I’ve always had a good gut. When I was 5, I thought it would be a wonderful idea for a chain restaurant that JUST served fries. When I was 13, I couldn’t understand why places like Walmart or Target didn’t have fashionable teen clothes. Why everything “cool” was super expensive. Why gum, couldn’t help whiten or clean teeth. Now all of that has changed and I see that, I wasn’t crazy, I was just ahead of my time. There are a couple of more ideas that I have that I would like to put on the table. The business development of such enterprises is a bit beyond my area of expertise, yet as I would truly love to see these ideas come to life, I’m sharing. After all I can’t do them all and I would love to see them happen. If you’re reading this and know how to make these ideas happen feel free to ring us up for ways we can help.
1st: PureFeet: A business model that combines holistic foot spa treatments with podiatry, with a podiatrist on site to take a look and prescribe treatments as needed. This is no-brainer. Podiatrists are hard to reach. If they came out of their medical ivory tower (much like the ophthalmologists did for LensCrafters) they could gracefully tie together the concept of healthy and beautiful feet. I guarantee there is a tone of money to be made here (speaking from my trustworthy gut of course!)
2nd: CafeSur: A coffee house chain that brings everything that is romantic and colonial about cuba, Puerto Rico, DR, Mexico and other countries of Latin America. It could serve salt and sweet pastries and goodies from these countries, play old classics, serve alcohol (trattoria style) and bring all the nostalgia and magic to life that makes Gabriel Garcia Marquez an international best selling author. Think of how Applebees takes an eclectic mix of Americana and creates a uniquely authentic “American” experience and apply this formula Latin style. Non Latinos would find this exotic and refreshing, Latinos would find themselves home.
3rd CityWheels: Bikes & Vespas for rent in the city- ok this idea is a knock off. Big cities like Paris & Vienna have been doing this for a while. With gas prices what they are, I’m pretty sure us city folk would love this. Start with NY & Chicago – come on Zip car, broaden the model!
4th FlyMe: why can’t we fly more? I’m not taking about that dated system of travel we call airplanes. I’m talking low altitude, simple systems that use wind & sun power. Surely the returns are worth it. I’m talking something that could be sold between the bikes and the camping equipment at Walmart. Surely we can invest more on this front until we have the equivalent of a bike for the air.
For the record I’m not claiming that these are the most original ideas in the world.
I’m sure most are in somebody’s business plan somewhere. I hope this article serves to validate those plans. These things are not the product of great imagination, just observations and common sense. I’m sure they’ll all happen eventually. I’m just hoping I won’t have to wait another 15 years…!
Come on now. You must have an idea you’d like to see happen thats worth sharing. If you’re not going to do it, put it our there and see if someone else bites!
nice article Sue.
my “new biz” thoughts for today are :
1) I want a small small restaurant/stand devoted to Macaroni & Cheese that is Have It Your Way. your already cooked noodle choice, cheeses, and toppings thrown in a little bowl and pushed into a pizza style oven to bake. Mmmmm.
2) Won’t expand on this but Men’s underwear design needs to get a modern kick in the ass (and balls).
3) As you know –> we need Green Everything not just for Climate Change’s sake but because it is just the right way to go and will be the future. Sooo, I think of dozens of ideas but here is a request, can a smart person please help us figure out how to drink as much water as we want without 25 billion plastic bottles a year?
Comment by Andre — June 26, 2008 @ 11:12 am
Well, here is my idea. A website that reviews bathrooms all over the world. Then - you will have it added to gis - just in case - because you never now… !
Comment by monica — June 26, 2008 @ 2:39 pm
My idea is a recorder that you can carry with you on the train. It plays subway catch phrases in a cranky voice (to be used when commuters misbehave): “Stand clear of the doors!” “Let them out!” “Close your legs!” “Stop holding the doors!” “Stop pushing!” The recorder says for you all the things you often want to say yourself–all you have to do is press a button! I KNOW–I AM A PISSY NEW YORKER.
Comment by Danielle — June 26, 2008 @ 2:40 pm
acupressure sandals that treat your ailments by hitting the right pressure points in your feet all day. you download your doctors prescription to your sandals, and they are reprogrammed and adjust to hit the spots needed for your current treatment.
Comment by Jeremy — June 26, 2008 @ 5:16 pm
Need to impress a date..”RENT A DOG”
Need a friend…”RENT A DOG”
Always friendly but never judgmental.
RENT A DOG
Comment by richard lai — June 27, 2008 @ 1:32 pm
So out of curiosity….what exactly do mens underwear need? perhaps more “leg room” or better material- like the stuff they use for athletes that are designed to let the skin “breath”…
Comment by susan — June 27, 2008 @ 1:45 pm
I was shopping at Kroger the other day and after giving the cashier the money she turned around got my change, receipt and 2 coupons that were printed up from a little box behind her station. As I was walking to the car I looked at the coupons and realized that both of them were absolutely useless. 1 coupon was for Depends; sorry I don’t have a problem with Depends but I have never bought them nor do I plan on it until I get a little bit older. Maybe in 30 years I can go back and use that coupon. The 2nd coupon was for a jar of baby food. I have not bought baby food for my youngest daughter in over a year. My point is this, I am a Kroger Plus member. I filled out an application to be a plus member that included my address and phone number. Why can’t someone develop a software or web based system that can track my purchases so that Kroger will give me coupons that I could actually use? They can track the days, times, and purchases; print up coupons that are store specific and invite me back in to buy something that I normally buy just on a day or at a time that I don’t normally shop there. The next thing you know I am at Kroger on Wednesday morning instead of Sunday night, buying Vanilla flavored Rice Dream because of the coupon; and I see that they have a huge special on Boars Head sandwich meat that ends that day. I love Boars Head meat, I buy it all the time….from Publix.
Comment by Jason Kurto — July 4, 2008 @ 10:05 am