Everything today is a rehash of an old idea. All the movies coming out of Hollywood are remakes, for example. The same goes for jokes, which all seem to have the same, or similar, punch lines. Creativity seems to be dead, and that isn’t something an entrepreneur will not want to hear. Until, however, you realize one thing: they sell. The all-female remake of Ghostbusters broke records, while Netflix is paying through the nose for comedy specials, even when people still want to see comedy down their local Comedy Club. Although the idea may not be unique, it doesn’t matter as long as there is a draw. Entrepreneurs should keep this in mind as they are old dogs that do learn new tricks.
Here are four.
Taxi Drivers
In the past, driving a taxi was something people did when they didn’t have another option. Not to say it wasn’t a decent career choice, but it involved working to the early hours with drunk passengers. Quite simply, it wasn’t worth the pay or the hassle unless it was necessary. Uber seems to have changed the standard. Now, the company has 160,000 drivers in the US and nearly as many in the whole of North America. Why? It’s because technology has made it easier, more accessible, and higher paid. 91% choose to drive for higher income purposes according to Business Of Apps.
B&B
The acronym stands for bed and breakfast, and the term is pretty self-explanatory. Simply put, it involves offering a living space or a room along with a morning meal to paying customers. Usually, the owner uses their own house to host their clients. Plenty of touristy areas used to do this on a regular basis for money purposes, and it was a great business plan. However, it relied on foot traffic and some places have seen a downturn in fortunes. Airbnb has put the shoe on the other foot, though with new software to help. By listing a property or a part of a house online, it can be a lucrative business proposition as there are inbuilt marketing tools, plus ways to gauge popularity and reservations.
Insurers
An insurance company isn’t something you dream up. It is a lucrative yet potentially risky idea which can pay off or tank quite hard. Anyway, there isn’t a new twist someone can put on the age-old method of coverage. David Friedberg disagreed and started a new company called WeatherBill. It aims to insure a special type of entrepreneur. The company strives to help companies that are subject to adverse weather conditions yet have zero recourse. Think of carwash owners and the like. By taking out a policy, these SME owners can protect their earnings, which, obviously, is a massive hit.
Car Manufacturing
A lot like the insurance industry, it’s hard to see where a niche product can make waves. Then, Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla, stepped forward and proved the world wrong. 2018 is the year of the fuel-efficient car and the company Tesla is at the forefront of the action along with Toyota. Granted, developing a car is difficult, but the example still goes to show that the oldest jobs are evolving.
Do any of the four industries appeal to your entrepreneurial sensibilities?
