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Unusual Business Ideas That Work
Uncommon Business is a blog about people who make money online selling unusual, strange and sometimes bizarre things or provide curious services. This isnāt āOne Hundred And One Ideas For Your Homebased Businessā ā only real, working businesses with URLs provided, so you can do further investigation on your own. And if you do own an unusual web business, make sure you submit your story to us. SHLD
- P2P Camping
Link of the day - Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things
http://www.singlespotcamping.com/
Camping, an ancient form of holiday accommodation, is now going peer-to-peer: Single Spot Camping connects anyone who owns a suitably sized piece of land (āeven your garage entranceā, says the site) with those looking for a place to pitch their tent.
Like the more established concept of couch surfing, the Swedish startup aims to create travel experiences that are more unique and personal than staying at a regular camping ground. Additional benefits are the small stream of income created for hosts, and the fact thatāunlike with couch surfingāboth guests and hosts can maintain a sense of privacy.
As the siteās still very new, all listings made before 31 December 2008 will be displayed for a year free of charge. In 2009, listings will cost the landowner EUR 40 per year. Any plots of land sitting empty in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Australia or the United States can currently be registered, with the site aiming to become popular with campers and site owners in Europe, North America and Australia. Weāve covered similar concepts for spare bedrooms and off-street parking spotsāwhatās next?
Young Millionaires - Sticks And Stones Success Story
Young Millionaires - Anne Pawsat-Dressler
How a pet project became a money-making business
Mom Turns Love For Making Brownies into $1 Million Dessert Gifts Company - Profiting From Exotic Popcorn Flavors
Link of the day - Who Is Shawn Casey? Is He For Real?
http://www.479popcorn.com
After witnessing the makeover given to traditional foodstuffs like cupcakes and popsicles, it seems it's now popcorn's turn. 479Ā° Popcorn is handmade, made-to-order popcorn in flavours such as Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt, Ginger Sesame Caramel and Black Truffle & White Cheddar.
Taking a leaf from the book of gourmet wine tasting establishments, 479Ā° offers 'Samplers' and 'Collections', all linked by theme. Samplers' five boxes feed 2-4 people, and the Collections' three canisters are enough for 4-8. Prices range from USD 33 for the Purist Sampler to USD 52 for the Caramel Collection.
Aware that posh flavours and presentation aren't always enough to ensure premium status, 479Ā° Popcorn stresses its green credentials. The majority of its organic fair trade ingredients are sourced from farms close to its San Francisco kitchen, with the popped corn packaged in 90% recycled paper canisters that are also sourced from local suppliers. 479Ā° Popcorn--named for the ideal Fahrenheit temperature for popping corn--is currently available in select Californian stores and via its website for delivery throughout the US. One for boutique cinemas to partner with?
Peegly.Com - Share Your Feelings.
Service Lets Drivers Lock In Gas Prices
Here is a brilliant idea - clothing rentals for people who are losing weight
Put-In-Cups As A Business
How To Get Media Attention? Just Say āGreen,ā āSex,ā āCancer,ā āSecretā Or āFatā - Taxi Offers Unlimited Rides For 48 Euros Per Month
Link of the day - Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things
http://www.taxmobil.ch/
Gyms use it, broadband providers use it, DVD rental schemes use it, subways use itā¦ Now itās time for taxis to adopt a flat-rate charge. Swiss start-up Taxmobil is planning to offer unlimited taxi use for a EUR 48 monthly fee. Customers will be able to buy a Taxmobil card online or from sales points around the city, and can call for a car to pick them up at whatever time they choose, travelling to any destination in the city. If two strangers are travelling in the same direction, Taxmobil may combine their journeys.
The key to Taxmobilās strategy is the fact that it doesnāt own the cars it uses. Instead, it buys the time of idle taxis that are already out and about, creating a service thatās affordable and convenient for customers, and could decrease congestion and parking problems if city dwellers trade in their cars for a Taxmobil card.
Bƶblingen in Southern Germany is likely to be the first town offering the service, starting early 2009, with other towns across Europe to follow. Travel is only permitted within a city, although members will be able to catch a taxi in other participating cities, too. As well as expanding the serviceās reach, Taxmobil will soon be extending its package options by complementing its standard EUR 48 subscription with cards for businesses and families. Discounts and member benefits will be made possible with the cards in future, too.
While public transport and bicycles are usually pitched as the green alternative to car ownership, thereās something to be said for adding affordable taxis to the mix, offering people the option of individual door-to-door transport around the clock. How the system will work on rainy days, and whether EUR 48/month will leave any room for a profit, remains to be seen. One to watch!
Navigation By Mood
Worldās Smallest Postal Service
A New Sport and a Startup - Navigation By Mood
Link of the day - Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things
http://www.ifeellondon.com/
Guidebooks and recommendations are all very well, but thereās very little point in discovering a new activity, restaurant or shop if youāre not in the right headspace to enjoy it. Enter I Feel London (or Toronto, or New York as is appropriate), a site that lets users search for things to do based on their mood.
Currently in beta, the I Feel sites bring a new spin to Google Maps. Thereās a map for each one of nine moods, covering such feelings as naughty, hungover, girly, sophisticated and broke. Andy Whitlock, I Feelās London-based founder, has kick-started each map by populating it with a handful of activities, with future contributions to be made by anyone who requests an invite. Weāre hoping each map wonāt be bombarded with contributions, though: we like the limited, curated choice currently on offer.
Whitlock is tapping into the zeitgeist: map-based concepts are popping up everywhere. Why? As explained in trendwatching.comās latest briefing (which covers mapmania and five other trends for 2009): āGeography is about everything that is (literally) close to consumers, and it's a universally familiar