What Is the Online Equivalent of a "Boring But Stable" Offline Business?

[Kevin88660]

I wrote a whole text about anything online is doomed to entry principle, where you compete with Chittaya and Chang, who are happy to earn 5 dollars a day.

And then I deleted it, because there are people earning money in different ways, even with ad management, which is supposedly something anyone can do.

But the entry principle is also there, omnipresent.

So I guess, anything that has a consulting component to it, where trustworthiness of your person is essential, can be such a "boring online business".

Think about it. If I want to buy a product (my mowed lawn), I do not care about who mows it, or cleans my window. It can be an android, as long as I have the job done. Heck, I would use a lawn mowing robot for this.

But with an ad manager, this does not work like that. There is more a strategical component.

So I think a "boring online business" has to involve strategic, creative thinking. Or some sort of human component.

If I can teleport Chittaya or Chang to deliver me anything physically, these boring offline businesses would all go bust.

So I do not really think your question nails it, although the point you come from, is a smart one.

Education for specialized exams had always been a market.

GRE and GMAT for example.

They could be done purely online, but many education centers exist both online and offline.

 

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[Johnny boy]

https://www.shi.com/

6000 employees

14 Billion in revenue each year

 

[WJK]

Transportation (To B and to C). Basically a company of people driving Vans and Buses to move workers from one jetty to another jetty. I have a friend who is doing decently okay in this. One man show basically he and one bus bought with a loan, but he managed to find other four drivers as subcontractors as he cannot fulfill the order even for one big client. Business has been good because the sector is still recovering from covid when a lot of the transportation companies went bust. Supply still couldn’t keep up with demand.

I knew a guy who had a van and the right driver's license. During our fishing season here in Alaska, he picked up fishermen and delivered them with their fishing gear to the river. He would show up with their favorite coffee and pastry -- which he sold at a profit and transport them every day to their river spot. He'd picked them up on call or at an appointed time. He was always busy during our season. He spent one season staying in one of my sleeping rooms so I got to see his business model.

 

[ygtrhos]

Education for specialized exams had always been a market.

GRE and GMAT for example.

They could be done purely online, but many education centers exist both online and offline.

This is also about trustworthiness and expertise.

If Chang scored very well on GMAT or GRE, they become suddenly trustworthy and can strategize about education. (and can book 50 dollars an hour, because the entry barrier is quite high)

It is education consulting. You teach maths in a such way that your student scores. It is basically coaching.

 

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[WJK]

Education for specialized exams had always been a market.

GRE and GMAT for example.

They could be done purely online, but many education centers exist both online and offline.

Many years ago when my disabled, adopted son was young, I hired him a tutor. That tutor was wonderful. He also talked me into going back to college for a graduate degree. I was in my early 40s and I ended up going to law school where I got a BSL and a JD. That tutor changed my whole life. I became an expert witness and I did litigation support in real estate matters by the time I finished the degrees.

 

[MTF]

So I guess, anything that has a consulting component to it, where trustworthiness of your person is essential, can be such a "boring online business".

The problem with a consulting component is that it's hard to turn it into a business unless you go into corporate B2B with very qualified employees (and that comes with a very high barrier of entry and huge start-up costs).

Out of all the commandments, IMO the commandment of entry is the least important.

Think about it. If I want to buy a product (my mowed lawn), I do not care about who mows it, or cleans my window. It can be an android, as long as I have the job done. Heck, I would use a lawn mowing robot for this.

But do you really not care? Would you rather hire a company that does background checks on their employees or would you be fine with Joe the cleptomaniac mowing your lawn every week and helping himself to stuff in your garage in case you forgot to keep it closed?

Education for specialized exams had always been a market.

GRE and GMAT for example.

They could be done purely online, but many education centers exist both online and offline.

Good example.

https://www.shi.com/

6000 employees

14 Billion in revenue each year

Good example though I have no F*cking idea what they're doing (which I find to be the case for most IT corporations like that).

 

[Andy Black]

I worked for a couple of months with a startup here in Ireland helping students study for their maths exams in group sessions online. Now that's pretty boring.

 

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[ygtrhos]

The problem with a consulting component is that it's hard to turn it into a business unless you go into corporate B2B with very qualified employees (and that comes with a very high barrier of entry and huge start-up costs).

Out of all the commandments, IMO the commandment of entry is the least important.

I can totally feel you as such an employee.

And maybe because I am so qualified, I hate having a lot of competition.

Well, I probably would not get a robot for the lawns on the first place. But I do not really care about WHO mows my lawn (not which company I book). These days, there is something called online review systems. If some company repeatedly makes bullshit, that will be apparent.

Not to mention, I do not book anything under rating 8 in booking.com (usually 9) and nothing under 4.5 in airbnb (usually 4.8).

 

[Johnny boy]

Good example though I have no F*cking idea what they're doing (which I find to be the case for most IT corporations like that).

My best friend is a salesman there that focuses on selling cybersecurity to large enterprises

It’s so damn confusing.

I tell him he is in such a great, esoteric niche where there’s billions flying around he needs to go out and get some contracts reselling things and have his own little company in this space.

Dude would rather do affiliate marketing. Smh

I tell him he’s a F*cking moron. Being in such a hard to understand niche working with big a$$ companies all day is just a golden recipe for having a highly profitable business when you finally grow the nuts to start.

 

[Kevin88660]

Online Casino if it is legal.

Most casinos online today becomes a marketing&customer services oriented business, because the softwares are outsourced to specialized casino SAAS providers, while live games are outsourced to operations in South America or Eastern Europe.

 

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[Kevin88660]

My best friend is a salesman there that focuses on selling cybersecurity to large enterprises

It’s so damn confusing.

I tell him he is in such a great, esoteric niche where there’s billions flying around he needs to go out and get some contracts reselling things and have his own little company in this space.

Dude would rather do affiliate marketing. Smh

I tell him he’s a F*cking moron. Being in such a hard to understand niche working with big a$$ companies all day is just a golden recipe for having a highly profitable business when you finally grow the nuts to start.

I think most people are not really excited and focused about $.

I think a lot of people will refuse to eat dogs poo even for $100M.

Till date I am continued amazed by their reluctance for picking up low hanging fruits.

 

[Andy Black]

The funeral industry. I've had it on the backburner for years to try Google Ads for funeral directors.

@Lex DeVille

 

[Panos Daras]

Selling Cloud ERP solutions of any kind.
I am not sure why nobody mentioned that.

 

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