I'm bored - free business advice! Come one, come all!

erm ok...

i want to be a millionaire NOW.....whats the simplest way to achieve this

i got no capital, or assets....i dont know the climate of the markets.....what shall i do

hope you can help

peace

Would you have any tips for selling your own art?

I have two online shops and I sell in a small local store, but I just can't figure out how to get myself really out there. Anything is appreciated, and thanks for an awesome thread!

excommando full respect on what ur doing,so many people just think of themselfs these days and ur basicly offering free advise,had a buisness brain myself ur advise wud be invaluable

Originally posted by PatrickGarrow17
reply to post by ExCommando

 

Contrary to many, who believe the economy is stagnant and low in opportunity, I think it is a pretty good climate for start ups. I think people are looking for new products and different ways of doing things.

Do you agree, or are you still reserved about the overall market direction?

Sorry for the late reply everyone - today turned into not so boring a day!

I think a stagnant market is the best for a start up. People are looking for innovation and better service - IMO business and economies are a circle, and it's at this point that you tend to see the best innovation and new thinking in business.

Originally posted by ladyteeny
everyone knows that it takes money to make money... however, what would you advise someone to think about doing who has no money, or very little money, but a huge amount of drive and determination?

great idea for a thread too, your people-person is showing through, which is probably a huge part of your success

I mentioned before that a service based industry can be set up with little or no money - but here's the tricky bit ... you need to have a unique spin, something which will really draw people in.

Look at an industry that you enjoy / have experience in, or see a gap in the market. You don't need to reinvent the wheel, all you need to do is slightly modify the wheel, and then market that modification.

Create a need or a want with your service, and people will come to you.

Originally posted by docgreen15
I'm willing to take the risks needed so any advice you can give will help me.

So I'm looking to start a business selling, herbs and salad crops (as well as seasonal veg) to local restaurants.

My USP (unique selling point) would be that the herbs and salads are grown using an Aquaponics system and obviously I'll be trying to source hard to find varieties of veg and herbs that you can't just pickup at the local wholesaler.

Basically Aquaponics is just using fish "poo" to feed the plants and the plants in turn clean the water for the fish. I guess the system use's little water as well as not having to use synthetic (maybe oil based) nutrients.

I'll set up a website that they can use to order the goods and I will pick and deliver within the hour, so fresh as you like.

I'm not looking to make a forune and just want a piece of the pie really so I'm willing to charge "normal" prices for what would be classed as an organic product grown in a unique way and completely fresh.

I guess what I'm wanting to know is what's your advice for getting this off the ground. Where do I start, do I dream big and setup big systems to produce as much as possible and they look at shifting it when it's done or do I start small and build up clients slowly. Obviously the "dream big" is more risky but will have a bigger payout if sucessful. The "start small" option would be less risk if it wasn't sucessful but the business would grow very slowly.

I'm also low on funds really so I'm going to have to look at grants and funding etc, any advice is that department. Do I put together a business plan now and approach them or do I put the idea onto them and work with them to create a business. If that makes sense.

Thanks in advance, I like people who are out to help. I mean I'm not even sure if I'm asking the right questions but basically I just want to run my own business selling good quality honest food to resteraunts (or people if that fails) at a fair price. I'll be happy if I'm just paying my bills but happy to go to work everyday.

Hey there

I think the idea has merits - and I think it could make a great lifestyle business (that being one which provides you with enough money to not need to work another job)

Unless you set it up to scale (ie offering it as a franchise), then I can't see it being a massive money spinner.

Problem is, anyone could do a similar set up, so they wouldn't really have a need to buy a franchise agreement off you (if this makes sense).

Is there enough of a need or want in the market to fuel demand?

If I were you, I would approach your local customer base (restaurants etc), and ask to see their manager for 5 minutes. Explain what you are looking at doing. Go in with your numbers, and the benefits, and how that customer could market your product to make them more money.

IE - before you do this, ask 200 people on the street, if they would be willing to pay extra for organic, fresh, aqua (?) veg when eating out. If the majority are willing, you can present this info to your potential customer, conversation would go like this

"I've interviewed 200 people on the street, and 85% stated that they would be prepared to pay 5% extra on their meal, and would be inclined to chose this meal over a competitors, based on the food being organic / aqua etc. There is definitely a demand and a want for my product. You are currently buying your veg at X dollars per KG, I can offer mine at a 1.5% increase to the normal price you pay, giving you a 4.5% increase in profit per meal."

Hope this gives you something to think about - the joy of the above is it costs NOTHING but your time. You'd be surprised how many people don't bother to do it tho.

PM me if you want more advice, and if you DO do it, please let me know how you go!

Originally posted by thePharaoh
erm ok...

i want to be a millionaire NOW.....whats the simplest way to achieve this

i got no capital, or assets....i dont know the climate of the markets.....what shall i do

hope you can help

peace

Start reading - figure out the climate of the market. Save some money so you have working capital. Come up with an idea!

Originally posted by samara11278
Would you have any tips for selling your own art?

I have two online shops and I sell in a small local store, but I just can't figure out how to get myself really out there. Anything is appreciated, and thanks for an awesome thread!

I'd love to help, but I really don't have any experience in art sales

Sorry!

Originally posted by sparky31
excommando full respect on what ur doing,so many people just think of themselfs these days and ur basicly offering free advise,had a buisness brain myself ur advise wud be invaluable

Legend - thanks for the message

Thanks for your input.
I'm on disability for an on the job leg injury (I'm a Registered Respiratory Therapist) and would like to either find an 'out of hospital' situation to use my skills or, in a totally different direction, get into advertising/promotional items. (I did that for awhile some years ago). I'm retirement age and that is intimidating enough.
But my true hesitation is in the massive amount of paperwork that's required for a business today. Just running the business I can handle, but things like payroll and taxes (that have to be paid in advance of sales), quarterly federal reports, state franchise taxes, etc., etc., etc. All of that just boggles my mind and seems so overwhelming. I'm 'scared' to jump back into it and re-start my business. I would appreciate any suggestions you may have on how I can learn about all of this (or hire it out) so that it won't be so overwhelming that I fear even getting started again. I've read tons of books, but few offer real answers to those starting a business about the paperwork end of it.
Thank you, again!

reply to post by ExCommando


I have a special ability: the ability to move anything anywhere with no red flags thrown up. Do you have any contacts in the States who could use such an ability? Not having any "shady" types in my acquaintance pool really hinders me from finding a market for my skill.

Originally posted by ExCommando
Hey there
I think the idea has merits - and I think it could make a great lifestyle business (that being one which provides you with enough money to not need to work another job)
Unless you set it up to scale (ie offering it as a franchise), then I can't see it being a massive money spinner.
Problem is, anyone could do a similar set up, so they wouldn't really have a need to buy a franchise agreement off you (if this makes sense).
Is there enough of a need or want in the market to fuel demand?
If I were you, I would approach your local customer base (restaurants etc), and ask to see their manager for 5 minutes. Explain what you are looking at doing. Go in with your numbers, and the benefits, and how that customer could market your product to make them more money.
IE - before you do this, ask 200 people on the street, if they would be willing to pay extra for organic, fresh, aqua (?) veg when eating out. If the majority are willing, you can present this info to your potential customer, conversation would go like this
"I've interviewed 200 people on the street, and 85% stated that they would be prepared to pay 5% extra on their meal, and would be inclined to chose this meal over a competitors, based on the food being organic / aqua etc. There is definitely a demand and a want for my product. You are currently buying your veg at X dollars per KG, I can offer mine at a 1.5% increase to the normal price you pay, giving you a 4.5% increase in profit per meal."
Hope this gives you something to think about - the joy of the above is it costs NOTHING but your time. You'd be surprised how many people don't bother to do it tho.
PM me if you want more advice, and if you DO do it, please let me know how you go!

Thanks for the response, I will drop you a PM mate

Doc

It won't let me send a PM so...

Thanks for the response. Yes this is more of a lifestyle choice as well, I love working with plants and like the idea of bringing life to these plants, as in they would still just be dormant seeds without me around.

I know it’s not a very unique idea and others could well come along and do the same. I’m not really interested in selling it on as a franchise anyway, not that I’d really be able to. They are 1000's of restaurants out there and I'm only after a very small part of it so hopefully competition won’t be too fierce.
Anyone could really setup this system if they just take the time to read the literature but it is a relatively "new" way of growing and I certainly wouldn’t call it easy to get setup. The fact is no one’s really doing in here in England and there I see a potential gap in the market.
That all said I’m not a greedy man and like I say I’m really not looking to change massive amounts for my produce. I’d just be happy if they choose to buy from me, a local up and coming business, rather than say a well established farmer or wholesaler. Hopefully thought I could get them to pay a little more than they do now if I could convince them they could charge a little extra for each meal or get more “bums on seats” at lunchtime.

I'll look into doing some Market Research but someone told me the other day that you can't do that in the street without "authorisation" from somebody, I’d be happy to just take the “risk” anyway but is that just a load of rubbish, do you know any more about it?

It's a funny thing to try and market to be honest; I think I'd struggle to sell to the public the idea of veg grown with fish poo, I think it might even put a lot of people off even though it's obviously a very natural clean way of growing things. People often are very out of touch with what they are eating and how it came to be. I guess I should really look at this as a challenge though, like to educate people about synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, water conservation, sustainability (as in closed systems) and buying local produce. Then see if they would be willing to part with a little extra cash. I’ve actually worked for a market research company before, working over the phone so hopefully some of that experience will help. I know it’s very hard to stop people in the street and get them to give up some of their time.

I'm not sure if people really are prepared to pay that little bit extra for an "organic" salad from local produce; we are in a recession after all. Maybe I'll have to sell it more in the sense that the restaurant can promote it as freshly picked the same day and sourced within a few miles, supporting local business and in turn the environment due to transport costs, as in monetary and environmental. Access to try these "hard to find" heritage and/or heirloom varieties that you simply cannot buy in the supermarket or wholesalers. All grown in a very natural way using no chemical fertilisers and no pesticides or any nasty things like that.
Also veg that are say Purple in colour have more antioxidants in so are healthier in that sense. An example would be say the carrot, it’s bright orange but it’s just been “breed” to look that way. Carrots are often multi coloured and so they should be.
Say like the strawberry strains in the supermarket are not the sweetest one’s you can buy, they have to take into account how well they transport, as in if they have a soft flesh they will damage easily or maybe they don’t keep for very long so it’s no good to them as they will often be sat in a warehouse and then the back of a lorry as well as on their shelves for a day or two, then in your fridge for a day or two. What I’m getting at is these huge companies aren’t able to get the best one’s available as the best one’s often aren’t great for transport and have such a long life. Obviously these things wouldn’t be a problem for a restaurant if they were to say buy it from me and I deliver it within hours of it being on their customers plates and hearing them say “they are the best strawberries I’ve ever had, where can I get these” and the restaurant will be able to say “you’d have to grow it yourself or buy it here”.

I guess I’m just gonna have to put some really hard efforts into getting a proper business plan together and working out how I’m exactly going to do this. How much money I’ll need to borrow to get it off the ground etc. If there’s anything else you think might help, please feel free to let me know.

reply to post by ExCommando


HI and thanks for reading this.

I'm retired on a very low SS, so don't have much to work with.

That said, I recently created a Rust Remover made from 100% natural materials such as grass, seeds, fruit, etc. I've experimented with it extensively and it works like a charm. In making it I have to boil it quite a bit so it becomes very thick, and so when bottled and used in the future, one has to cut it with 10 parts of water (1:10). This makes it very economical for the end user. Oh it does NOT contain any acid.

I've given out several samples to those who might experiment with it as well and there has not been one negative comment. In fact all are amazed at how well it works.

It is intended for de-rusting Iron, Steel, Cast Iron and Cast Steel. Because it is thinned out, it gets into pores of the rusted metal. HOWEVER it does not hurt the metal at all, even if you leave it in there for weeks. That is a real plus on expensive items such as tools or antiques.

At first the process was slow, but I've tweaked it and now it works in a day or two for most rusted items. Obviously the item must be submerged for that time, you cannot just brush it on and wait.

Because it is made of natural grasses, etc, once you have finished using it, or worn it out, disposal can be down the drain, or use it as a fertilizer. The only thing it seems to kill are slugs. (Yeah!)

I'm in the USA, and so I've made sure that everything associated with it is also made in the USA. Then I put a MADE IN USA Label on it. The name of the product is Beulah's Rust Remover. I know that name Beulah is odd, and that could be changed, but I've spent some money on having the label designed and it looks great.

If you go to Craigslist in Rochester NY and search for "RUST" I'm sure you will find it and photos associated.

From my end, I've made a little over 2,000 gallons of the stuff, so expect I can sell till next summer when, and if the product catches on, I'll again harvest the necessary ingredients. (I live in a farming community and most of what I need is along the sides of the roads.)

At present a purchaser can come to my home and buy it, or send me $$ and I'll mail it to them. A 1/2 gallon of the product costs about $9.00 to ship US Postal Priority mail. I'm told I can purchase a phone at Wall mart which I can somehow arrange to use Credit/Debit cards and send the money to my checking account. Have to check on this next.

OK Again I'm on a very limited budget. How can I get this advertised on such a small budget, and still let people know this product exists?

I appreciate your time, and any input you care to give me on this.

Thank You XCommando for your words of wisdom to all ATS members. As a struggling small businessman I have learned much and I am still learning. I work on foreclosed home and today the multiple layers of contractors make it difficult to have an adequate profit margin to make the job even worth while doing it. I have watched a wage suppression and competition during the last 7 years gut my profit margin.

Is it time to start a new adventure? I am an entrepreneur...I really don't care what I am doing as long as I enjoy my work and I can make enough to live on.

I agree with you on the service industry is the way to go.....

ok iv researched the markets (reading mintel reports)....could of been in hieroglyphics...i didnt understand a thing.

tried to raise some working capital....so i bet on a horse.....he lost

so now iv lost the little but of money i had....and lost a whole day trying to read/decode texts.

so whats my next move?

Benchkey, do you have this patented? You need to do this before you market... and have a MSDS sheet.
I'm not sure how much help I can be, but I'm offering if you'd like. PM me and we can exchange info. Sounds like a good product!

Have you given up with the advice now ?

Originally posted by docgreen15
Have you given up with the advice now ?

Not at all.

As the original post stated, I was bored for that one day, but continued to give advice over the following days.

Unfortunately, I have been kept away from ATS due to work committments; also, your last post provided some more details into your business, but also mentioned that you were going to give it a go.

I can't offer any more specific advice apart from the advice I have already given you.

Best of luck.

Originally posted by thePharaoh
ok iv researched the markets (reading mintel reports)....could of been in hieroglyphics...i didnt understand a thing.

tried to raise some working capital....so i bet on a horse.....he lost

so now iv lost the little but of money i had....and lost a whole day trying to read/decode texts.

so whats my next move?

edit on 19-9-2012 by thePharaoh because: (no reason given)

I'm assuming you are being sarcastic, so I'm not going to reply.

Cheers