# What would be a good business to open now? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 20, 2010, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-a-good-business-to-open-now/547335 "2010-07-20T11:39:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-a-good-business-to-open-now/547335/21 "2010-08-02T16:28:25Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > I can’t answer your specific question about what to sell, but the answer to “What would be a good business to open now?” is “anything related to pets.” Two friends of mine have opened pet grooming/supply shops in the past few years, and both businesses are thriving. Even in a recession, people spend money on their dogs and cats (moreso dogs, IME). [How quickly we forget](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pets.com). ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-a-good-business-to-open-now/547335/22 "2010-08-02T16:55:25Z")
Funeral homes are an extremely conglomerated industry, with close ties to state legislatures. The barriers to entry are likely to be surprisingly high (which is a big part of the reason why their profit margins are so large). If you’re looking toward e-commerce, I think you’re likely to find that most everything that can be sold profitably over the Internet already is, and that which can’t has shaken out (as **RNATB** notes). My suggestion would be to add value to the shipping process. For instance, a lot of people want to order stuff over the Internet but have concerns about delivery, because they’re not home during the day, and someone’s liable to steal a package that’s left outside the front door or in an entrance lobby. Open a business receiving packages from the USPS, UPS and FedEx during the day, and delivering them to people’s homes at night (or at some other specified time when they’ll be in). You’ll lose money until you develop enough volume to make individual routes profitable; maybe you could partner with the services that run take-out food from multiple restaurants. You’ll need to develop strong brand identity immediately, because competitors can jump into the business easily. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-a-good-business-to-open-now/547335/23 "2010-08-02T17:31:22Z")
There’s a particular type of frisbee thing that we found at a dollar store last year that our dog loves. We bought a bunch, and they fly farther (giving him more exercise with less work on our part) and hold up better to his abuse than any other type we’ve found. We bought out the store’s stock, and when we went back for more, they were gone. I’ve searched online, and they now appear to be sold only in the UK, for about 4 pounds each. If you can get them for me here in the US for a buck each, I’ll buy a few dozen. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-a-good-business-to-open-now/547335/24 "2010-08-02T17:49:27Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Open a business receiving packages from the USPS, UPS and FedEx during the day, and delivering them to people’s homes at night (or at some other specified time when they’ll be in). You’ll lose money until you develop enough volume to make individual routes profitable; maybe you could partner with the services that run take-out food from multiple restaurants. You’ll need to develop strong brand identity immediately, because competitors can jump into the business easily. Closing Time Delivery Service - _don’t shoot, we swear we’re not a prowler!_ ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-a-good-business-to-open-now/547335/25 "2010-08-03T01:06:42Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > [@Superhal](#): > > > > Therefore, if I had the money to invest, here’s what I’d do: > > > > 1. Sit down and make 100 crazy ideas for websites. > > 2. Launch all of them simultaneously. > > 3. The ones that stick I invest in the domain name, trademark, and business license. > > > > Some of the dumbest ideas have become huge money makers: > > Facebook > > Twitter > > LoL Cats > > You may be kidding, but this would work. Read [this article](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/technology/internet/14burger.html) about the guy who owns the I Can Has Cheezburger site. Basically, he comes up with ideas for sites (although he bought the LOLCats site for $100,000), most of which are based on user-supplied content. He’ll try a site and then pull the plug if it doesn’t work. He’s earning seven figures from this stuff. Nope, I’m not kidding…but the guy that made LOLcats is well known to have ripped off the idea from 4chan. I’m kicking myself for not thinking of Christian Dating sites. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-a-good-business-to-open-now/547335/26 "2010-08-03T02:19:13Z")
I’ve wondered if tattoo removal will explode in the next 5 years or so. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-a-good-business-to-open-now/547335/27 "2010-08-03T02:45:19Z")
I read the article about Huh…man, that’s amazing. Now he has a built-in network for his dumb ideas that instantly creates free advertising. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-a-good-business-to-open-now/547335/28 "2010-08-03T03:56:36Z")
You can make more than you currently earn, WORKING FROM HOME! PM me to find out how. (;)) ---
**Author:** ![Perciful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Perciful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Perciful)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-a-good-business-to-open-now/547335/29 "2010-08-03T13:24:41Z")
My dog is bringing in some bread for me. He is adorable and earns his keep. I get 500 bucks every time he is bred. I used to breed dogs and there is money in it but you really need to be at home all the time to do it. French Bulldogs can fetch 1,000 per puppy or more. 900 for a Boston puppy. After the vet bills it comes out to 700 per puppy. He has a hot date at 7pm with a 3 year old Boston Terrier named Molly. If you have a beautiful male it is some easy side cash. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-a-good-business-to-open-now/547335/30 "2010-08-04T01:16:19Z")
> [@Perciful](#): > > He has a hot date at 7pm with a 3 year old Boston Terrier named Molly. If you have a beautiful male it is some easy side cash. I know it’s different within the industry, but I just can’t avoid thinking “pimping” whenever I hear about stud services. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-a-good-business-to-open-now/547335.md?page=1)