy Widgery is a former champion skydiver and entrepreneur who founded Go Fast in 1992. Widgery’s latest fascination is a Jetson’s-esque jet pack. He founded JetPack International and has spent the past two years and $1 million attempting to create a jet pack that would be available to consumers and allow them to fly for up to nine minutes. This has to be one of the most unique small business ideas and the strange thing is that it is actually feasible.

Only 11 people have ever piloted these jet packs, but Widgery is looking to sell these jet packs to the public at a cool $200,000, with each flight costing about $20 in fuel. Bell Aerosystems was the first company to manufacture a jet pack in 1961, but it flew for only 23 seconds and was not commercially available. Widgery has the lofty goal that this most unique of small business ideas will top sales of $30 million by the year 2010.

The company is already turning a profit based on the prototype model that flies for 45 second. Pilot Eric Scott grosses $25,000 a flight through demonstrations all over the globe. Scott has had a rough time during test flights over the past two years, blowing out his knee six times, having reconstructive surgery on his shoulder after a rough landing, and the loss of seven pairs of tennis shoes after early prototypes set them o fire.

Working from home, to many it’s a dream come true. No more driving to the office in the morning. Say goodbye to rush hour. No dress code. No annoying co-workers. You are your own boss. It all sounds great, but it is hard to figure out how to get to the promise land of being your own boss. There are lots of people who want the same thing, what can you do that will make you stand out from the crowd? Here are some home business ideas that you might find inspirational, or at least helpful.

Online auctions

 eBay®, we all know and love it. But did you know that you can supplement your income from your office job by working with sites like eBay, AmazonÒ and Yahoo!? Commerce on the Web continues to grow at alarming rates. This past holiday season online sales grew by over 40 percent from last year! If you have a hobby or an interest, you can sell what you make, collect or buy on the Internet. Get involved on the web and accelerate with this home business idea.

Photography

Great home business ideas and successful home businesses stem from passion. Do you have a hobby that you are passionate about? If you love photography, try going for it! Build up a portfolio, start taking lots of pictures and get your name out there. You might have to do some work for free for a little while, so you can build up your resume. If you are good, and like what you are doing, working as a freelance photographer is a great way to be your own boss.

Jewelry Making

Making jewelry is fun, creative and profitable! If you have a creative side and like making jewelry, start buying beads wholesale and going to bead conventions. You will get great prices and can find rare and beautiful stones. Home business ideas don’t have to be a large scheme, you can make jewelry from your house and don’t need to hire any help. Sell it online and through stores in your area.

Tutoring

Tutoring has always been one of the many great home business ideas, but the need has been growing in the past few years. More and more parents want their children to go to the most prestigious schools and excel in class. College is getting tougher to get into and the pressure’s on for students to get straight A’s. Tutoring is in demand for math, language and writing. Home business ideas involving tutoring are a great way to generate fast income, and you can help make a difference in a student’s life.

Take this information and see what you can do to start your own home based business! Good luck!

Most people would like to have their own home business, I would. It implies two things that most people find very agreeable; you would work from home and work for yourself. It is much easier to get along with your boss when you are your boss, and the commute is much less irritating when it is from your bed to the living room and not from your house through traffic to the office. We are all jealous of people who have their own home businesses, especially if they are able to do something they love. It seems that what you have to do is find a public need that associates with something you like and then you can turn it into a business. Take a look at this interesting story about one of the most unique home businesses you are likely to find.

David Marcks was once a 23-year-old golf course superintendent in Greenwich, Conn. with the unpleasant task of trying to keep hundreds of geese and their droppings off the golf course he worked at. He tried every different deterrent known from sprays to pyrotechnics to fences to flags and nothing worked. Around the same time he adopted a border collie that was brimming with energy and had very little outlet for it. Marcks decided that he would attempt to give his dog some exercise and potentially find a solution for his geese problem at the same time, and he struck gold. His dog chased off the geese without harming them and after the dog performed this task several times, the geese stopped coming to this particular course. This idea would give birth to Geese Police, one of the most unique home businesses you are likely to hear about.

Initially, Marcks just needed something to keep his dog occupied, as it would chew up his belongings if left alone. There was no thought of joining the ranks of home businesses, just keeping the dog properly exercised. As the geese fled the course that Marcks worked at, they migrated to other area golf courses. Marcks offered the services of his dog to the other courses in order to keep it occupied, never thinking of charging for the service. Word spread to other golf courses, homes and businesses and Marcks was willing to help and keep his dog sane. The owner of a neighboring golf course heard about the dog and told Marcks that he would pay him to keep the geese away, a light went off, and one of the most improbable home businesses was launched.

Geese Police, the unlikeliest of home businesses, was started in 1996 and has expanded to the point where they have multiple offices and made almost $2 million in 2000. The business now serves a wide variety of locations and businesses after getting its start on the golf course. The original location spawned seven franchises and qualified individuals are welcome to start another.

If this idea can work, there is no limit to the scope of home businesses. If you have an idea, literally any idea, it could give you an opportunity to work for yourself.