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DIY website builder Moonfruit has enabled many a business to set itself up successfully online, but what ideas work well as internet businesses? Here are some kooky ideas to inspire would-be entrepreneurs.
7 crackpot business ideas that hit the jackpot
There are some flourishing businesses out there, but some of them aren’t selling products nearly as ordinary as toiletries or home ware. Here are seven weird and wonderful business ideas that, thanks to their ‘special’ nature, caught people’s attention and are still attracting customers today.
1. Jellyfish pets
It was while studying marine biology that Alex Andon realised just how beautiful jellyfish actually are. Ignoring advice that they lacked the Nemo-appeal of clownfish, he set up his own company selling jellyfish, foods and tanks. Thankfully there’s no sting in this tale and he now owns a company that is doubling its profits every quarter.
2. Making cheddar
Have you heard of sand sculptures? Ice sculptures? Snow sculptures? Well, meet Sarah Kaufmann, a.k.a. the Cheese Lady. Sarah can introduce you to the phenomenon that is cheese sculptures. Sarah’s works of art have been really bringing home the cheddar and she now has a never-ending list of prestigious clients waiting to get their slice of the action.
3. The sweetest bath ever
Imagine mixing the pleasures of cakes with the pampering of a luxuriant soak in a bath. Nadine Brown did and has made a highly successful business from it. At Mrs Brown’s Bath Bakery you can buy perfumes that smell like cookies fresh from the oven and shampoo that reminds you of lemon drizzle cake.
Better yet, all the cosmetics look like tempting sweets, desserts and cakes too! These decadent delights have proved a hit with customers near and far and are all made with 100% organic, food-grade ingredients. Eat them at your peril, however!
4. Retro gaming
The recent Disney smash Wreck It Ralph helped to reignite our dormant love of those old game machines like Frogger, Donkey Kong, Pac Man and Space Invaders. Michael Ware’s Dream Arcades has been set up to service this desire and put the joy back into the joystick. Quite simply, you tell them which retro game you want and they build it for you just as you remember it. These are the perfect gifts for geeks and those of us who yearn for simpler gaming action.
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5. Rent a goat
It’s (or at least should be) clear from the name ‘We Rent Goats’ exactly what Tim Linquist’s company does. What may not be so clear is exactly why they are rented. Tim realised that goats were much more effective than chemicals, sheep, cows or machines at clearing overgrown patches of land and a couple of pens later he was in business. His company is living proof that goats will eat up just about everything – except your profits!
6. Post party angels
If there’s one headache bigger than the post-party hangover it’s the clearing up of the mess the morning after. The Hangover Helpers will not only clear up the post-party pandemonium, but they’ll also bring you a refreshing pick-me-up and cook you a fresh burrito to help with that humdinger and soak up the remaining alcohol working its way through your body. Who said you can’t party hard without consequences?
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7. Star in your own romantic novel
YourNovel.com makes Mills and Boon novels into a literal Everyman library. Kathy Newbern and JS Fletcher’s company specialises in writing couples into romantic novels and spicing up night-time reading for risqué bookworms everywhere. The pair are both business partners and life partners and have been successfully creating customised and personalised romantic novels for over 20 years. Like true love their business looks like it will never die.
