Recession ACCELERATED business and money making opportunities.
 

OK, here's what is on the other guys' lists:

FranNet (a middleman company for the franchise industry) claims the following are "recession proof":
Dry Cleaning -Hair Salons - Residential and Commercial Cleaning -Home Improvement Companies - Temporary Staffing Agencies - IT and Technology Services - Mobile Storage Units - Children's Educational Services/Tutoring -

And they can hook you up with the right franchise. OK.

According to Entrepreneur Magazine, the best bets are: Collection Agency, Health Agency, Computer Repair, Resume Services, Vending.

Then there is the current Newsweek picks: Ice Cream, like Ben and Jerry's have little to fear, lipstick and nail salons, GAMES, such as Grand Theft Auto, liquor and carryout stores, funeral parlors, etc., etc.

These are Big NAME outfits, and you can find 1001 other opinions about what is a good business to be in during a recession. I've observed that 99 out 100 of these "lists" are done by writers...not business people who have been through a recession and actually started a business.

Also, many of these "perfect" businesses require huge investments or huge knowledge. Where is the realism? Well, it's gonna be right here in just a moment.

Listen, YOU can start or expand a business in hard economic times. Which ones? Four have been the traditional go-to business are:

1) Real Estate (and maybe if you want, it still can be...but it's not all that easy)
2) Information Publishing
3) Specialty Products sales
4) Specialty Services

For this discussion, I'll skip Real Estate.

ONE specialty service that seems saturated but has plenty of room in it is the dating/love/hookup services. Put people together and make money. SOARS during a recession.

INFORMATION? Whatever helps people save money, make money, save expenses, make money, save money...get it?

Specialty Products. Here is where fortunes are to be made, and you'll see some 70's items come back into vogue (I know, I'm working on a couple of them)... products that help people save money, save energy (which is saving them money).

Also, the easy solutions to weight loss, feel-good, spiritual type things...you'll see a rapid rise in Astrologers, Rune Readers, Palm Readers etc. Anyone who can "peer" into the future and report that all is going to be alright will probably have more business than they can handle.

Escapism, including movies but now more like GAMING, all those things that have stay at home ENTERTAINMENT value are going to be OK. As will EDUCATIONAL products that help people learn a new trade or skill that will help them be wanted in the job markets.

Entertainment, education and ease of life products will be HOT for the next three years.

So, I open the floor for further discussion, including what businesses you probably don't want to be in either.

Is your business recession proof or is it a business that is recession acclerated?

Gordon Jay Alexander

Re: Recession ACCELERATED business and money making opportunities.
 

Hey Gordon,

I've started hitting the "Specialty Services" area, working with local and area business men and women.

There's still a great need in the smaller towns and cities for folks that can help local businesses increase their customer base, and thus their bottom line.

My response rate is currently 1 out of every 5 contacts, so I know that there's a need.

Any time you can show a business the numbers, they'll stop and listen.

Pete

We Say "No" To Bailouts
 

Residential and Commercial Cleaning?

Ask Any cleaning Co what happens when times are tough and getting tougher?

First Expenditure to go is Cleaning. Office staff take it on, people clean their own homes. Same applies to car detailing, High pressure house washing, etc.

Home Improvement?

Yep. When things look tough and job security is questionable, people splurge on home improvement... /s

Didn't know about Mobile Storage until just now - http://www.containaway.com.au

Like you said GJA, written by people who sit in an air conditioned office and have Never been in business for themselves and/or through a recession. Sad thing is, others looking for those few extra bucks or whatever, and who don't know any better, will buy into the misleading info. and get burnt.

More later...

Michael Ross

Re: We Say "No" To Bailouts
 

Michael,


Not true. My wife works for a cleaning company and there work load has increased 500%. It has increased to the point that their company is having a difficult time hiring people willing to work. My wife is paid on a percentage of the job and does 4-5 homes or businesses a day. Average time inside, 1.5 hours.

She makes $41,000 a year and has a company vehicle which is entry level. Company supplies all the equipment and cleaning supplies necessary. She has found that no matter your station in life, rich, poor or middle class, nobody likes to clean up after themselves. That is how she stays employed.

Gordon, Here's my recession argument.
 

Gordon,

What is the fastest way to scare the masses? Start hinting something is wrong in the economy and provide selective case studies. To begin this process you need to use a framework of dialogue that begins to push people's fear buttons. Now if you have some big name high profile companies going under then all the better to push an agenda.

Recession is a word used to terrify the masses and pushes all the right buttons. It is a word the media freely uses to keep the masses tuning back into their particular anchor person daily, so they can get another dose of fear and loathing and be controlled not to go about their daily lives buying what they want to keep the economy flowing.

What the masses do not pick up on is the fact that business is still going on all around them. New business, old business, repeat business, additional business, business up starts, business expansions, & simply put business in general is not halted but still conducting transactions.

Now those that see a decline in their business have not followed a simple sow and reap, cause and effect strategy to bring in new customers or not following up to bring in repeat business. That is 100% their own fault and not that of any economy. (The only exception might be a wide spread natural disaster, as we've all seen in recent years such as Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and other such disasters around the globe.) But our focus is on this media/government driven toxin known as a recession.

It doesn't matter what business we list, the bottom line is that people will still buy. It is up to the merchant to stay abreast of his/her client's changing buying habits and be the first to provide them with products that go along with their client's changing tastes, wants, needs and desires. The best model to study is grocery stores or super markets.

Do I believe our economy is off? Yes, but only in certain industries. But there in again, only certain businesses within that industry and not every business related to that industry is struggling. IE. GE, Ford and Chrysler are struggling, but not Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes or Hyundai which are made in the USA.

Do I believe business is off? No, because business trade, especially in the import/export sector continues to rise. If it is rising, that means people are buying and selling.

Do I believe people are more selective now than in the past? No. People have always been selective. Economy doesn't make people selective if it's something they want. Those who feel the biggest pinch in business, are those businesses, that do not watch and adjust to market trends.

Do I believe there are businesses that need to go away? Absolutely! They are a niches, that really had no chance to survive regardless of the economy or they simply have grown complacent and greedy.

Remember before Walmart, was Kmart. Before Kmart, was Kroger. Before Kroger was Sears and so on. If one were to search each industry's history, we would see those that were giants, those that became giants and those that are giants now.

There is an ancient proverb I read that states: "When hay is removed, new growth appears." What we are seeing again is the old outdated businesses finally being removed, making room for new businesses. What I find amusing about the proverb is that the field is still producing hay, which means people still want your type of hay.

Wanna Fight About It?
 

LB,

Thanks for trying to tell me otherwise.

BUT

Seeing as I have been involved in Cleaning in one way or another (owned company, employed other cleaners and have been a cleaner) since 1988 until only the last year or so (that's nearly 20 years), I'll stand by what I said and meant...

In a recession - when money is tight - the first thing to get jettisoned as an expense is cleaning.

Your wife is one single isolated case. I am talking about an Industry. And it's plain old Nuts to plonk down a substantial amount of money for a business that is less in demand when times are tough.

Yes, there are things that always sell - like Rolex Watches. But knowing of those Exceptions doesn't help you when you're getting into a business that targets general people.

Now. If times are not tough, then all bets are off. And whatever the media says is baloney - it's baloney anyway.

BTW, cleaning Always increases prior to Xmas. Always. (For those who might want to make some extra Xmas cash.)

Michael Ross

Wake up, Michael..
 

With all due respect, you DON'T LIVE HERE IN THE U.S.

Certainly! Let's have a go at it.
 

Michael,

I always like a good round of "Fist to Cuff". Keeps men manly. But all kidding aside, cleaning businesses here in the USA are on the rise. Now maybe down in OZ it is not the case. From what you're saying, your country's recessions draw people to do things differently than they do here in the States. Which means neither of us are wrong or right.

As for my wife's business increasing, it's been this way all year, not just during the holidays. Also she is not an owner, only an employee so it is not isolated.

Now I'll give you the reason why cleaning businesses do well here especially during a recession. The cleaning industry is not regulated which allows home owners, renters, and businesses to negotiate lower prices.

If the cleaning people are hungry for business they will have more work than they can handle. Remember, us Americans are to lazy to pick up after ourselves and we don't mind paying someone else to do it.

I don't think so
 

That statement seems to me to be wrong on two counts.

First; I can't think of a single US business that has it's price regulated. Certainly not any service businesses.

Second; In my experience I've never had a home owner or renter even attempt to negotiate a price for anything. The price is either too high and they just go away, or it's an OK price and they accept it.


You're kidding, right? No wait, you just said "all kidding aside". Please don't lump all us Americans into your low opinion. I pick up my own socks, and I do mind paying someone for a crappy job and stealing from me to boot.

Re: Wake up, Michael..
 

Thanks for pointing out the obvious - that I don't live in the US. Your point is?