Get documents about "From Restoring to Chauffeuring
Shared by: niusheng11
-
Stats
- views:
- 2
- posted:
- 8/25/2011
- language:
- English
- pages:
- 17
Document Sample
101+ Business Ideas
You Can Start
by Peter Robinson
December 1985
1. Robert-Limousine 31. Car Doctor 72. Collecting
Service 32. “Tel-a-soap” Call 73. Cherry Orchard
2. zzzz Carpet Info Service 74. Swimming Pool
Cleaning 33. Rent-a-Chef Sales
3. Specialty 34. Flower Stand 75. Photo Coupons
Advertising 35. Newsletter-Old 76. Collection Agency
4. Lawn Care Homes 77. Painting Curbs
5. Stuffed Animals 36. Moving Company 78. Computer/Specialty
6. Vid Kid 37. Mugs Fairs
7. Probots 38. Shopping 79. Specialty Gift Shop
8. Employment Consultant 80. Dance Lessons
Agency 39. Charm School 81. Oral Histories
9. Sweaters From 40. Pet Sitters 82. Stress Management
Peru 41. Bike Tours Seminars
10. Renting Mopeds 42. Car Buying Service 83. Refinishing Shop
11. Delivery Service 43. Book on College 84. Window Washing
12. Dictation and Admissions 85. Typing
Transcribing 44. Chimney Sweep 86. Woodcutting
13. Renting Cheap 45. Produce Market 87. Moped Delivery
Cars 46. Lingerie Parties 88. Welcome Packets
14. Health Food 47. Coupon Book 89. Handyman
Concession 48. Mobile Music 90. Teaching Music
15. Pet Hotel 49. Boat Cleaning 91. Resume Writing
16. Apartment Listings 50. Doughnuts 92. Second Opinion
17. Silk Screening 51. Maid-to-Order Surgery List
18. Producing Festivals 52. Computer 93. Emergency Clean-
19. Handicapped Shopping up
Puppets 53. Yacht Listing 94. Date Planner
20. Delivering 54. Exercise Mats, Etc. 95. Greeting cards
Groceries 55. Corvettes w/seeds
21. Merchandising- 56. Janitorial 96. Travel Packages
Buying/Sellers 57. Video Protection 97. Magic Show
22. Candle Making 58. Battle-Stars 98. Fishing Trips
23. Calendars 59. P.O. Boxes 99. Community
24. Key Chains- 60. Car Seat Covers College Programs
Promotional Stuff 61. Gymboree 100.Vending Service
25. Computer 62. Security Cart
Programming 63. Needle Craft Kits 101.Gift Wrap
26. T-shirt Business 64. Car Accessories 102.New Student
27. Employment- 65. Party Throwing Directory
Temporary/part- 66. News Clippings 103.Impounded Car
time 67. Stationary Pickup
28. Chocolate Greeting 68. Bike Repair 104.Energy Stores
Cards 69. Office Plant Care 105.Delivering Cars
29. Specialty Baking 70. Shoe Shine
30. Emergency Kits 71. Washing Cars
From Restoring to Chauffeuring
Robert bought a 1972 Cadillac using $1,500 he borrowed from his parents and became a self-
taught mechanic while refurbishing it. He sold that car for a hansom profit and thus started his
first business -- rebuilding old automobiles. He sold that business for $100,000 and started
Dynasty Limousine Corporation, a chauffeuring business catering to corporate executives
commuting between Washington and New York.
ZZZZ Best
Barry started cleaning carpets when he was 15. He became an expert in cleaning carpets and
soon started his own business, which by the time he was 19 he was doing 2 million a year in
sales. His only problem was that older people didn't take him seriously until they talked to him
for a short while -- then they knew what he could do.
Specialty Advertising
After working for his uncle for eight years in the specialty gift business, John decided to set out
on his own at the tender age of 16. He began selling special promotional items like pens, and t-
shirts. He now offers a wide variety of premiums, awards, and executive gifts. His customers
don't just buy items, they buy a “total service," including packaging, shipping, and consulting.
Currently he has eight employees and will gross approximately $500,000 in sales this year.
From Lawn Mowing to Landscaping
While in the sixth grade, John began mowing lawns in the summer for extra money. He was not
content just mowing lawns for his customers but wanted to give them a total service. By the time
he entered high school, he had learned how to care for every type of outdoor plant in the Pacific
Northwest. Today, at 19, John's Northwest Lawn service has 120 regular customers, 5 full time
employees, 4 part time summer, and grosses over $125,000 a year.
Designing Stuffed Animals and Much More
Joanne would take the stuffed animals she designed to help her baby sit. One customer, a
marketing executive, suggested that she market her the animals. What started with patterns and
fabric necessary to make stuffed toys has grown into a designer boutique in an exclusive
shopping center with sales projected at $60,000 to $100,000 the first year.
The "Vid Kid"
Instead of pumping quarters into video games, Rawson pumps his critiques of those video games
into a syndicated column published in five periodicals. At 13 years, he is a regular on the PBS
series "New Tech Times" and brings in over $10,000 a year.
The Robot Center
Tim got his start at 14 designing and critiquing software. With the money he received from
reviews in 13 periodicals and the 12 books he wrote before he was 18, Tim started a small
business to fulfill a dream. The Robot Center is a fantasyland of all sorts of recreational robots.
Others have also enjoyed his dream his first nine months of business brought in $150,000 in
sales.
The Handyman Can
Andre discovered a need for temporary, skilled workers, and left his secure government job in
order to fill it. His handyman business has a listing of temporaries with skills ranging from
plumbing to fetching a cat from under a house. He has supplied temporary help for over 4000
clients and had sales in 1984 of over $900,000.
The Peruvian Connection
Annie turned her love of Peru into a viable business. When she brought back some sweaters she
bought in the marketplace, everyone wanted to have one. She soon made connections with a
supplier in Peru and the business took off. She now has sales of several hundred thousand
dollars a year.
Mopeds for Hire
After attending a class on entrepreneurship in college, Peter was encouraged by his professor to
try out his idea of renting mopeds in vacations spots. He invested $5,000 in 15 mopeds and set
up shop in Nantucket. After grossing $50,000 in four months, peter decided not to go back to
school -- he spends the off season renting his mopeds in Florida.
We Deliver
At 16, Stan had a lot of plans for the summer but no money. He soon found a need to fill, which
would also provide him with needed cash. He started a delivery service to shut-ins and older
people. Organizing friends and family, he made pick-ups and deliveries in the family car in the
evenings. By the end of the summer he had provided a valuable service, learned a lot about
business, and had several thousand dollars.
You Say It, We Type It
Rather than work as a typist at minimum wage to help her husband through school, Jan decided
to go one step further; she opened a 24-hour dictation and transcription service. What started
small has grown to employ 5 full time employees and earns her about $45,000 a year.
Rent-a-Reck
While renting cars is not a new concept, renting reconditioned used cars is. Bart learned of the
idea in a newspaper, and took off with it. His dad invested $2,300 in three used cars, and after
working them over for three weeks, he began renting them for much less anyone could rent a new
car. By the end of the summer he had expanded his fleet to six cars each bringing in about $250
a month.
Health Food Heroes
While biking one Saturday morning, Mike and Gary (17 and 18 respectively) noticed the
concession stands near the city park selling "junk food". They thought that it was time for a
healthy alternative, so investing $500 they started their first "Health Bar" selling yogurt and
frozen yogurt. They now employ 16 people and gross $50,000 a year.
The Pet Hotel
Dave has turned his love of animals into quite a business. At 17, he runs the cleanest pet hotel
and grooming service on the west coast. He started by circulating hand made fliers and now
makes up to $2,257 a week (during the Christmas season).
Apartment for Rent?
After being frustrated with the long search for housing when she returned to college, Terry came
up with an idea. She and a friend surveyed all the apartment complexes within 20 blocks of
campus, contacted the Chamber Of Commerce and other sources, and soon had 7,500 listings.
Customers could check them out for $25. With a little advertising, Terry and her friend were each
netting between $200 and $250 a month.
Needles & Company
Nancy had a unique design idea for her cross-stitching. She sent a copy of the pattern on a 15-in.
by 15 in. cloth to a craft company who immediately sent an order for 400 back to her (the next
day they changed the order to 800). She now employs 12 people printing the patterns on the
cloth, cutting and shipping, with sales reaching $600,000 last year.
A Fair With Flair
Steven and Warren saw a need for an indoor art and craft fair with exhibits from local artists. At
its very humble beginning the American Folk Art Festival in San Francisco drew over 16,00
patrons and earned Steve and Warren $10,000 each. Their corporation, General Expositions
Incorporated, now has 13 employees and expected revenues of $2.5 million this year.
Teaching Puppets
In order to teach students, at the school where she taught, about handicapped students, Aiello
created a life-sized puppet in a wheelchair, naming him Mark Riley and introduced him as a boy
with Cerebral Palsy. From this beginning sprang blind, deaf, and retarded puppets, and a
$650,000 business making and selling these puppets to other schools and institutions.
Country Store Deliveries
Mike had an old truck and a great idea. He figured he could cut the cost of delivering produce to
outlying country markets, and capture a part of the market the big trucking firms couldn't
compete in. He loaded up the truck in the valley and took off. That summer, he earned enough
money for a trip to South America, something he couldn't have done bagging groceries.
Irwin the Liquidator
With money he saved from work, Irwin bought several hundred pairs of Italian skis for $13 a pair
at a U.S. Customs auction. He turned around and sold them on the street for $39 a pair making
him $10,000 on the deal. From there he only got bigger, buying and selling businesses, and other
distressed properties. Today Irwin's profits on a deal range in the millions.
A Warm Flickering Light
Joyce needed extra Christmas money. At the suggestion of a friend she began to make and sell
candles to raise the needed cash. What started in her kitchen has grown to a $5 million a year
business in a 20,000 square foot factory.
The Collegiate Pin-up
Inspired by another college, Dan decided to produce "the Men of the University of California--
Santa Barbara -- a 1983 pinup calendar which brought him $10,000 profit. To increase his nest
egg, Dan went into partnership with two friends, and started "College Look, Inc.", which markets
a whole line of gift and novelty items for college age kids. Their last venture grossed
$200,000.
The "Cheese" Fob
At 8 years, Noah went into business. While playing in his fathers’ leather shop, he punched
some holes in some leather and colored it yellow and thought it would be a good item for the
Kraft Cheese Company. He sent a letter to the president along with a sample and received his
first order of 250 key fobs. Since then the orders have increased, and his line has diversified.
Each fob sells for about 65 cents.
The Computer "Wiz Kid"
At 11, Adam started programming computers and he has never stopped. He started by writing a
tutorial program for his own computer, which he sold back to the store. Now he has a regular
clientele that pays 40 - 50 dollars an hour for his services. He is confident that at the rate he is
going he will be able to pay for his own college education.
T-shirts
Michael and Brian set up a small T-shirt business that could under sell their competition by two
or three dollars. It was easy, they had no overhead (working at home), they had experienced
suppliers (Michael's family was in the clothing business), and they advertised cheaply (no
expensive advertising, only business cards and flyers). Though the business was small, it made
Michael and Brian a lot of money -- $30,000 a year to be exact.
Girl Friday
Riva, age 20, found a need and filled it, at the same time she helped herself through college. She
started a temporary help agency that specializes in odd jobs. "We do whatever the customers
don't have time to do." Sometimes that includes cleaning, babysitting, bookkeeping, running
errands, and a whole host of other activities. Within a few weeks she was bringing in $150
dollars a week. She now has two student employees and is planning further expansion.
The "kandy Man" Can
Samuel began shining shoes at age five for quarters, today he sells chocolate greeting cards for
thousands. He started in high school and with first year’s sales reaching $2,500. Three years
later, he has one full time and four part time employees and sells over $17,000 worth of
chocolate and other confection filled novelties a year.
Baking into Business
Baking had always been fun for Pattie, so when she needed to supplement her income, she turned
to what she enjoyed and was good at. Her first products were her grandmothers fudge tarts, but
she soon added chocolate chip and peanut butter cookies. She started out by going door-to-door
with samples; she was soon making an extra $300 a week, and continued to build the business.
Now, she also bakes specialty cakes on commission, decorated as buildings, which sell for as
much as $1,000.
Survival in Business
While in high school, Bill noticed that most people are terribly unprepared for emergencies,
especially in the basic needs such as first aid. He invested $1,500 in supply and put together first
aid kits that sold for about $15 each. After selling out his first stock, he expanded his kit to a
"three day emergency kit", selling it through mail order for $150. During his senior year he had a
monthly income of about $1700, and he is still growing strong.
The Car Doctor
Steve started his business as a summer job while in high school, but he will probably stay at it.
He advertises himself as the "Car Doctor", and is willing to make house calls to do minor repairs,
tune-ups, oil changes and lubes. He can under cut the competition because he has no overhead,
and works evenings when businessmen are home. He is currently making three times what he
would earning minimum wage.
No Soap, Real Business
The Idea for Tell-A-Soap came to Karen while she was stuck in traffic on her way home from
school one day. She though that if she would pay someone good money to know what was
happening on her favorite soap, and so would many others. For $25, subscribers could call and
get a recording or the days soap activities on all three networks. Within three months she had
sold over $95,000 in subscriptions, and had three full time employees monitoring the soaps.
Food for Thought
After one year of college, Jim was tired of bachelor cooking, so during his summer off he learned
how to cook, real well. Upon returning, his roommates discovered his new talent and started
enlisting his help in cooking for parties. Word got around and soon he had to start charging for
his services. He now gets to go to a lot of parties and earns up to $800 a month at the same time.
A Budding Enterprise
Mark began his marketing career at age fifteen by working for a flower stand near his home. At
age 19 he bought the stand and grossed over $33,000 the first year. By the end of his second
year, Mark had opened five flower stands, and sold his first franchise for $65,000.
This Old Home
While in college, Glen started The Old-Home Journal because he was frustrated with the lack of
information he had on restoring his own home. Within three years the journal had 33,000
subscribers and grossed $500,000. Glen believes that felt needs can be filled profitably through
many different types of newsletters.
Starving Student Movers
Ethan and Daryl started selling junk items at local flea markets to earn money for college. They
soon found that people were more interest in using their truck to haul away their purchases than
they were in buying the junk the two brought with them. They developed their business into a
local moving and hauling company the rivals the big boys -- currently they have eight regional
offices, 225 employees, 35 trucks, and over $3 million in annual sales.
Peter Potter
Peter turned the pottery skills he learned in high school into a profitable enterprise. He especially
liked to make mugs, so he began selling them at craft shows and fairs. He was soon marketing
them through craft stores and taking orders to larger chains. He obviously couldn't make all the
mugs himself, so he developed an assembly line process where a different person individually
crafted each mug in stages. He is currently employing 10 people and turning a nice profit.
Image Management
With an eye for fashion and an even better eye for bargains, Michelle has turned her talent into a
profitable business. She offered everything a workingwoman needed to know about her personal
appearance from hair, and color consultation to wardrobe selection and even shopping with the
clients. She catered to busy women, and really earns her money --up to $1,120 for 20 hours of
work in a week.
A Charming Business
At 16, Blair couldn't see working for minimum wage, so she decided to put her years of
experience attending charm schools to work. After 400 hours, and 350 phone calls, Blair had
signed enough people to fill seven classes at $35 dollars each. It wasn't long before she was
expanding, hiring people and teaching etiquette to boys as well as girls. Needless to say, Blair
feels that she is a success.
Foster Pet Parents
Jeanne found a deep scratch on her prize winning French Poodle's nose (effectively eliminating it
from further competition) after leaving it at a kennel for a few days. She decided then and there
that she could not trust a kennel with a pet again, and figured that there were enough others who
felt the same way that she could make a business. She now places dogs and cats in "foster"
homes while their owners are on vacation. The homes are of older people who can supplement
their income while enjoying the companionship of a temporary pet. Currently she is making
about $20,000 a year and employs 50 sitters. According to Jeanne, "I could use about 100 more."
Peddle Pushers
After they were married, Cindy and Bob found that they could make money at something they
both enjoyed. They offer two-day and five-day bicycle tours through scenic or historic Vermont
at $130 to $310 per person. The tours include excellent accommodations at local inns, and cover
12 to 50 miles a day depending on the group. After only one year, Cindy and Bob were turning a
modest profit doing something they love.
Match Making With Cars
Al found that many professional people are too busy to bother with adequately researching,
testing, and buying used cars. He started a service that matches a customers needs with the
perfect car. He found a great demand for the service and now makes about 40 matches a month
at $175 per car.
The "How To" for Entering College
After spending hours going through college admissions procedures, Stan thought he new more
about college admissions that anyone, or at least enough to write a book, so he did. It took him a
while to find an agent and a publisher, but now he is working on his second book and looking
forward to his royalties.
Chim Chimney Charoo
After moving, Dave noticed that there were many houses in his neighborhood with fireplaces,
and no one to clean them. He invested some of his savings in the necessary brushes, and of
course an old black outfit with a top hat, and began going door-to-door. At $35 per job, he made
$105 the first day and had four callbacks. It wasn't long before he was making $525 a week and
had to hire two other boys to help out. He found a dark neitch and is now cleaning up in it.
Home Grown Produce
Katie made $300 in seven days selling the excess produce she had grown in her home garden at a
local farmers market. That's a lot of money for a 15 year old especially from an investment of
$10 and some time watering and weeding. She also found a twist that helped; she gave away
recipe cards with each product she sold, so the customer could know how to prepare the
vegetables.
The Lingerie Party
After failing to sell her panties, bras, and t-shirts at a local market before school started, she took
the merchandise with her and began selling the lingerie to friends and roommates. Taking the
show on the road, she used Tupperware type parties to sell her wares. Last year she netted $640
from only seven shows, and next year she plans to double her profit.
The Ethnic DJs
Dave and Pete bought all the equipment necessary for a mobile music service from a fraternity
brother for $4,000 and were off and running. They specialized in Greek music, catering to the
large Greek community, but included any type of music from big band to rock. Their first year,
they earned $16,000 profit, and increased their booking by 150% the second year.
Bristol Fashion Yacht Care
While sailing after school, Charles and Paul noticed the poor condition many of the yachts
around them were in. They began a yacht care service that netted them $1600 after only five
jobs. They expect to clear $20,000 their second year and keep right on growing after that.
A Hole Lot of Doughnuts
Heather and Elizabeth, 17 and 18 respectively, inherited a doughnut business. Essentially they
would buy doughnuts from a local wholesaler and sell them door-to-door in their dorms. At their
peak, sales reached 48 dozen in one day. They made good money for a part time job, and even
had four employees.
Domestic Help that’s as "Good as Gold"
Coralee correctly figured that with more women entering the work force at all levels, those
women would need to keep their houses in order. To start with, she interviewed and hired 30
domestics, dressed them in gold uniforms, and solicited clients with luxurious bond stationary
mailers. At just over $40 for a minimum of four hours, her future also looks golden.
Male Order on the Phone
While in college, Michael recognized that people were finding time, not money a rare
commodity, and while shopping by mail was convenient it also took a long time to get the
produce. He found that by using the telephone and his computer, he could speed up delivery
time and better satisfy his customers. His idea and his new catalog business netted him $150,000
last year.
Yachting by Computer
Max realized that over 200,000 yachts are being sold each year, if he could help both the sellers
and the buyer; he could bring in a nice profit. He started with advertisements in the Wall street
Journal, the New York Times, and several boating magazines telling of his service. He currently
charges a one-time fee of $65 for sellers, and between $45 and $275 to buyers for a print out
(depending on their location and the number of listings). His current annual revenue is $850,000
and he is planning on expanding into airplanes next.
A Fit Business
While teaching exercise classes Suzi noticed the poor quality of exercise mats available. She
designed a foam filled roll up mat that was convenient, comfortable, and classy. Selling for $45
each she sold over 14,000 before she went on to exercise tapes for specialty groups -- busy
businessmen, senior citizens, etc. Selling at $19.95, she sold her first 500 tapes in 45 days and is
still going strong.
A Business Affair with a Corvette
Sonja loves Corvettes. She also founded a business on the fact that a lot of other people do to.
She buys, reconditions, and sells used corvettes. She started doing all the work herself but now
subcontracts most of the mechanical work. She may have up to 20 corvettes in stock at one time,
each bringing her a profit of $500 to $2,500 depending on the age and condition of the car.
Cleaning Up in Business
Dale noticed that most commercial cleaning services were mom-and-pop janitorial businesses.
He knew he could bring more professionalism to the business and thus started his own company.
His philosophy: "always approach the other guy's problem as being just a little more important
than your own, that applies to employees as well as customers." After ten years in business, he
employs 500 people and has over $4 million in sales.
On Your Honor
Bill has built an enormous business based on trust. He places cardboard trays filled with 30
different kinds of snacks -- candy, chips, cookies, etc. -- in offices across the country. He
currently has over 20,000 trays out across the country and is bringing in sales of over $3 million
annually.
Video Documentation
Loren quit his insurance job to sell security to people, security in the form of a video taping
business that specializes in documenting personal possessions for insurance purposes. He
markets his service through insurance brokers for which they get a 15% commission. In his first
year he sold 600 videotapes for about $250 each. He is now earning $200,000 a year.
The Business of Business Athletics
Don saw a need to involve business people in organized sports activities (not necessarily serious
sports) as part of corporate meetings. He began by putting together packages of activities ranging
from traditional sports like volleyball, tennis, etc. to unusual activities such as, balloon relays,
egg toss, and raft races. His packages are complete with trophies, cheerleaders, and even a band
if the customer wants. The packages range from $7 to $12 thousand.
P.O. Box Blues
When Jane couldn't get a U.S. post office box, she went into the post office box business. Not
only did she become a mail receiving agency -- which can bring in up to $85,000 a year -- but she
also began manufacturing the boxes themselves. She is now making the highest quality box sets
on the marker and has sales reaching $5 million a year.
A Hot Cure for a Hot Seat
It took Bonnie only a second after putting her first child in hot car seat to find a need, and not
much more time to fill it. She now makes and sells quilted covers for infant seats. She has an
easy part time job that makes her $10 on each cover, and she can make a cover in about half an
hour.
Infant Exercise
While teaching exercise classes in local community centers, Joan decided to explore a new
market group -- babies. She developed a program and some simple equipment for stretching and
strengthening babies’ muscles. Parents and children attend together and pay a $8 for a two-hour
session.
Private Security Can Be Profitable
Randy started out in the security business at age 17 tracking down books from the local library.
When he got serious, he started out with small businesses that wouldn't require him to post a
bond. Within four months, he was checking 25 to 30 offices and charging as much as $150 a
month. Today he has 800 employees and brings in $9 million a year.
Picture This
Mark had an idea to help a struggling photo studio off the ground. He would sell a coupon for an
8 X 10 portrait for $4 over the photographers cost. He would keep the $4 and the photographer
would brake even on the portrait and be able to sell the customer a package. This was a win-win
for both Mark and the photographer.
Clean Cut Collecting
While talking to a friend, Pete discovered that though his dentist had a sizable income,
outstanding debts in uncollected bills nearly equaled the amount. Because the dentist didn't like
the tactics of collection agencies, he agreed to give Pete a shot at collecting. Pete used his clean,
personable, polite image and gentle persuasion skills and collected even from families who had a
long history of debt with the dentist. Within one year at 20% commission, Pete had made
$13,500. He had only been working 20 hours a week and felt the income was great. Even the
most irate customer, he found, would respond to a soft voice and a warm smile. He now employs
3 other clean-cut college kids and has over 30 professional clients including doctors, dentists, and
even some lawyers.
Money by the Numbers
Clark had noticed several homes with their addresses painted on the front curb, while other
homes were without. After a little investigation, he found it was a city ordinance for
homeowners to maintain their addresses on the curb. Clarke bought fluorescent spray paint and
some stencils and began going door-to-door, showing a copy of the ordinance and offering to
paint or repaint the numbers on the curb for $5.00. Each job took about 10 minutes and Clarke
began making $45 to $65 an hour profit. Working only five hours a day through the summer,
Clarke made nearly $12,000.
"Come-Pute"
Jonathan started making money by organizing a trade show for computer users. He secured
Apple computers as sponsor and made arrangements for a convention center. He advertised the
event through direct mail and general public sources. Charging the public a small entrance fee,
he made $10,000 for his first show. His second show two years later drew twice the audience.
Now, at age twenty, Jonathan makes $100,000 a year as a college student. His goal is to raise
$1.5 million for a Computer Discovery Center to remove some of the mystique surrounding
computers.
Collecting Your Thoughts
Judith enjoyed visiting museums, but noticed the novelty areas for souvenirs usually carried very
little that dealt with the museum collections. She took some of her savings and became a
distributor of stamps commemorating everything from rocket launches and astronomy to
dinosaurs. She soon expanded to include a wide variety of novelty items. Her primary emphasis
is fitting her products to the needs of her customers. She now supplies about 800 museums,
aquariums and planetariums with quality gifts that fit respective themes. Last year, sales reached
$1.5 million.
Dancing for Dollars
Eighteen and talented, Donna of Salt Lake City decided to start teaching others the skills she had
learned in the dance classes she had taken throughout most of her life. After working out a few
problems, she soon had about 45 students divided between three one-hour sessions a week. At
$5.00 per hour she was making nearly $225 each week for three hour's work. Her classes and
reputation are growing, and she has some ideas for expanding.
Rewarding Recording
Miriam used her skills as an oral historian to start a new business. She began offering to compile
the histories of companies for a fee. The histories consist of ten to twenty interviews on tape,
with each interview perhaps as long as four hours. Though it took nearly a year for her to get her
first customer, she has now done histories for clients that include Standard Oil, Consolidated
Freightways, and Bristol Myers. Miriam charges between $1,500 and $2,500 per interview and
the history package usually costs around $15,000. If the client wants the oral history written, it is
an additional $5,000 to $10,000.
Stressful Economy
After extensively researching study skills, stress management, and time management for his
duties as a lab instructor while attending school, Mike started offering workshops on handling
stress to area businesses. They were so successful, the businesses called him back to teach time-
management, speed reading, and financial planning at $75 to $150 an hour. Mike grossed over
$35,000 his senior year in college. The first year after graduating, his income jumped to
$100,000. Now, two years after graduating, Mike's workshops are so popular his rates have
tripled, as has his clientele.
Finishing Touch
Greg, a high school student, worked in an upholstery shop, but realized it would be better to be
self-employed. Because the upholstery shop didn't offer refinishing service, something that much
of the furniture coming in needed, Greg decided to start refinishing furniture in his garage. His
boss at the upholstery shop referred small jobs to Greg, and soon his business was making $500 a
month. The only skills Greg had started with were those he had learned in high school wood
shop.
Perfectly Clear
Lori had a lot of experience cleaning the large windows of her house. Looking around town at
places like car dealerships, she discovered a profitable business in cleaning windows
professionally. With her prices ranging from $5.00 to $8.00 per window panel, she made up to
$1,500 a month during the summer, with only minor investment for materials.
Type Casting
Dianna had developed her typing skills in a high school type class and on the family computer.
Starting off by doing some extra typing for her father, she developed a nice little typing service
that made her about $7.00 an hour. As her speed and accuracy increased, her profits climbed as
well. She now has plans to purchase her own computer and become familiar with typing legal
formats.
Wood You Believe. .
When Dan moved to a rural area, he not only lost his close association with friends, but his
summer job as a lifeguard. One day he noticed several stores in the area selling wood for $3 to $5
a bundle, and other people selling wood for $50 to $75 a cord. His new home had a lot of wood
behind it. With his father's permission, Dan took a chain saw and began cutting. He sold
bundles at $2 and advertised cords at $60 delivered. Within a month he brought in over $2000.
Pedaling Goods
Stan enjoyed riding his moped and found a way to make some money at the same time. After
some discouragement, Stan finally got a job delivering for a pharmacy $5.00 a run plus .20 a
mile. Soon he found other clients and as the business grew. He soon had to take on two
assistants. He has had to turn away business now, and concentrates on keeping his regular
customers happy. He is making between $500 and $1000 a month.
Stitch In Time
When Jo was still in high school she took a class in needlecraft. She enjoyed it so much she
designed her own patterns and showed them at craft shows. Her designs generated so much
interest she started selling her own kits. As interest grew, she began marketing her ideas in retail
stores with much success. She is now married and has expanded the business to the extent of
dominating the needlecraft industry after only five years in operation.
In the Bag
Lorneva got so tired of poor quality litter bags for cars she started making her own out of vinyl
matching the interior of her car. The first bags she made were such a success in her town she
decided to try marketing them. After starting through a small mail-order business, she landed her
first major client-Safeway. She started thinking about other products she could produce and
developed an entire line. Today she has 74 items on the market, including door pockets, map
holders, mirrors and eyeglass holders. She employs 70 people and has sales of over $2 million
annually.
A Party for a Job
Elizabeth was so skilled at planning parties she turned it into a consulting and service business.
Her first customer was a mother giving her child a birthday party. It was such a success, seven of
the attending children's mothers called for Elizabeth's services over the next few months.
Elizabeth charges from $35 to $150 for her service. With the income, Elizabeth can put herself
through college.
Cut-up
Holly is only 12 but she has already started her own news clipping service. She reads local
newspapers for two hours a day and looks for articles on local entrepreneurs who subscribe to her
service. When she finds an article, she clips it, makes five copies and sends them to the
businessman for a $2 fee. Holly gets new clients by finding articles, clipping them and sending
them along with a sales letter to business executives. In her one year of operation, she has made
$550.
Early Start
TAKA Enterprises grossed $350 in sales last year -- very noteworthy considering the president is
nine-year-old Trevor and the company also consists of his sisters, Audrey (8) and Amy (2), and
his brother Kevin (5). They have collectively won $1200 in over 40 coloring contests and have
begun to market their winning entries on stationery, greeting cards and note pads. Sister Audrey
has diversified into personalized birth announcements.
Related docs
Other docs by niusheng11
