Self-Employment Businesses Ideas (Part 1)
1. Nurse-placement agency
Because of the growing need for nurses and the shrinking supply, Taipan, a newsletter for forward-thinking investors, recommends Cross Country, a business that places nurses with over 2,500 hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and other health-care providers in the United States.
When my neighbor sold half of his nurse-placement business to Grace & Co. for $25 million. It was a business that he and his wife and another couple put together on their own and grew pretty much on the basis of instant demand.
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Taipan reports, projects that by 2020, the nationwide registered-nurse work force will be nearly 20% below anticipated requirements. The cur- rent nurse pool is getting older and retiring, while the baby boomers are fast moving toward the age at which they will need nurses. At the same time, enrollment in nursing-education programs in America is decreasing.
This spells opportunity for someone who can find a fresh supply of nurs- es. I’m thinking Third World. There’s got to be a way to meet this rising demand.
2. Internet-expert employment agency
Some of the fastest fortunes of the past 50 years have gone to people who have developed specialized employment agencies. Like the couple I just told you abut who were partners in a placement agency for nurses that was sold for $50 million (after less than five years). Similar stories exist in the marketing business, the sciences, the computer industry, and even in the field of entertainment.
The Internet industry is in its infancy — but the demand for talented peo- ple is already skyrocketing. This business takes very little start-up capi- tal. Just a lot of energy and the willingness to make many, many phone calls.
3. Internet job-referral service
There are literally thousands of Internet job-placement services on the Web. Maybe tens of thousands. One new twist involves reward systems.
Recommend someone for a job and if/when the deal is made, you get paid. This has long been a policy among large companies, but now it’s a fledg- ling Internet industry.
One such upstart is Refer.com. On this site, companies post job openings free of charge, offering compensation of at least $1,000 (through Refer.com) to anyone who helps them fill an empty position and paying a matching fee to Refer.com. Individuals sign on as members, peruse the listings, and refer friends and colleagues who look like good fits. Members who apply for jobs themselves get the referral reward in the form of a signing bonus.
4. Auto-purchase consulting
This is a very easy business. You get a call. You spend 15 minutes on the Internet. You send out a report. And, you collect $50 to $500.
All the information you need is available on the Internet. Prices. Costs. Technical specifications. Do some local advertising. Pass out a lot of cards. Award referral bonuses and your business will grow.
5. Yacht-cleaning service
Yacht cleaning works like auto cleaning and detailing, but you can charge a lot more money — and the perks are unbelievable! All you need is some basic cleaning supplies, a book on how to maintain boats, and a list of good local trades people. You will enjoy working in beauti- ful surroundings and get to meet some very wealthy people.
Be nice, smile a lot, and sooner or later, you will become best buddies with a Donald Trump or a Jack Nicholson.
6. Local computer service
Why aren’t there any local businesses that can take care of any problem you might have on a computer? Hardware. Software. Internet. Whatever. Techies are becoming easy to hire. You could pay them $15 each per hour and charge (at least) $60. This is a good opportunity if you would like to build a nice, clean service business.
Suggestion: Hire someone smart over someone with a lot of specific infor- mation. A smart guy will always be able to find out how to get an answer he doesn’t have. A highly informed person will sometimes be stymied by problems he doesn’t know the solution to.
7. Broker for car billboards
People get paid $200 to $400 a month to put vinyl ads on their cars. The amount they earn for being a mobile billboard depends on how much driv- ing they do. The business opportunity is to broker the ads. One compa- ny reported in the Highlander Club newsletter has 200 ad cars driving around with another 2,000 on the waiting list.