The University (Idea #49)

It is a center for kids and families, with education at the core. It is what the library used to be, but in a relevant age. It may be for profit, but it may be a 501C3, difficult to say.

I was inspired on this idea by Seth Godin again (see that blog here), but I think an actual business model is emerging here. I can see a franchise-like, modern day "library" as he describes it. I want to call it something else (university is my first try) because it needs to appeal to the target market.

The target market is people who want to find knowledge. People who want to improve themselves. People who want to be surrounded by others who are driven to succeed. This branding is really important. Going to this place needs to make people feel elite, smart, inspired.

It is a physical building, and it offers these services.

1. A quiet place to sit and read.
2. Wifi.
3. Space for food vendors.
4. Professors.
5. Community Events.

The first 3 are pretty straightforward, but it would need to be quieter than the average place with wifi, and food vendors pay for space to quietly sell food.

Let's talk about the Professors. These are people with masters degrees or higher, who are passionate about helping people to learn.They help people learn and reach their goals.

People pay a monthly fee to be a member of the library. They can have business meetings in the library for a fee if they are member.

Community events are very important, and are always free. The Professors would be responsible for a certain number of hours helping people find things, people, and information about their research, but they would also need to coordinate community activities once per month. They would also need to have weekly events such as classes on how to save energy and money, or how to improve health, or other things that are of interest to the community.

This reminds me of the Center for Entrepreneurs idea from 2009, but I think it improves on that idea a lot. It is still appealing to the person who wants to improve herself, and I think that is a new market.

Could Multi-Level Work?

The problem with multi-level marketing is the overpriced stuff. You have to pay a franchise fee usually, but that isn't such a big deal. Sometimes you have to pay a monthly franchise fee, and that is usually a bad deal, but could be overlooked. The thing you can never overlook is the cost of the products.

Since so many people get a cut of the products price, it ends up costing way more than it is worth. Until now.

Check out what Moolala did. They are giving you a piece of the price of a coupon. Coupons are free to produce, and the business ends up paying for the commission.

The business gets a good deal because customers come in the door with a coupon, and you get a 2% referral fee for every friend that you get to purchase the coupon.

I think this might be a legitimate way to do a multi level business where everybody wins. Click here to sign up for free. It should automatically link you to my username (philmondy).

What do you think?

Complete I.T. Makeover

This company gives your entire office new computers, really fast. You leave work on Friday and come back in Monday to brand new computers. All hardware and software are up to date and all of the old stuff is gone. It is a custom makeover, just for your small business.

Obviously any IT company can do this, but the key is making it simple and cost effective. What if 10 computers, wireless sync, and server backup only cost $10,000?


It is possible.

It could be painless and easy to set up, and companies would want to do this again every couple of years. The key is getting buy in up front for some changes in computer software, and file storage. Things will have to be stored more efficiently.

How nice would it be to have the administrative assistant gather everyone's information on a Friday and have a completely new solution on Monday, for a low cost?

Flipping Motorcycles (Idea #47)

Motorcycles are secondary modes of transportation for most people. They typically have low miles, and will last for 20 years with only routine maintenance. People tend to sell them when they need money, and buy them when they have extra money. They also tend to sell for a lower price in the winter than in the summer.

This all adds up to a business that requires cash, knowledge of motorcycles and  a keen eye on the classified ads.

I've actually watched somebody do this for the past couple of months quite successfully. He only needs to make $500 to make it worth the time usually. The major hurdles to get over are having cash on hand, and finding good deals on motorcycles. Another trick is to have the seller sign the title, but don't sign it yourself. That way it can pass directly on to the next buyer.

Seth Godin's Blog

I read Seth Godin's blog regularly and saw this today. I'm just going to repost the entire thing because it is meaningful to me.


JK asks,

"It's like, how does anyone start their own business? How is it even possible? How do they deal with the crippling fear and harsh economic realities?"

Some people believe that if you have a good job, you shouldn't start your own gig, because it's foolish to give up a job you can't easily replace. And some people believe that if you don't have a great job, it's foolish to waste time (and the money you can ill afford to lose) starting something when you'd be a lot better off getting a great job or going to school until you do.

And both groups are missing the point.

The people who successfully start independent businesses (franchises, I think are a different thing) do it because we have no real choice in the matter. The voice in our heads won't shut up until we discover if we're right, if we can do it, if we can make something happen. This is an art, our art, and to leave it bottled up is a crime.

I guess the real question, JK, is, "How can you not do it?"

Small Grocery - Sticking it to Kroger and Wal-Mart

Grocery shopping is changing. All over the country you see small grocery stores making big profits. Case in point, Trader Joe's. They found a way to actually beat Kroger and Sam's prices, and still deliver better products.

But is Trader Joe's taking over the country? Not yet at least. Thousands of cities don't have this fine grocery store. Whole Foods is everywhere, but a small business can kill Whole Foods with better pricing if they want to. There is opportunity here.

The new business idea is actually an old business idea with a fresh look. This idea is a bit complex, and is no easy task, but I have a few things that I think are critical to stealing grocery market share.

1. Take notes from Natural Grocer stores. They package their own spices and save customers big with this technique. What else can be purchased in bulk and packaged in the store to save customers money? 
2. Take notes from Trader Joe's, they developed their own alcohol brands and deliver high quality wine, beer and liquor at insanely low prices.
3. Take notes from Savory Spice. They carry things that are difficult to find at big grocery stores, like dutch chocolate, but are desirable by people who love to cook. They also give out 3x5 recipe cards if you need help using a new spice.
4. Hire people who like to cook. Grocery stores are typically filled with people who are uneducated, and rarely appear to be a cooking connoisseur.
5. Teach employees and customers to cook better, and healthier. Steal the marketing space of customers who need some help with their cooking.

Can a smaller grocer store steal customers away from Super Targets, Wal-Marts, and Kroger stores? I believe it can.

Luxury Homes For The Masses

This is a design studio for houses, but instead of catering to the upper class, it caters to the middle class.

The barriers to a luxury home are getting lower and lower. Things that used to embody a wealthy lifestyle have dropped in price, and they have become available to the masses.

HD flat pannel TVs, stainless steal appliances, decent artwork, weekly house cleaning service, all of these things make you think of something on MTV cribs, but they aren't very expensive.

Here are some basic packages that make cheap fixes look like luxury upgrades.

• Flat screen TV in every bathroom in the house.
• ipad with a recipe app installed on a cabinet door in the kitchen.
• Weekly bathroom, floor, and lawn care for a monthly fee.
• Updated artwork throughout the house.
• Updated light fixtures throughout the house.

Important elements to success are: having a showroom, consistent supply chain, not cutting too many corners, limiting the number of packages to keep prices low.