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Archive for the ‘Franchise Opportunities’ Category
Up the Flue: Starting a Chimney Sweep Business
Business Overview:
Once you’ve learned how to become a chimney sweep, starting a chimney sweep business is a great way to help your community by offering a valuable service. Even if a fireplace isn’t used very much, the National Fire Protection Association recommends an inspection about once a year to ensure it is free from debris and is structurally sound. The same is true for woodstoves. The Chimney Safety Institute of America recommends that standard masonry chimneys be cleaned at 1/8 inch of soot buildup. It’s hard to tell how much soot has built up in a chimney just by looking which is why a chimney sweep business is one of the most important business ideas you can consider. Although not mandatory, chimney sweep certification is available and would put you head and shoulders above the competition. If you are not able to become certified yourself but you do see the value in having these credentials, you can hire certified chimney sweepers to work for you. Once you are certified—or you have your staff in place—you’ll need to purchase tools to get the job done. Some basics you’ll need include brushes, rods, a vacuum and tarps to cover clients’ furniture and carpet. You’ll also need a truck or van to transport your equipment and protective clothing for you and/or your staff. You don’t need to have a storefront for your business, but you do need to have a nice website that explains your services and lists your prices. Be sure to include safety recommendations and outline why it’s so important to have a clean chimney. The more aware potential customers are of how essential these services are, the more likely they are to use your services. Another important piece of your marketing is to create business cards and fliers to leave around town. Home improvement stores and fireplace stores are excellent places to advertise your business. Chimneys can be swept any time of year but you’re likely to be busier in the fall and winter when people start using their fireplaces and woodstoves. Since you won’t be as busy at certain times of the year, it’s a good opportunity to market your business. Offer “early bird” specials to get customers before the busy season kicks off. To fill in the gaps in your schedule and to attract more clients, you can offer additional home services like carpet or roof cleaning. You can also offer related items such as chimney pots, chimney caps and chimney guards. As word spreads about your business, you are likely get a lot of referral and repeat business. You will likely need to add to your fleet of trucks and hire more staff to handle the demand.
A Day in the Life of a Chimney Sweep Business Owner:
Your day will start with a check of any appointments you may have. You or your staff will travel to the client’s home or business and clean the chimney(s) (or other services offered such as cleaning the roof). You will give the client some business cards so he can spread the word about the excellent service you provided. If you don’t have any appointments, you will concentrate on marketing your business. You will need to employ several types of marketing including making your vehicle a moving billboard (with magnetic signage), advertising in the phone book and newspapers and leaving marketing materials in various places around town.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be homeowners, property managers or business owners needing high quality chimney sweep services.
What You Need to Start:
- Chimney sweep business plan
- Marketing plan and materials
- Website
- Certification or certified staff (optional)
- Tools and equipment
- Van or truck
- License and insurance
- Computer with finance software
The Good:
- Chimney sweep services are needed by everyone with a chimney and the demand will never decrease.
- The start-up costs are relatively low.
- Once you have the equipment, there is very little overhead.
- You can easily operate this business part-time.
- Franchises are available to help you get started.
The Bad:
- This is a seasonal business so you will need to plan for the slow months.
- It can take time to obtain certification or to find qualified certified chimney sweeps.
Resources:
Starting a Garden Furniture Business
Business Overview:
Starting a garden furniture business is a wonderful way to help people enjoy the great outdoors while you enjoy the freedom of owning your own business. When the weather is nice, everyone wants to be outside and what better way to enjoy comfortable temperatures than to relax in high quality outdoor furniture. As a garden furniture business owner, you are able to choose the items you want to sell, perhaps the items you enjoy yourself. However, if you are not interested in making a lot of choices about what items to carry, you can purchase a franchise business. This option may be a little more costly but it comes with a stock of items as well as name recognition. Some franchises have licensing agreements with colleges so you can sell furniture with your local colleges’ logos on them. If you live in a college town, those could be big sellers. You could also offer special orders to those fans who live far away from their favorite school. Research buying habits of those in your area to help you decide what type of furniture to carry. If you live in a city where everyone has large back yards, you should carry larger, multiple piece sets. However, if back yard space is limited or if most people in your area live in apartment buildings with only a patio, you might want to carry smaller sets. Focusing on a niche is the best way to be successful with this type of business idea. If opening an entire store of your own sounds like more than you want to invest in, you could choose to place your items in a larger store. Similar to placing items in a larger traditional furniture store or lighting store, you would pay a portion of your profits to the store owner but you would not be responsible for operating the store. Another option is operating your garden furniture business online. Although you would not need a storefront for your business, you would need a large storage facility for your furniture. With a robust website, you could run your business both online and from a store. As you can see, there are many options available for opening a garden furniture store that could translate into a very lucrative business.
A Day in the Life of a Garden Furniture Business Owner:
If you operate a storefront, you will arrive early and ensure your displays are set up correctly. You will likely have a small staff to help you assemble new displays and accept shipments. If you have an arrangement with a larger furniture shop, you will need to check in on your display area and ensure everything is set up correctly and assist any customers. If your business is online, you will be able to make your own hours but it’s important to check new orders a few times a day and arrange shipments in a timely manner. You will need to maintain your website, adding new items as needed.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be individuals looking for high quality outdoor furniture for their homes and apartments.
What You Need to Start:
- Storefront, arrangement with furniture store and/or website
- Franchise agreement (optional)
- Relationship with furniture manufacturers and distributors
- Computer with finance software
The Good:
- Garden furniture will always be in demand.
- You can select a niche that best fits your area.
- Franchises are available to help you get started.
- You can operate this business in a storefront and/or online.
- As an industry insider, you have access to the newest trends and designs.
The Bad:
- The start-up investment can be quite high.
- It can take some time to make your first few sales and turn a profit.
Resources:
Opening a Lingerie Store
Business Overview:
Opening a lingerie store is a fun and exciting way to be your own boss while helping to boost the self-confidence of women. The lingerie industry is worth over $29 billion (USD) annually. Even with plenty of competition, if you position yourself correctly, you could earn a piece of that pie. As you learn about how to open a lingerie store, you’ll need to decide who your target market will be. Lingerie runs the gamut from conservative to risqué so the type of items you carry will have a great impact on who your customer base is. Women will buy on average two bras and five pairs of briefs a year for everyday wear. So focusing on just the “basics” will bring in a steady stream of ladies looking to buy replacement items or something new that they saw on TV. In addition to carrying standard items, you might also carry specialty items like maternity bras, larger sizes that are usually hard to find and mastectomy bras. If you’re interested in racier fashion, you can carry lacy items and nighties that are not designed for everyday wear. In either case, you have the option of purchasing a franchise to help get your business started. A franchise will come with some inventory, marketing assistance and name recognition. If you are not interested in opening and closing a physical store each day, you can easily run your store online. If you choose to go this route, you will need a robust website and a storage facility for your inventory. Considering the demand for high quality lingerie and the popularity of shopping via the Internet, opening a virtual lingerie store is one of the smartest business ideas available today. Typically, online shoppers know what sizes to order but you should include a size chart and customer service contact information on your site. If you operate a physical store, especially if you stock everyday-wear items, you should be familiar with how to measure women to see what size bra they should buy. Or you can hire a bra fitter to work in your store which would free up your time so you can concentrate on overall customer service and marketing your business. Spread the word about your lingerie boutique to area wedding shops, fashion stores and maternity shops. Online stores can advertise on websites that also target your customer base. Keep in mind, you don’t have to choose between a physical store or an online store; you can have both. This would take more work, and more staff, to maintain both the shop and the website in order to keep customer service standards high, but it will greatly increase your market share.
A Day in the Life of a Lingerie Store Owner:
If you operate a physical store, you will make sure your lingerie items are neatly displayed before opening for business. You will spend your day helping customers find the right items. At the end of the day you will record your receipts, make your bank deposit, and tidy up for the next day. If your business is online, your hours are not so rigid but you will need to check emails from customers and ensure all orders are shipped out in a timely manner.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be women (or men shopping for women) looking for lingerie items for themselves or as gifts.
What You Need to Start:
- Lingerie store business plan
- Storefront or website (or both)
- Lingerie to sell
- Storage facility if selling online
- Computer with finance software
The Good:
- Lingerie is a must-have for almost all women so demand will always be there.
- You can sell high quality items for top dollar.
- It’s rewarding to help customers find just what they are looking for.
- A lingerie store is a fun and exciting work environment.
- As an industry insider, you will be the first to see new trends and fashions.
The Bad:
- It can take some time to build up your client base.
- You have to be mindful about how much of each size to keep in stock so you’re not left with a large amount of unsold items.
Resources:
How to Start a Wig Business
Business Overview:
Learning how to start a wig business is a great way to keep up with fashion trends as well as help those who have lost their hair due to illness. Wigs are not just a costume accessory anymore; wigs are high fashion and are used openly by celebrities and non-celebrities alike. The quality of wigs has also come a long way making them virtually undetectable. Lace wigs are typically made with real human hair and are hand-sewn to a lace backing which makes them look very natural. When you look into how to start a lace wig business, you’ll see that they come in a full wig or a lace front wig which just has the lace work at the front of the wig at the hairline. Lace wigs are the most expensive type of wig because they are the highest quality and the most natural looking. A lace front wig sells for around $100 USD while a full lace wig can sell for upwards of $700 USD. As you can see, with a little wig knowledge, this is one of the most unique business ideas there is. Even better is that you have the choice of operating your store online or in a shop. Both have their advantages. Having an online only business allows you the freedom to make your own hours and not have to lease a physical space for your wigs, other than a small climate-controlled storage space. Operating a physical storefront will allow customers to see and try on wigs before purchasing them. Once you decide what type of store you will open, you need to look at all the different lines of wigs and determine what your niche will be. You could focus on different ethnicities like African-American, Caucasian and Latino or you could market your business to individuals who have lost their hair due to illness. In this case, you would need to carry a few types of each wig and perhaps add a few more types for the elderly. You could go even further and even carry children’s wigs. If you operate online, it’s important that you offer tips on how to determine what length, texture and color your customers should order. Include a detailed FAQ section and be sure to have an easy-to-use customer support system whether it be phone support or email. If you have experience in a hair salon or operate your own home salon, you no doubt have experience fitting and attaching wigs. This would be the perfect online business idea that you could run alongside your salon business. To increase your sales, you should also offer items like wig caps, adhesives and hair accessories (headbands, ponytail holders, etc.). A little expertise, high quality wigs and excellent customer service will be all you need to run a successful wig business.
A Day in the Life of a Lace Wig Business Owner:
If you operate a physical store, your day will begin by making sure your wigs are neatly displayed before opening your store. You will likely have a small staff helping you throughout the day as you assist customers in finding the perfect wig for their needs. If you operate exclusively online, you will begin your day by checking any questions from potential customers and quickly responding to them. You will check any new orders and get wigs boxed and ready to ship out to your customers. You will spend a portion of your day marketing your business – if you only sell locally, you will need to establish a relationship with hospitals and ask them to refer clients to you who are having hair loss issues due to illness. You’ll also want to leave fliers in local boutiques, wedding shops and other fashion stores. If your business is online only, you will place ads on sites frequented by your target market.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be individuals who need high quality wigs for fashion or those who have lost their hair due to illness.
What You Need to Start:
- Knowledge of wigs and how to fit them
- Inventory of wigs
- Storefront or website
- Wig displays for physical store (Styrofoam or plastic mannequin heads)
- Website for online only store
- Wig and hair accessories (wig caps, barrettes, etc.)
- Computer with finance software
The Good:
- The popularity and acceptance of wigs is on the rise.
- The start-up investment is relatively low.
- Customers will pay incredibly high mark-up for top quality wigs.
- Excellent customer service will keep customers returning.
- You can run this business either online or from a physical store.
- Franchises are available to help you get started.
The Bad:
- This industry is highly competitive and without a well-defined niche, your business can flounder.
- You must have experience with wigs and be able to help customers of all “experience” levels find just the right item.
Resources:
Starting a Cloth Diaper Business
Business Overview:
Starting a cloth diaper business is not only environmentally friendly but a great way to tap into a trend that is coming back into popularity. Before the advent of disposable diapers, cloth diapers were parents’ only option. They were bulky, unattractive and hard to fold and pin. Disposables are easy to use but rough on the environment because they are not biodegradable. A baby will go through more than 4,000 diaper changes before being fully potty trained. That can add up to over $1,200 USD for diapers that will be used once, soiled, then sit in a landfill. Today’s cloth diapers are not only easy to use, they come in adorable designs, don’t need pins and offer parents a terrific option that lessens their carbon footprint. So why don’t more parents use this earth friendly option? In a word – cleaning. With disposables, you simply throw the mess away; a cloth diaper has to be cleaned so it can be reused. This can be a less than appealing process which is why operating a diaper service is one of the best business ideas out there today. Picking up, laundering and delivering clean cloth diapers is a valuable service that parents will gladly pay for. All you need to get started is a commercial sized washer and dryer and some detergent. Doing the laundering yourself will bring in more profits but you could also send the diapers to a third party laundry service. You’ll also need a van or large vehicle to handle pickup and delivery. Consider a magnetic sign on your vehicle advertising your business. Be sure your phone number and email address are prominent. If you have a website, be sure it’s easy to remember so drivers can make a mental note without having to write it down. Once you have your process sorted out, you’ll need to market your new business. Leave fliers at local baby stores, try to get a list of new births from area hospitals and find listings for local doulas, midwives and baby planners. Send out fliers to this list of prospective clients explaining your service and its benefits. Once you get a few clients on your list, not only will their repeat business keep you busy but word of mouth will be a powerful marketing tool that costs nothing. You may soon find your business in need of additional vans and personnel to handle the workload.
A Day in the Life of a Cloth Diaper Business Owner:
Your day will begin with a check of your appointments. If you are handling the pickup, you will map your route and make your way around town picking up soiled diapers from your customers. You will take them to your laundry facilities (or a third party laundry) and start the cleaning process. Next you will organize cleaned diapers and arrange them for delivery. You or your staff will deliver cleaned diapers to your clients and schedule future pickup dates. You will also spend part of your day marketing your business to area baby stores and other places new moms frequent.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be parents of babies in diapers looking for an easy way to be environmentally friendly.
What You Need to Start:
- Van or other vehicle for transport of diapers
- Website (optional)
- Washers and driers (or laundry facilities)
- Marketing materials
- Computer with finance software
The Good:
- This is a service that environmentally conscious parents will pay top dollar for.
- Start-up costs are relatively low.
- Franchises are available to help you get started.
- Green businesses are eligible for tax incentives.
- You can easily run this business part time.
The Bad:
- The work can be repetitive.
- It can take some time to build up your client list.
Resources:
Starting Your Own Online Travel Guide Business
Business Overview:
The travel industry is booming and travelers are always looking for a helpful online travel guide business to aid them in their vacation decisions. When travelers load up the family and drive them across the country or brave airports, planes and trains, they want to know that their destinations will be perfect for their needs. Consulting an online travel guide will give them the knowledge they need to make their vacations successful. You’ll find that there is plenty of competition in this area so you’ll need to set yourself apart by finding a special niche. For example, you could focus on pet-friendly hotels or resorts that are handicapped accessible. Imagine travelers finding not just one hotel that meets their needs in a particular city but dozens. That would give them much more control over other aspects of their stay instead of having to settle for the one place that offered them the bare minimum of their requirements. And with today’s technology, you can work on one of the best online business ideas available today from your own home. The first thing you’ll need to do when starting your business is decide what your specialization will be. Look to your experience or area of interest to help you find your niche. For example, if you have traveled with your pet, where did you stay? Once you have selected your area of expertise, you will need to build a website and populate it with as much information about that area as you can. Look to friends and family as well as Internet research and phone calls to find out more. The more details and “off the beaten path” information you can provide, the more repeat visitors you’ll have to your site. When your site has plenty of useful information, you need to establish relationships with hotels in that area, rental car facilities, restaurants, etc. You can also set up your site so that travelers who book through your site will earn you a commission. But even if all the visitors don’t make their reservations through your site, they still have access to loads of free information to assist them in making their travel plans. Make contact with travel companies and ask them to advertise on your site. If your area of expertise is cruises for elderly travelers, you could ask AARP to advertise. If your target market is pet owners, look for local pet hotels to advertise—or you could pursue large corporations, like PetSmart to advertise. The more useful information you have on your site, the more advertisements you’ll be able to sell and the more revenue you’ll generate from those ad sales and travel booking commissions. Start your research, find your niche and help travelers have a wonderful vacation while you enjoy a successful business.
A Day in the Life of an Online Travel Guide Business Owner:
You will start your day checking for any new revenue generated from travel bookings. Next you will check out your website and see if any content needs to be updated. You will only be successful with this business idea if your information is current and accurate so you will constantly be updating and adding information. You will contact businesses aimed at your target market to discuss advertising on your site.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be prospective travelers looking for the best information on destinations that cater to their various needs (pet-friendly, kid-friendly, wheelchair access, etc.)
What You Need to Start:
- Travel niche
- Website
- Content
- Partnership with travel agencies
- Finance software
The Good:
- Start-up investment is low.
- You can operate this business from home.
- You can work as much or as little as you like.
- Franchises are available to help you get started.
- If your site offers top-notch information, advertisers will jump at the chance to be in front of their target market.
The Bad:
- Gathering the information to populate your site with useful information will take some time.
- You will constantly need to update and add to your site to keep it current and accurate.
Resources:
Learn How to Host Websites For a High-Demand Business
Business Overview:
If you’d like to know how to generate great profits by providing a service everyone needs in order to get their websites online, learn how to host websites. Every website on the internet requires storage space in order to make their website accessible to the world. With this business idea, you provide the storage space and software that website owners need to get their websites online. To do so you purchase or lease a server—which is a piece of equipment on which data is stored. You then allocate a certain amount of space on your server(s) to your clients to store the data for their websites, and you provide software that allows the website data that your clients upload to your server to be made accessible to the world via the internet. For an even easier approach, you can pay an existing webhosting company for a specified amount of space each month, and then you can allow others to host their websites from that space. Think of it in the same way that you would if you were to sublet an apartment: while you are actually the one paying the monthly fee to the “landlord,” others are paying you for all or part of that space. Not all webhosting companies allow this, but many actually encourage this approach—and will even offer the technical support to your customers. With a website hosting business you’ll have a number of options in regards to how you generate your profits. For example, you can charge your clients a monthly fee in return for a certain amount of data space on your server (typically a low-end cost would be around $10 USD, although it will depend on the amount of data space your client requires). Alternatively you could offer your hosting service for free, and in return for the free hosting have your clients display adverts on their websites which generate your revenue. In addition to the various options available to you for generating revenue, one of the most attractive things about starting a website hosting business is the high retention rate and high lifetime value you can gain from your clients. As long as you provide a competitive, quality service, your clients will be unlikely to leave you. This is because once a website has been set up with a host, transferring it over to a different hosting provider can be a technically complicated and difficult process. Therefore once you have gained a client, so long as they remain happy with your services you can expect them to remain with you for many years (if not indefinitely). It is for this reason starting a website hosting business is one of the most potentially lucrative online business ideas — because if you can attract lots of clients, the chances are good that you will keep the majority of them, and therefore generate great profits consistently over the long term. You can easily start this business from the comfort of your own home either by purchasing server space from an existing company or, if you’re truly tech savvy, by purchasing relatively small servers and updating your hosting capacity as your business and server space demand grows. Staying committed over the long term is key to making great profits with this business. Therefore with the desire and a willingness to work hard, you can definitely build a successful hosting business that generates fantastic profits.
A Day in the Life of a Website Hosting Business Owner:
As a successful website hosting business owner, a large part of your time on a typical day will be spent providing quality customer service to your clients. This is because setting up a website with a host can be a technically challenging process to those who aren’t familiar with it, so you will spend a fair amount of time in your day assisting your clients either over the phone or via email. You will also spend time overseeing the performance of your servers—if you’ve chosen to purchase your own—ensuring everything is running smoothly. Additionally, you may spend time updating your hosting infrastructure in order to meet demand as your business grows. Of course, you can hire staff to provide support and customer service for you. You can also hire assistants to take care of system maintenance and upgrades for you. And if you don’t want to be bothered with these details at all, you can choose to purchase space from an existing webhosting company that also will agree to provide technical support to your customers. In this case a typical day would likely be spent focusing on growing your business by seeking out new marketing opportunities, and ensuring that your hosting business is ticking over smoothly.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be anyone wanting to set up a website. They will include businesses and individuals wanting to set up websites for either commercial or personal purposes.
What You Need to Start:
- A server on which to host your clients’ websites (you can either purchase your server, or you can lease it)—or server space that you’re paying for from an existing webhosting company
- Storage space for your server / hosting equipment
- Website hosting software
- A customer service phone line
- Marketing
- A business license
- Financial tracking software
The Good:
- Every website needs a host—so the market for your service is huge.
- You can start this business and run it from the comfort of your own home.
- There are several options available for generating great profits (monthly subscriptions, advertising).
- Due to the technical difficulties associated with changing website hosting providers, your clients will be unlikely to leave you so long as you provide a quality service and keep them happy (therefore the lifetime value of your clients will typically be high once you gain them).
The Bad:
- Purchasing the servers/software that you need to start this business can be expensive, though you don’t need own your hardware unless you choose to.
- You will need to provide an excellent service and be committed to working hard to achieve great profits as website hosting can be competitive.
Resources:
Helping Others by Opening a Stair Lift Business
Business Overview:
If you’re looking for an assistive technology business that is in great demand, you should consider opening a stair lift business. A stair lift is a product designed to help people and wheelchairs up and down stairs. Also known as a wheelchair lift, this device can be installed in homes, restaurants, schools or auditoriums, giving higher levels of access to the elderly and handicapped. Since this is a specialized industry, you either need to know how to install lifts yourself or you can buy a stair lift franchise in which case they will fully train you. This option is more costly (at least $25,000 USD) but it comes with all the training and equipment you need to get started. If you open a stair lift business without a franchise, you would be wise to recruit skilled, professional stair lift technicians to work for you. Either way, with the aging baby boomer population, this type of assistive technology is one of the smartest business ideas available today. When marketing your new business, look for assisted living facilities that are being built or being refurbished. Landing a contract for an entire retirement community would mean plenty of work and plenty of income for your new business. Also advertise in publications aimed at the retired community like AARP. Contact medical supply businesses in your area and ask to be placed on their referral list. Often when someone is placed in a wheelchair, their home needs to be retrofitted with ramps and lifts. Offering such a needed service will not only help you build you a financially successful business but a rewarding one as well.
A Day in the Life of a Stair Lift Business Owner:
Your day will begin with a check of any installations on your schedule. You or your staff will perform the installation and check back with the customer after a few days to see how the lift is working out. You will also spend some time each day marketing your business. You will hand out fliers and business cards and make contact with medical supply companies.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be individuals who need assistance getting up the stairs. You may also contract with retirement communities and assisted living facilities to install lifts throughout their facility.
What You Need to Start:
- Experience installing lifts, a skilled installation staff or a stair lift franchise
- Financing
- Equipment
- Marketing plan
- Vehicle to transport large equipment
- Computer with finance software
The Good:
- The demand for this type of equipment will continue to rise as the population ages.
- You are providing a valuable service to the aging and handicapped communities.
- You can charge top dollar for your installations.
- Competition is very low in this industry.
- Franchises are available to help you get started and train you and your staff.
The Bad:
- The installations are labor intensive
- The startup investment is high.
Resources:
Starting an Online Travel Agency
Business Overview:
Starting an online travel agency is a great way to help people find the perfect vacation while being your own boss and starting your own small business. The travel industry is always popular, even in questionable economic times. People still go on vacation, they just might choose a closer location or they may choose to drive instead of fly. But these people still need the help of travel agents to book their hotels and travel packages. It’s a good idea to write up a business plan before going too far with your travel agency. Specializing in a certain niche—such as cruises, European vacations or safaris—is a great idea because you can really stand out from the other agencies with a well-defined focus. You’ll realize when you start an online travel business that not only can you operate it from the comfort of your own home but you can work as much or as little as you want. Even if you’re not an experienced travel agent, this is still one of the best business ideas to get into today because there is a lot of assistance available to you. You can buy a franchise agency or partner with a host agency which acts as a liaison between you and the airlines, cruise lines and tour companies. Their experience can help you learn the ropes while still making money and helping people with their travel arrangements. When you have learned how to start an online travel agency on your own, you can break away from the host company and make the arrangements directly with the airlines, cruise lines, etc. Since this is an online business idea, you will need to have a website where your potential clients can go to review your services, your fee structure and perhaps read testimonials from satisfied travelers. It is also a good idea to join travel agent organizations to increase your profile in the travel community and to raise the confidence of potential customers in your company. Associations you could join include the American Society of Travel Agents and the International Air Transport Association. Once your business is up and running and you are comfortable with the process, you could offer additional services on your website like vacation home swapping. Then, not only would you earn one-time fees from travelers booking airfare and hotels, you would earn regular monthly fees from your members. The travel industry is booming and there is always room for a new agency to join and help travelers have the perfect vacation experience.
A Day in the Life of an Online Travel Agency Business Owner:
Your day will begin with a check of your business email to see if you have any new potential customers inquiring about your services. You will contact them to discuss their needs and proceed with their travel arrangements. You will also spend some time during the day marketing your business in various online publications that cater to your target audience.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be individuals, couples and families looking for excellent travel planning for business or personal getaways.
What You Need to Start:
- Business plan
- Marketing plan
- Travel agent experience, partnership with a host company or a franchise
- Website
- Computer with finance software
The Good:
- Even with today’s do-it-yourself travel sites, travel agents are still very much in demand.
- The startup costs are low.
- Travelers will pay hefty fees for your knowledge in your area of expertise.
- You can run this business part-time and from home.
- This business is scalable; you can offer additional services over time.
The Bad:
- If you are not an experienced travel agent, it can take some time to learn all the secrets of the industry.
- You will need to be patient while your reputation and your client list grow.
Resources:
How to Open a Cupcake Bakery
With the recent rise in popularity of all things cupcake, if you find out how to open a cupcake bakery, you can take advantage of this old treat’s new trend. All you need to do is turn on the television to see cupcake competitions and cupcake commercials. Cupcakes are replacing standard cakes at birthday parties and weddings. If you already own a bakery, adding cupcakes to your repertoire would be an easy way to take your business to the next level. You will need to decide what types of cupcakes you will offer. The standards will always sell well but also consider catering to special diets by offering organic, sugar-free, gluten-free or vegan cupcakes. If baking is just a hobby but you do see the potential with this business idea and you’re interested in learning how to start a bakery, you can find lots of information online as well as by visiting local bake shops and talking with the owners. There are also franchises available to help you get your business started. A franchise will come with branding, marketing assistance, ingredients and supplies as well as recipes. You will not have as much freedom with a franchise but you will have all the pieces you need to get up and running. If you would rather learn how to open a bakery from the ground up, you’ll need to find a good location with plenty of foot traffic. Your customers will not only be individuals ordering for events but you’ll also get passers-by looking for a sweet treat on their way home or on the way back to the office. If you can’t invest in a full bakery shop, another option is to supply an established bakery or coffee shop with your delicious cupcakes. You would need to negotiate where you’d make the cupcakes (whether you’d make them at home and deliver them or use their kitchen) and when and how often you’d stock the cases. In this case some of your profits would be shared with the shop owner but your overhead would be minimal, as would be your start-up investment. As you can see, there are many ways to take advantage of the cupcake trend that’s taking place. All you really need are fantastic recipes and a place to sell your goodies and word will spread. Soon you may need to upgrade your business to add staff and space to accommodate your hungry customers.
A Day in the Life of a Cupcake Bakery Owner:
If you operate your own bakery business, your day will begin bright and early in your kitchen as you prepare cupcakes for the day. You will spend your day overseeing your staff as they help your customers. If you sell your goods at an established shop, you will need to get their cases filled with cupcakes before they open. At the end of the day you will go back to the shop to check sales and find out if there are any special requests. You may also want to spend some time each day thinking about and experimenting with new recipes.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be individuals who are looking for a sweet treat or multiple cupcakes for an event such as a birthday party or wedding.
What You Need to Start:
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