Time of the year ideas?

Here is a great question to get people moving..
What businesses are best to start up this time of the year?
My new years resolution is to get 1 extra business up and running this year. --
What is your resolution? What would you start right now?
Wedding publications? Tourist guides? etc?
Thanks to all for a great site, and especially to the powers that be for having this for us.
I hope you all have a great new year!!
Jason

I've been doing my "TV Channel Stands" program...in my town and a town 10mi North and a town 15 mi South....for a total of 14 Motels and 6 Pizza advertisers. (Plus other restaurants, Jewelry Stores, Gift Shops, Beauty Salons, Car Washes and Realtors. Businesses that want to reach TOURISTS.)
(I make up little Stands with the TV Channels and Ads for different businesses on them....then have motels place them in each and every room)

I've discovered 4 things with this program;
1) Pizza delivery operations WILL pay a "hefty" amount to be on MY "Stands".
2) They DO get LOTS of orders...every day from my participating motels
3) They RENEW...readily. (Which means they are makin' moolah)
4) This is the EASIEST "Sales" progam I've ever tried

As an example of how easy;
I went to a small town 5mi South of me this morn. Walked into the first motel at 8:am....explained my program....got their permission to use my Stands. Walked into 2nd motel at 8:25am....got their permission. (There's only 2 motels in this town) Got recommendations as to which Pizza operation they prefer....which restaurants they'd prefer NOT to participate.
Called on Pizza guy at 9am. Explained program to him....showed him a sample...showed him a sample of my other Pizza advertisers. Got his agreement AND a check. Went to 3 other restaurants....got 2. Went to Antique Shop. Got them. Went to real estate office....signed them up....ALL BEFORE NOON!!!

I gathered their Biz Cards and what they want to say in the ad spaces. This weekend I will be printing out the sheets....placing them in the stands and will deliver on Mon morn before I head out to a town 25mi away.

My goal for 2007 will be to have 10,000 rooms with my stands in them. And, with a 95% RENEWAL RATE....I should be able to take it easy for the next few yrs. Now have a little over 1500 rooms.

Just a simple idea based on "FINDING WANTS...and FILLING THEM!"

"Want #1" - what do "Tourists" WANT?
"FOOD"....they didn't bring any and they are hungry.
"Want #2" - what do Pizza places WANT?
"HUNGRY CUSTOMERS WITH MONEY TO SPEND!"
"Want #3" - what do motels WANT?
"Fewer phone calls to the front desk asking, "Where can I get a Pizza?" or, "Where's a good place to eat?" And...a "nice-looking" TV Channel Directory.

Put them all together they spell "M - O - N - E - Y"
plus.....
the best thing about THIS Program is....very little cost involved. You make up the Stands...deliver them to the motels and forget about them until next year at renewal time. The Stands "do the work".

Hope you folks have a Prosperous 2007. I KNOW I will.

Don Alm

http://www.donalm.com
Some of my unique programs

The past 3 years it's been my resolution to be full time self-employed, and things have just not worked out.

This year, I've got my Real Estate license (with a great new broker), my part time home business - Fearless Graphics, and a couple of other possibilities on the back burner for when I can finally leave my dead end "day job". 2007 will finally be my year!

Thanks SOWPub, and all who post here for keeping me motivated and for the wealth of great ideas that are generated here. May '07 be good to everyone!

Here's a quote from Cliff Pickover to lead you into 2007,

"Life is a movement from the forgotten into the unexpected."

Now tell me isn't that insightful?

Here's some other insight.

Stampeding on to the US Census survery in 2005 was a hobby category never tracked before.

(Hint...maybe looking for the unexpected is key to finding success)

Anyway,
for the first time the US starting surveying the number of people
.................boarding HORSES at home.

Survey says 3 percent of US Housholds are boarding horses at home. Another 1 % are boarding horses outside of their homes.

80% of horses owners OWN a Dog!

Seems to me this a rabid market crazy about their horses. I would also imagine this is a group with lots of money.

As for info products you might want to model this niche magazine for pets and people of New York.

This magazine I could see easily niched into a variety of Pets and People Of YouNameItCity or YouNameItPets of YouNameItCity magazine.

Here's an article on PetSmarts unexpected (there's that word again!)
plush profits in luxury pet lodgings.


So is this something you might want to saddle up to in 2007?

If not then maybe burial site grooming might be more your style.

as usual.

Besides the DST-Update program with Christopher, I'm gearing up with something that GJA mentioned in the past.

Look for "Luck Lotto Tips" in a location near you soon. (Well, in East TN at least)

Pete