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Housekeeper looking to start something different

MrsClean1MrsClean1 subscriber Posts: 2
edited August 2007 in Selecting a Business
I own a small cleaning service (70 clients with 3 employees) and am thinking of going in a different direction. I`ve been in business for 17 years and it has taken a toll on my body. Just searching for any ideas or suggestions. Checkout my website at www.letitshinecleaning.com</A> .
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Comments

  • MrsClean1MrsClean1 subscriber Posts: 2
    So sorry you were soooo annoyed! I opened it up and it was perfect. Did not resize anything. Maybe you have too much on your desk top or something. Now that that`s over with...
    I actually am managing my businesss and work very little on the site myself. I did that long ago. I want to continue to grow this little business but want to do something else as well. Nothing has struck me yet. Just seeking ideas. I am the type of person that gets bored easily and likes to have several things going. Starting another "easy" business would be fun if I could think of something. Thanks anyway.
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  • MrsClean1MrsClean1 subscriber Posts: 2
    Very well put. I really just need to keep thinking about it. Just thought some ideas would pop up from all the genius minds Thanks for the imput.
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  • stonesledgestonesledge subscriber Posts: 608 Silver Level Member
    So you want out of house cleaning all together.What are you passionate about? Do something that will excite you everyday. If this business is viable, then take it as an opportunity to open something else or atleast research something else. You`ve gotta do what you love!
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  • ExceptionallyCleanExceptionallyClean subscriber Posts: 0
    How about an errand service aka personal assistant type stuff?
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  • RetiredMemberRetiredMember subscriber Posts: 0

    Are you looking to start a service business? A tangible product sales business? What kind of business you want will give us a hint so we might actually make some suggestions that are worth spending our time building for you.
    The easiest way I know to get new ideas for small businesses is to get the yellow pages out for a major metropolitan city (i.e.; New York, Chicago, LA, etc.)... Go to the index and start drafting a list of the businesses that interest you, from A to Z. (Yeah, I know that`s time consuming, but it`s a whole lot cheaper than making a costly mistake! - - No need to go to the actual listings, just the index will do.) Write down, word-for-word those businesses.
    Now that you have a nice long list of businesses that exist in a major market, and you`re interested in starting one of them - go to your local yellow pages and do that same thing all over again... Be sure to list `em all.
    Now that you have two nice, LONG lists, compare them... note the businesses from the major directory list that are NOT on your local directory and put them on your new, third list. You now have a list of business ideas that have a good chance of working in your locale, given a sufficient demand and so on. Start by picking a handful of them that interest you most...
    From this point, do all the usual due diligence and market research to see if there is a demand, a sufficiently sized market, and enough possible customers with the cash and willingness to spend it to make the start-up worthwhile. Repeat for each choice until you narrow it down to one, then you`re ready to start the really hard parts of getting the new show on the road.
    Let us know when you`ve done this... then we can help move you along the path to a new start-up.
     
    Nick
    GM, The Entrepreneur Group on MSN
    BAMOldNikko2007-8-18 22:1:50
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  • MrsClean1MrsClean1 subscriber Posts: 2
    Thank you for the good information. I will look into and do what you suggested. Sounds like fun to me.
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  • RetiredMemberRetiredMember subscriber Posts: 0
    Yep, it`s tedious, but it CAN also be fun - if you have the right mind-set. Expect to take days doing this, if you want to get it right. BUT... the rewards in the end will be all that much more satisfying - and appropriate to you... something that just listing suggestions and such could never be.
    Let us know what you come up with... then we can do the hard work of the "Kipling Six" for building new businesses.
    I wish you joy and success!
    Nick
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  • RetiredMemberRetiredMember subscriber Posts: 0
    PS to the last...
    Anyone see a distinct business possibility in what I have described previously? If you do, let`s talk!
    A searchable, specialized database is a hint. (The person that posted about the proposed "Nifty Fifties" book might want to take this on... the "method" only slightly post-dates A. Bell and his wonderful(?) invention.)
    There is another grand "source" for biz-ideas that I haven`t mentioned that might even be more valuable than the one that I did...
    Nick
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  • RetiredMemberRetiredMember subscriber Posts: 0
    A custom modified DB is just a part of the cost of doing business.
    The ONLY hard part is putting in the records, but at $10/hr. or so, no big deal there either. Even a caveperson (gotta be politically correct, eh?) could do that easily enough....
    I`m pretty sure that an online start-up could be done for under a few grand, depending upon the skills and talents of the partners.
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