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šŸ•µ Business Reimagined: Turning Ordinary Ventures into Extraordinary Ideas

Get inspired by real-world examples and discover how to pitch your business as a unique idea.

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Xin chĆ o (Vietnamese), My Little Opportunist!

I know you are here for business opportunities that might give you a competitive edge. Today I want to share you some thoughts from great strategist Alex Smith - specifically his article Why your company must also be an idea.

An idea.

An actual novel, creative, thought with practical substance. Something to pitch to people in the first place.

Most businesses donā€™t have this. 99% of them. We tend to believe that the reason businesses fail is because they were a ā€œbad ideaā€, but thatā€™s not actually true. Businesses fail because they arenā€™t an idea at all.

Look at these examples:

Not an idea: ā€œAn ad agency with great creativeā€.
An idea: ā€œAn ad agency that does creative for free and makes its money on productionā€.

Not an idea: ā€œA sleek speciality coffee shopā€.
An idea: ā€œA coffee shop that only sells flat whitesā€.

Not an idea: ā€œA casual fashion brandā€.
An idea: ā€œA fashion brand that only makes clothes for wet weatherā€.

So with all that in mind, hereā€™s a little exercise to consider. Explain your business using this formulation:

ā€œMy idea is [describe business]ā€

In other words, frame it as an idea, not just a business. Can you even do it without sounding absurd? Do you have the innovative meat to cross that threshold?

Hit reply and share your answer. Iā€™ll feature the best ones next week.

Enjoy this weekā€™s collection of business ideas.

Opportunity #1 - āš½ļø Affordable Soccer Academy

Soccer academies that wonā€™t make you sell your kidney. Letā€™s kick financial barriers to the curb!

Why Now?: Thereā€™s a growing awareness of the detrimental effects of pay-to-play models in youth sports. The global youth sports market is projected to reach $77.6 billion by 2026.

Region: United States.

Investment Costs (Min - Max): $500,000 - $2 million.

Current Rivals: Traditional pay-to-play soccer academies.

Who Can Start This Type of Business (Skills Required)?: Sports management professionals, coaches, community organizers.

Opportunity #2 - šŸš€ Space Ready Medication Storage

Keep your meds fresh in space! Because nothing says "successful space mission" like properly preserved pharmaceuticals.

Medicine in space

Why Now?: With increasing interest in long-duration space missions and space tourism, there's a growing need for medication storage systems that can maintain drug efficacy in space conditions. The space medicine market is projected to reach $3.7 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.8% from 2020 to 2027.

Region: Global, with focus on countries with active space programs (USA, Russia, China, India, EU)

Investment Costs (Min - Max): $1,000,000 - $10,000,000

Who Can Start This Type of Business (Skills Required)?: Pharmaceutical scientists with expertise in drug stability and packaging. Knowledge of space environments and aerospace engineering would be advantageous.

Opportunity #3 - šŸ‘Øā€šŸ‘©ā€šŸ‘¦ā€šŸ‘¦ Single Parent Match

This dating app is specially designed for single parents juggling kids, work, and finding love. Because you shouldnā€™t have to choose between finding a soulmate and finding a babysitter!

Why Now?: The single parent population is growing rapidly, with over 11 million single parent families in the US alone. Traditional dating apps often overlook the unique needs and challenges faced by single parents.

Source: Google trends

Region: Initially launching in the United States, with plans to expand to other countries with significant single parent populations, such as the UK, Canada, and Australia.

Investment Costs (Min - Max): $250,000 - $1 million.

Current Rivals: While there are a few niche dating apps like Single Parent Meet and Stir, most mainstream dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Match.com don't specifically cater to single parents, leaving a significant gap in the market.

Who Can Start This Type of Business (Skills Required)?: Entrepreneurs with experience in app development, marketing, and community management. Knowledge of the dating industry and an understanding of the unique needs of single parents will be beneficial. A background in social networking or online community building could also be advantageous.

Opportunity #4 - āŒšļøLoneliness Fighting Wearables

Wearables that buzz you into socializing ā€“ because letā€™s face it, we all need a nudge sometimes.

Why Now?: Increasing awareness of the health impacts of loneliness and social isolation. The global wearables market is projected to reach $62.82 billion by 2025.

Region: Global, with initial focus on urban areas in developed countries.

Investment Costs (Min - Max): $1 million - $5 million.

Current Rivals: Existing health and fitness wearables, social media platforms.

Who Can Start This Type of Business (Skills Required)?: Tech developers, health and wellness experts, psychologists.

Opportunity #5 - šŸŽø Air Guitar Fitness Studio

Sick of treadmills and dumbbells? Welcome to Shred & Sweat, where you burn calories by shredding imaginary guitars. Our instructors teach power chords, windmill moves, and epic solos. Bonus points for rocking a mullet.

Why Now?: The pandemic made us all air guitar virtuosos during Zoom meetings. Plus, studies show that air guitar burns more calories than actual guitar playing (and way more than air banjo).

News Trigger: World Air Guitar Championship goes virtual.

Region: Rock ā€˜nā€™ roll capitals ā€“ Nashville, London, and wherever Jack Black lives.

Investment Costs (Min - Max): $20,000 - $100,000 (studio setup, neon lights, and leather pants).

Current Rivals: None, but watch out for ā€œGymJamsā€ ā€“ theyā€™re launching air drumming classes.

Who Can Start This Type of Business (Skills Required)?: Rock enthusiasts, fitness trainers, and anyone who can channel their inner Slash.

Did you find an inspiring idea, My Little Opportunist?

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Thanks for reading!

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