homework

Weight Loss Buddy
CONCEPT: TV shows like The Biggest Loser and
bestselling books like Dr Phil’s The Ultimate Weight
Solution illustrate how the chronically overweight
struggle to overcome their destructive habits. A weight
loss buddy – like a ‘dive buddy’ – mentors, guides,
inspires and supports obese individuals one-on-one in
their drive to reform their health.
STRENGTHS: Massive market sector given the Western
world’s obesity ‘plague’; relationships with clients; low
overheads; home-based; www.CraigsList.org and
www.Gumtree.com are highly recommended advertising
media; with a big number of clients mentored for 1-5
hours per week, this is a dynamite small business waiting
to happen; senior-friendly small business.
WEAKNESSES: Nothing significant except for the
‘buddy’ to be fit themselves and have a good knowledge of
health and diet.
REAL WORLD BIZ:
http://burlington.craigslist.org/bts/546052289.html
(illustrates need for Weight Loss Buddies);
www.freedieting.com/weight_loss_buddy.htm;
www.weightlossbuddy.com

This is a great idea, because nowadays many people worry about their bodies and how well they are. The appearance counts a lot.

Last Minute/Emergency Cleaning Services
CONCEPT: Like the travel service LastMinute.com, a
cleaning service that can be called upon in a crisis to take
care of a cleaning job that simply has to get done offers a
profitable small business model in its own right and a
brilliant segue into lucrative long-term cleaning
contracts.
STRENGTHS: Last minute emergency = higher
charges; a professional one-off service for a client could
lead to long-term cleaning work; cleaning small
businesses have proven to be one of the most bullet-proof
and profitable of all the small businesses ever invented.
WEAKNESSES: Not many except the need for great
staff to call on at the ‘last minute’.
REAL WORLD BIZ: Several are listed on
www.CraigsList.org (as you should if running this small
business)

Besides the staff to call on the last minute there are no weaknesses and it's a usefull job, because lots of people need the last minute cleaning services.

eBay Consultant/Coach

CONCEPT: With the surging interest among small

business aspirants to get on to eBay - why not? - the

parallel demand for coaching in eBay success has also

grown. Such a business could easily be run online with

webcams and IM (Instant Messaging) and very few

practitioners exist in this niche one-on-one business

coaching category so far – despite the relative abundance

of books on the subject.

STRENGTHS: No products needed – service-based;

global potential client base; still relatively untapped

market = higher fees; eBay is hot now; senior-friendly

small business.

WEAKNESSES: Requires an in-depth experience of

eBay success and constant awareness of new

developments in the way that eBay does business and any

other relevant e-commerce developments.

REAL WORLD BIZ:

http://zpg.ziply.com/zpg/us/ViewCA.php?idno=44700;

http://ebaysellingcoach.blogspot.com

This is probably the best idea, because eBay is the biggest online market in the world and lots of people don't know how to use it.

Last-Minute Child Care /Emergency Babysitting

CONCEPT: Parents are occasionally or even often let

down by babysitters who fail to turn up or call in sick.

Rather than cancelling their plans, parents can instead

turn to a small business that specializes in providing

babysitting at the last minute – for a higher hourly fee.

STRENGTHS: Unique selling point; last minute =

higher fees; huge client catchment; home-based means

low overheads apart from marketing; staff paid on a per-

job basis; senior-friendly small business.

WEAKNESSES: Making sure that your own sitters are

reliable as it is your unique selling point; finding and

keeping good reliable sitters.

REAL WORLD BIZ: http://lastminutebabysitting.com;

www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22988

430-5014717,00.html (don’t you love how ‘easy’ some

web archive addresses are?

This is another really good idea, as a last minute service you can charge more for it.