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100 Unsexy Business Ideas: Name as many as you can!

KLaw

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True, that's why a "human resource system" is the hardest to execute. That is essentially what all these businesses are if we are to get away from "time for money" and hit the Commandment of Time.
This is not passive aggressive. Have you had experience with employees? How many?
 
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Fastlane Liam

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What can you do with childcare?
My friend is thinking about going to school for 4 years to be a school counselor because she LOVES kids and I told her don't waste your time.

I spent like an hour looking at possibilities for her dealing with kids and most of them require education.

I just haven't brought it up again because I can't back up an alternative for her.

(and really it's a friend. Disliking kids is my biggest flaw.)
What about nurseries? Those places cost a bomb, sometimes more than rent for a month
 

Fastlane Liam

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I always look at other countries for businesses or to see how they run a certain type of business. For example, here in the US there aren't really any franchises for residential mowing. But in Australia there is or used to be Jim's. He has his picture on all the trucks as I recall. One stand alone business I do find really odd is that in the UK they have stove cleaning businesses.
Look how clean it gets though, looks like its new from the shop!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFO4VfbMW8U
 

minivanman

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And now, all of those unsexy businesses needs a sexy business that actually believes in itself. For example, Bobby owns all the lawn equipment to do the work and has experience but he doesn't have enough money to buy bologna to eat let alone do any advertising..... not to mention he doesn't even know how to spell advertising. So what a guy like Bobby needs is for someone that can actually market, to work with him. You need to get a Google number and add Bobby to the account. It needs to be understood the number is YOURS, not Bobby's. Then every time a call or text comes in, Bobby owes you money ($1-$3-$5-$?). Now you must realize that Bobby has expenses so make sure you only take a small amount so Bobby can stay in business and make you more money. No, Bobby can NOT pay upfront.... HE HAS NO MONEY! So if any of you that claim to be great at marketing or SEO or some how getting people to call and you believe in yourself..... thank me later for the millions you have the opportunity to make. Just to be clear, unlike all the other services, this is a pay AFTER the call comes in, which you can easily track, NOT a pay BEFORE the call comes in. You will need to give credit for SPAM calls and you can easily track them and call them back to verify they are SPAM.

The biggest trick to this business is actually BEING what you say you are. All talk does not = phone calls/texts. This will work for SO many types of businesses. And just think, if you make a killer website and rank up top..... once Bobby fills up, you can find someone else to rinse and repeat with the same website.

I did this myself for awhile but I think it is more for someone that wants to put in the time and effort with people like Bobby. I had my sister doing it and another girl and I probably could have scaled it but at the time it was just kind of a pain in the a$$ and I had a lot of other things going on.
 
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minivanman

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Look how clean it gets though, looks like its new from the shop!
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFO4VfbMW8U

Having been in the residential cleaning business here in the US for over 19 years, I don't think many people here would pay very much to have their oven cleaned. It's something they put off and then never have it done. If someone would ask for their oven to be cleaned we charged $25 and they thought that was too high. And those that would be in the mindset to have their oven cleaned would expect to pay their house cleaner to clean it.... for $25 or less......
 

Dan Curry

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Hydroponic saffron farming

Own a half way house for addicts (youd be AMAZED at how lucrative this is)

Private label an overpriced vacuum and start your own door to door "kirby vacuum" knockoff sales company (I managed one for a while)

...
Vending machines...
 

ocricci

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This thread is amazing !

My reticular activating system is confused

time to search for unsexy and off the radar businesses

Thank you op
 
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minivanman

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I was contacted yesterday about going in with a friend's friend on some type of motor oil distributorship. I had no idea that existed lol. I'm going to check it out. This will need a lot of research as it is no where near my $1000 limit for 'friends'.

I'll tell you one thing I've had my eye on for years but have never inquired about it.... a fireworks stand. I'd like to see if they must be straightforward just fireworks sales or if I could add a little circus type atmosphere.
 
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HelpAndProsper

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Great! Since you you did due diligence and analyzed why you didn't get it, what part made you certain the blacks took it from you?

Did the results indicate who got it?

If you can confidently say each result showed a black person got it, not by way of presenting the best bid, but the "preference points," then I'll acknowledge I was wrong.

More importantly, this is a nice thread, and it would be unwise for us to derail it with nonsense.

I've got an idea, how about you own up to the FACT there are preference points given to certain groups because of their SKIN COLOR. I've seen it firsthand.

If that's not the definition of racism, I don't know what is....

Now, run along and join your local BLM demonstration and scream about those Evil white cops and all of us white Devils who "just don't get it".
 
D

Deleted52409

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I've got an idea, how about you own up to the FACT there are preference points given to certain groups because of their SKIN COLOR. I've seen it firsthand.

If that's not the definition of racism, I don't know what is....

Now, run along and join your local BLM demonstration and scream about those Evil white cops and all of us white Devils who "just don't get it".

Whites can experience racism just as often as anyone else. In fact I would argue that whites are the least racist on the entire planet if you look at their immigration policies compared to the way that their immigrants treat them.

Nevertheless, let's not start a race war on this thread. Everyone has been prejudiced at least once before. That's life!
 
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Real Deal Denver

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I was contacted yesterday about going in with a friend's friend on some type of motor oil distributorship. I had no idea that existed lol. I'm going to check it out. This will need a lot of research as it is no where near my $1000 limit for 'friends'.

I'll tell you one thing I've had my eye on for years but have never inquired about it.... a fireworks stand. I'd like to see if they must be straightforward just fireworks sales or if I could add a little circus atmosphere.

EVERY time I read one of your posts minivanman - you intrigue me even more. EVERY time!

I'll tell you what you NEED to do. You have a book inside of you that needs to see the light of day!

Put me down for the first copy! Damn - I sure wish we could spend an afternoon over some beers. Maybe a whole weekend, in fact! You would light speed me ahead in my thinking.

:cool:
 

MJ DeMarco

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Have you had experience with employees? How many?

Yes, 4 or 5 depending on how they were paid. It also was a factor in my decision for selling as more employees would have been required to continue growth. Or as history now would prove, to keep the boat afloat.
 

AnAverageJoe

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I've got an idea, how about you own up to the FACT there are preference points given to certain groups because of their SKIN COLOR. I've seen it firsthand.

If that's not the definition of racism, I don't know what is....

Now, run along and join your local BLM demonstration and scream about those Evil white cops and all of us white Devils who "just don't get it".

Racism is a thing, sure.

BUT, the truly successful people don't give a shit what color they are. Neither does the market. If there's a need and you fill it, you can be black, white, brown, yellow, or purple. It doesn't matter, you'll still make money.

I'm not sure it's the best use of time to keep bringing this up.
 
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YoungPadawan

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Yeah I know of a guy in my area that runs a concrete business. He owns these concrete pumper trucks that cost a half a million dollars and he has 7 crews that pour bases for windmill turbines. He makes bank.

Another guy I know owned a construction company in Texas and sold the company a couple years ago for about 60 million (or so I'm told).
 
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Simon Ashari

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12B745

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I don't know if this has been said already, but if you own a landscaping company why not start up a christmas light removal service? I'm under the impression in the winter time it's difficult for landscapers to get decent business, and everyone has christmas lights they really don't want to take down. Another potential idea in the same vein is getting ahold of your regular contracts and offering snow removal services as well.
 

Thoelt53

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Speaking of Christmas.... what I never see is a Christmas tree removal service. Easy add-ons for any company that already has the customers... lawn care, tree service company or anything of that nature.
Do most places not take them with the regular garbage pickup?

Here they’ll be picked up from the curb the first 2 trash days after Christmas. After that you’re on your own to haul it off to the dump.
 
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Thoelt53

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I don't know if this has been said already, but if you own a landscaping company why not start up a christmas light removal service? I'm under the impression in the winter time it's difficult for landscapers to get decent business, and everyone has christmas lights they really don't want to take down. Another potential idea in the same vein is getting ahold of your regular contracts and offering snow removal services as well.
I’ve seen a couple companies that set up lights for homes in affluent neighborhoods.

There’s definitely demand there and some fierce competition between neighbors in some places.
 

minivanman

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There are lots of places that do not pick up Christmas trees. And even on the 2 week time limit you stated, lots of people wait longer than 2 weeks to take their tree down. Back when I had several girls cleaning, more often than not, people would wait until near the end of January or later to take down their tree. Some places offer a specific place to take your tree but they do not pick them up.

As for putting up Christmas lights..... that's a heck of a business if ran correctly. Make the people pay x amount the 1st year which covers the cost of the lights and installation.... cut the lights to fit their house and after that give them a discount.... you already have the lights and have them to fit exactly to their house, all you have to do is have a place to store them all. The cost for you is lower because you buy the wire in rolls to cut to length. Win/win. This could be done with lots more holidays but no one ever does.... Easter/4th of July/Labor Day/Halloween/Thanksgiving/birthday. This could even be added on to a business such as bounce house rental. The bounce house rental could supply all kinds of props for a birthday party or what ever the occasion.
 

ChrisR

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Whites can experience racism just as often as anyone else. In fact I would argue that whites are the least racist on the entire planet if you look at their immigration policies compared to the way that their immigrants treat them.

Nevertheless, let's not start a race war on this thread. Everyone has been prejudiced at least once before. That's life!

Don't have anything to contribute but I totally agree with you.

I personally feel like being a straight white male is like being a punching bag these days...
 
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S.Y.

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Don't have anything to contribute but I totally agree with you.

I personally feel like being a straight white male is like being a punching bag these days...

Some races have been discriminated for more than days. So image how it feels to have been discriminated against for more than just days.

And policies are one thing, actions are others.

In all fairness, they are exaggeration. Some groups can do much MORE. And are in a way hypocrite (being born on certain nations are an advantage)

But there should be more sympathy and understanding.

Starting a life with an handicap is not fun.

Although it can be turned into an advantage.

And it should not be an excuse to justify failure and lazyness.
 

GoGetter24

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New business idea: online race talk removal service.

Target customer would be any operator of an online discussion space. System would be like Palantir: AI detects "hard pass" and "hard fail", but the grey area gets passed onto human employees. Those employees then check if the race talk has anything to do with the OP, and if not press the trash-can button.
 
D

Deleted52409

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Some races have been discriminated for more than days. So image how it feels to have been discriminated against for more than just days.

??????????

Whites have been discriminated against just as long as any other race. Ottomans, Persians, Berbers (many of them being black), Carthage, and Mongols have all successfully invaded europe and taken white slaves...

do you read?
 
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Thoelt53

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If it wasn't for agenda-oriented media, biased indoctrination camps (public schools/college) and lifetime politicians, race relations wouldn't even be a topic of discussion today.

Anyways... what's this thread about again?
 
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S.Y.

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??????????

Whites have been discriminated against just as long as any other race. Ottomans, Persians, Berbers (many of them being black), Carthage, and Mongols have all successfully invaded europe and taken white slaves...

do you read?

My post was emotional and not adding anything - either the race conversation or this thread. And I admit, I need to make my own research on the subject. And I will. And so thank you for responding.

I still think there should be more empathy and understanding, from all sides.

We both agree - I think - that race should not be used to justify a lack of success.

Let's leave it at that.
 
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Raoul Duke

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A really great way of thinking. Helps you see opportunities; where others do not.
 

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minivanman

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Well, my good friend who is an electrical engineer retired a few weeks ago. Last week he came to me with an offer, I get him handyman jobs and I take a cut of the profit from each job. He knows I do this with other people. So now I'm in the handyman business. This is #30 and my final business to help.... unless my 1 other friend wants me to be involved in helping him because I've already offered. It takes me a few hours work to be set up for several years to come and then a few minutes a month on my end. At some point this all might change but right now it's working. By the look of things, it won't be hard at all to get 1st page of Google for handyman search in his area.

This would be a good gig for someone that is looking to be behind the laptop on the beach. If I was that kind of guy, with my secret weapon of advertising, I could have these businesses busting at the seam with phone calls..... but my a$$ gets tired when I sit too much so it ain't for me :) It would still work great for someone that is actually good at SEO and not all talk. Go out to these service businesses and work a deal with them.
 

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