I’ve seen this model in practice. At my former ‘innovation’ company, we had a forum for innovative ideas to be picked up as funded projects. There was a lot of crap and things that didn’t make any monetary sense, but every now and then there was … gold … pure gold, jerry
We could form a business that will round up all the cans & plastic bottles, rent a truck and take them to Michigan to get that .10 bottle refund.
I feel there is a massive amount of profit loss in small businesses in the US. Especially in the restaurant industry. People think they know how to run a restaurant and at 60, they put in all their cash into an entity that they do not know how to run a restuarant let alone manage the financials. They don’t know what product is high margin. They don’t know what product is highest margin. They are missing out on pushing these products that are high margin in marketing to bring in new customers and increasing volume. Many go out of business. Some stay in business but just lag and barely stay alive. There are relatively easy ways to increase profits, beginning with an overhaul of all components of the business and the margin of each product on a spreadsheet, easily done by any one of us, but possibly impossible to the business owner. My proposed plan: Form an entity that focuses on profit and growth for small businesses. The financial details and payment of the business to this entity would have to be ironed out. We could create a brand name that is synonymous with propping up small businesses to excel. After a few succcessful deals, our brand name would increase and it could be a place small businesses turn to for help. Proactive or reactive (for new businesses or others). The advantage to this plan is that our startup costs would be close to zero. Operating costs … zero. We all have excel and mapping out a business on excel isn’t brain science. We have the skills that many small business owners do not and can fill the need, which is the key to any successful business - filling the need. For business above water, we could probably map out a consulting per/hour payment plan. For failing businesses we might have to take equity. The equity would probably be portioned off to the main person on the deal with a percentage going to the umbrella company. I have done this once before. I worked with a small business owner in NYC on his restaurant per his request. I used to work remotely in there and he saw me on excel and asked for help. I proposed a rate per hour and then just worked as many hours as we would agree upon. There is a big influx of hours initially to map out the financials and then it was just maintenance - only a few hours a week overseeing the data and talking to him about strategy. One huge issue that I ran into was he didn’t know the margin per item in the restaurant. I thought this was a bit nutty. In summary, many of the gigs would be consulting and could provide some extra cash to people who would consult, but the big deals would be getting small business owners with failing businesses to give up equity in exchange to turn their business around. In this case we might have to put up some capital, but would be treated on a case by case basis. The goal in all of this is to create a brand that people can trust and quickly call for help when they are in need financially. I think it is possible. We certainly have coverage all over the US and in big cities on here.
Also, we have IT guys on here that could whip up a website for equity, and then just buy a domain name, LLC or something, and brand ourselves immediately.
so you want to create a small business consulting firm? isn’t this idea like 4000 years old?
What other ones are there? What small businesses turn to these others in times of need or when starting up? Maybe I’m just out of the loop.
I am thinking of making small electric generators, and selling them to Soul Cycle, so the cardio bunnies can help power the city’s electric grid. They can even get a “green credit” that can go towards reducing their membership fee. If there is anything these bored moms and 20-something girls like more than Lululemon tights, it’s feeling like they are net beneficial to the planet (despite living upper class lifestyles in a high consumption society).
^ you know I was thing of something like this as well. We could even incorporate into the string weight machines at the gyms.
We would need a solid Mechanical Engineer (I know a few) and also the ability for current gyms to be willing to switch out either old equipment for new or have add on equipment.
I thought of a multi-million dollar idea last week and then a quick google search told me that the product already exists. I had already planned out how to spend those millions too…
Anyway in case you want to further it: Seat belts on office chairs.
Incorrect posture is going to ruin us all and it is very difficult to sit straight in your chairs for 8hrs a day. Add a seat belt to your chair, and buckle up as soon as you get to your desk at work. You will never have to worry about messing up your back.
With the first million in sales, I would lobby congress to make it a law so that all office workers have to wear seat belts at work. Failing to do so can get your permenantly banned from Medicare eligibility and your insurance premiums would skyrocket.
It all makes sense in my head.
i’ve been imagining this for decades. the problem is that people want some high tech bike that tells them they’re getting less fat while they bike. that high tech would drain most of the energy gains. plus, these suckers would be expensive as hell.
I don’t think the bikes would be THAT expensive … I think the hardest part would be convincing fitness centers to give up perfectly good equipment for new equipment that would cost capital that gyms might not have
the entrance into the industry would probably have to be with new gyms in progressive and ‘green’ type people areas … Think NYC, Cali
Maybe you should focus on existing bikes. Find out what bike is used the most and develop a retrofit kit, take the money from that for r&d on the 2nd most popular bike. Once you have the connections, you’re know what lives the bike are and where new gyms are opening. Then go to china and pay some factory to build you a bespoke bike to spec and take over that market. Make sure you have a good name brand and you can sell a home version then sell on infomercial with super hot girls using them. Housewives will buy them to hang clothes on so you can build a cheaper version.
I’ll be setting up a stand outside the Javits center in a few weeks time selling selected items. For $200 you can buy an approved calculator, for $20 a pencil etc. etc.
I’ll also hire people to stand in the bathrooms selling tickets to port-a-potties for candiates whose protein heavy breakfasts and energy drinks have led them to within seconds of shitting into sinks. We won’t sell lemons.
How about Tinder for Venture Capitalists. You’d have a bag of buzzwords and a three year growth chart with exit multiple and you swipe left and right. The Capitalist would issue convertible bonds at a stated interest rate and if you have a match, Profit!!!
We could then sell ancillary legal and banking services to matched couples, using say, lawyers from the University of Phoenix, and charging Harvard rates with a special discount to make people think they are getting a good deal. 
At my university, there was actually a thing called “venture capitalist speed dating”. The VC will come to campus and hear successive pitches of startup ideas.
In case this was a serious question, there are lots of accounting firms that consult with small businesses from start-up to sale. There’s probably ten firms in my local area who do that sort of thing.
That may be the case but I feel accountants would be more financial process consultants and financial analysts could be the strategic financial consultants
I am sure it is a viable business. The problem is that there are a lot of McKinsey alumni or entrepreneur-turned-VCs who also do this sort of thing.
True, but we have the quick to market potential to form a viable company with a distinguishable brand.
Consulting is just an excuse for “I have no idea”.