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Fear, scarcity and value.

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Top 5 Microbusiness Opportunities for 2012. Believe it or not, the economy is slowly getting better. I’ll grant you, the last two calendar quarters for which we have numbers (2nd and 3rd quarters, 2011) have seen pretty sluggish growth but it was growth nonetheless. Meanwhile, the NFIB reports two consecutive months of improved (if still pretty low) Small Business Optimism Indices, the National Association of Home Builders notes a positive trend in multifamily housing construction that bodes well for the near future, and the National Retail Federation tracked better-than-expected consumer spending during the holiday shopping season (see below). It is during times like this that the world seems wide open to the would-be business owner who is paying attention and has the kind of vision that can see next year’s opportunities embedded in this year’s chaos. The trick is to find the opportunities that are not going to turn into bandwagons for everybody to jump onto by February.

Are you thinking I’m kidding with my examples? 5 Hot Retail Sectors for Start-ups. Boasting easy entry and rising revenue, a handful of retail sectors offer promising prospects for interested entrepreneurs By IBISWorld Industry Analyst Eben Jose It hasn’t been the best of times for small businesses lately, but with the national unemployment rate finally decreasing and disposable income increasing,consumers are hitting Main Street once again for some retail therapy. Often facing overwhelming competition from retail megastores, many small businesses face an uphill battle from the outset and often don’t survive beyond a couple years. Some industries, however, offer better prospects for entrepreneurial endeavors. Tire Dealers Opening a tire dealership probably isn’ton the top of anyone’s to-do list for 2012, but based on numbers alone, it’s one ofthe most promising small-business retail sectors for starting a business.

Handbag, Luggage and Accessory Stores Art Dealers Furniture Stores Specialty Food Stores The foodie population is expanding fast. Tags: What people are looking for RIGHT NOW | SquidooHQ. It’s the night before a big American holiday and for most, the preparatory eve of a huge cooking extravaganza. Google’s Analytics real time stats feature shows us what people are looking for on Squidoo right this second. It’s like having Xray vision, or being a mindreader. Thought you might like to see the biggest search terms landing people on lenses right now, this very second.

They’re not surprising, and in fact, smart lensmasters probably anticipated many of these search topics and were able to magically (read: intelligently) be in the right time at the right place. Here’s what people want to know right now: banana bread recipe deep fry turkey instructions jerry hicks death baked macaroni and cheese homemade stuffing how to make apple pie how long should I cook my turkey best hdtv 2011 buttermilk pie thanksgiving side dishes emeril’s butternut squash best mac and cheese recipe baked fresh cranberry recipe defrost a turkey honey baked ham.

What Type Of Business Should You Start? You've made the decision to start a business. Now you're asking yourself, "What type of business should I start? " You already know that there's a world of possibilities out there for anyone who wants to start a business. How can you possibly winnow them down to find the type of business that's right for you? The approach outlined in this article will help. Once you've worked your way through these five decisions, you will have a much better idea of exactly what type of business you want to start. 1) Retail or wholesale type of business? Where do you want to be positioned on the supply chain? 2) Franchise or independent type of business? Many established companies offer franchises, which are basically copies of their companies. An independent business is one that you create and nurture on your own. 3) Product or service (or mix of both) type of business?

DO NOT base this decision on whether or not you enjoy selling or are good at it. Another option is to use your home as a storefront. Finding Business Ideas. Business ideas are all around you. Some business ideas come from a careful analysis of market trends and consumer needs; others come from serendipity. If you are interested in starting a business, but don't know what product or service you might sell, exploring these ways of getting business ideas flowing will help you choose. 1) Examine your own skill set for business ideas.

Do you have a talent or proven track record that could become the basis of a profitable business? The other day I spoke to a man who had spent years managing cleaning services at a hospital. Today he runs his own successful domestic and business cleaning service. An ex-logger I know is now making his living as an artist; he creates "chainsaw sculptures" out of wood. To find a viable business idea, ask yourself, "What have I done? 2) Keep up with current events and be ready to take advantage of business opportunities. For instance, same-sex marriages are now legal in Canada. 3) Invent a new product or service. - RandyBeckett. Home-Based Business For Dummies Cheat Sheet. Cheat Sheet Working from home is all about setting up a good home business. If you spend time now researching the best business for your talents, creating an effective business Web site, recognizing scams that prey on at-home entrepreneurs, and setting up a productive business atmosphere, you’ll go a long way toward ensuring that your home business is a successful one.

High-Tech and High-Touch Ways to Earn Your Living from Home Whether you like working with the latest technology or you prefer working with people, you’re sure to find a home business opportunity that meets all your wants and needs. If you want to start a business out of your own home, but aren’t sure what to pursue, use the following information as a platform to launch your research into finding out what’s best for you. Here are just a few high-tech home businesses that are hot today: Here are some of the hottest high-touch home businesses: How to Create an Effective Home Business Web Site Make sure you’re easy to find. "No one goes there any more, it's too crowded" What are you doing online today?

Yesterday I came across a blog posting by Darren Rowse who has pointed out to a research study called Ruder Finn’s Intent Index. This is an ongoing research study that is aimed to understand the reason why people go online – their intent of logging in to the internet. I found it very interesting and wanted to share it with you because like me, many of you are always thinking about starting a new online business. As I do, always looking for an opportunity to jump in – like a hungry warrior. I am sure you will find this information very useful for your next venture so you can target your business toward a particular niche. Here is a screen shot of the latest results. I am sure most of you have heard that information and knowledge is money. This study points out that 96% of the time a person go online to educate them self, 89% go online to do research and another 79% go online to keep informed (newspapers watch out!).

- Learn - Have Fun - Socialize - Express Yourself - Advocate - Do Business. Zigzagger Robert Jordan Rides the Internet Wave | BootstrapBusiness.org | How to Start A Small Business. September 14th, 2011 by Rich Christiansen No matter how great your new business idea is, it will never succeed if you are the only one who thinks it’s a great idea. People have to want what you’re selling for you to have a successful, lasting business. Indeed, one of the best times to start a business is when you can ride a wave of increasing interest in a new, underserved market.

This is exactly how Robert Jordan began his career as an entrepreneur with Online Access. Jordan recognized the wave of interested people clamoring for information about the Internet and how to get online. Jordan didn’t waste time; he launched Online Access as a magazine to help people who weren’t online know more about the Internet, and it took off in a huge way. Now Jordan has zigzagged away from Online Access and into new a few other companies, but his success all stems from his initial capacity to recognize a need in an oncoming wave and fill that need before anyone else. No comments yet. Brainstorming for Small Business Ideas. List of small business ideas | Starting A Small Business. Recipe for cooking up a great small business idea There are two main ingredients in cooking up great small business ideas: Passion and Demand. The perfect business idea should be something you are passionate about, as well as something there is a demand for. Your small business can provide a service such as housecleaning or tutoring, or you can sell products such as bakery goods or home made crafts.

With so many small business ideas, it can be hard to choose. One way to decide on a business idea is to find out what are the communities needs and wants. Conduct market research to help you determine if there is a demand for a product or service that is not being met. Have you ever thought, “It would be great if I could get food delivered here” or “I wish I could get a good tutor for my son at a reasonable price.”

When brainstorming business ideas, keep in mind what you enjoy. Asphalt Repair Business Alterations service Antique shop Aerobics instructor Art Gallery Auto Repair Shop Bakery Club/ Bar. How to find a profitable niche for your consulting business: Part 1 | Start My Consulting Business. EmailShare 3EmailShare You’ve got what you think is a great idea for your consulting business, and you’re convinced it’ll make you millions–or at least enough to quit your day job. Let’s say your idea is to become the foremost consultant on, say, ferret foot care. You spend a ton of money and time on marketing materials, countless hours of cold-calling, and months of work, all to find out that nobody really cares about ferret foot care.

Well, maybe you find out that there’s a teenager in Frijoles, New Mexico with a basement full of ferrets who cares a great deal about it. Niche? A niche is nothing more than a focused part of a market. On a related tangent, project management is a fairly broad niche within consulting, and there are loads of people with project management credentials, experience, and skills. You need to focus on a niche that has enough but not too much competition. So what’s a consultant to do? Not convinced that you should be in a smaller, more specialized niche? Whew! Has the speed shortage been averted? We certainly had one a decade ago. Communication was moving too slowly, interactions took too long, ideas stumbled along. It used to take four weeks for someone to answer a piece of mail! Leapfrogging that four week standard was one of the key reasons to adopt online business.

Faster meant better, because faster led to tighter integration, more feedback and greater market share. I'm not so sure we have a significant speed shortage any longer. What's scarce? I'd rather you think and instigate. The Creative Small Business and 4 Ways to Get There. Where Self-Employment Should be Strong over the Coming Eight Years. People often ask me to predict the sectors of the economy where we should see a big expansion in entrepreneurial activity over the next few years. Those predictions are difficult to make because “entrepreneurial activity” has a variety of meetings, and because we don’t have a great deal of data to use to make forecasts. But I can make some predictions for self-employment using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Before I give you my take, let me tell you how I’m figuring this. My prediction is based on two factors. Second, in what sectors of the economy is self-employment common? To identify the sectors of the economy where expansion is expected, I looked at the BLS’s projections for growth in economic output from 2008 through 2018 and selected those sectors with expected expansion rates that exceed the median for all sectors. Below are the sectors (as named by the BLS) which look best for future self-employment: What’s noticeable about the list is what’s missing. Striking Out on You Own - SUCCESS magazine.

Idea examples

Looking for a New Business? Start a Gym for Baby Boomers | Rosie’s Boomer Review. I went to the gym the other night. Yes, I know I should go every night but sometimes I negotiate with myself and lose. But while at the gym I realized that the majority of the members were baby boomers. We attend for fun, respite from care giving and exercise. Actually any baby boomer reading this and thinking of a new business venture think about opening a gym just for baby boomers. Imagine how much you will be able to meet the specific needs of this group that is very unique. For example, workshops could be offered on caregiving, financial planning etc available after or before your workout. After all you are already there and perhaps can plan to be there for an extra 30 minutes. I even have a couple of possible names for the franchise that include: Boomer Time Gym Boomer Biceps Boomer Fun Fitness Boomer Workout Express Here is a blog post I read that emphasizes the goldmine possibility in starting a fitness place for baby boomers.

Let me know if you create a start-up. Tags: boomer exercise. How to Start Your Content Strategy: The Discovery Phase. 5 Hot Industries Every Small Business Owner Should Know About. Want to know what industries are heating up? Industry analyst IBISWorld just released its picks for the 5 hottest startup industries for the next five years. The company analyzed revenues, growth trends and profitability levels of more than 700 industries to determine which ones are best poised to grow. Even if you are already in business, knowing which industries are in growth mode can give you ideas for new products, services or partnerships that could help your business expand.

Here are IBISWorld’s picks: Testing and Educational Support: High school graduates are going on to college, college students are clinging to their college years instead of facing the tough job market, and laid-off employees are heading back to school. All this bodes well for testing and education businesses. How could your business take advantage of these trends? For more about IBISWorld and other industry reports, visit the IBISWorld website.

10 reasons to start a company (and 10 not to) (Editor’s note: Megan Lisa Jones is an investment banker who works primarily with companies in the digital media, technology, gaming and other emerging industries. She submitted this story to VentureBeat.) Eye-popping valuations and media hype make the idea of starting a company more tempting than ever. LinkedIn recently went public and now has a valuation north of $7 billion; Facebook is currently at over $70 billion and was even the star of a movie. Startup conferences and competitions abound, and it seems like venture capitalists are just throwing money at early stage companies.It’s a far cry from 2009. (And, as I’ve argued before, even further from 1999.) Are we seeing a bubble? But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a good time to start a company.

I have my biases. Now, with start-ups hot again, I’m hearing about bidding wars—for engineers and tenuous or incomplete business plans. Ignore it all. Great companies will always be great companies. But some absolutes do exist. 1. 2. David Mathison. National Small Business Week: Internet Entrepreneur's Strategies.