Your own business

[Davey.]

Anyone in here own their own business?

It seems like in America anyone, including teens who aren't even old enough to drink, can invent a product or come up with some idea and make millions. This really interests me and I've been doing some research on this.

What's the stupidest/simplest invention you're heard of?

I came upon this link and was shaking my head going "WTF???"

http://www.nichegeek.com/10_totally_stupid_online_business_ideas_that_made_someone_rich

[Dkalban]

Most idiotic invention ive ever heard of hmmm, there are a ton out there (much being overpromoted) but the most pointless one has to be the Segway, advertised on MadTV as "Scooters for the rich, fat, and lazy"

[Nik00117]

Some of them are actualyl clever.

[ProLogic]

Find your niche, stick with it.

[smokinHawk]

its not really the idea, its the marketing behind it.
look at the perfect push up, complete waste of money but they are selling.

[BilltheButcher]

its not really the idea, its the marketing behind it.
look at the perfect push up, complete waste of money but they are selling.

Totally true. I got a company that promotes infomercial products and about 90% are crap. They work for about a year and then fall apart and the supplements are mostly snake oil. It is all about marketing.

[Tennessee Mike]

Ive ran a pretty successful Landscaping/Hardscaping business in New Jersey for 8 yrs and Now Tennessee for 2.I dont believe in get rich quick stuff.You gotta get up everyday,go to work,and give 110% to have a successful business.But its very rewarding knowing I dont have to punch in/out,or have a "supervisor".I can take a vacation whenever I want and can charge as much money as I want.Any kind of "invention" or mail order career will never last.

[fooz]

My father owns a restuarant/pizzeria in Jersey. Tough life.

[markdk86]

I wanted to own a bar, I love the atmosphere and working with such a diversity of alcohols. Now I'm pursuing nursing as long as the FD/PD doesn't pick me up. Need to get starting $ somehow.

[nhlfan]

I'm in the process of starting one. Find a demand and fill it.

[BigCorey75]

im in the process of working on starting a few, one is an online personal training website im perfecting with a friend right now, plus a few other things, ill let ya know when it gets up and going properly

[Nik00117]

I got an idea for a taxi service i've eben trying to bang out for the last year. Its getting there but slowly.

[Rusty]

The ******* who invented facebook is by far the biggest moron on this planet.

[Dkalban]

The ******* who invented facebook is by far the biggest moron on this planet.

agreed, I have one and I dont even touch it.

[nejar462]

Well I've heard from a lot of people facebook hemorrhages money at a fantastic rate.

I got one reference here.

http://kara.allthingsd.com/20080131/chatty-zuckerberg-tells-all-about-facebook-finances/


Zuckerberg is losing 150 million a year it seems. I'm not sure why his networth is valued so high. Hell, I can lose 150 million dollars a year and I'm not a billionaire...

I think he simply valued his own company based on a deal he had with a few companies, and he subsequently thinks he's worth that much. This smells like a bubble to me....

Also, he stole the idea from ConnectU. I'm fairly certain he did something wrong because they had to settle out of court for an presumable undisclosed and large fee.

Perhaps most damning.

http://www.bizreport.com/2007/07/advertisers_disappointed_with_facebooks_ctr.html

This justifies what I've always suspected, people really don't want to click on ads when they're on facebook, meaning the business model may not be sustainable...

[Vicioustorms]

myspace is a pile of sh1t too....

and yeah facebook is lame, especially when you go on someones profile and they have so many usless stuff on it, it takes about 20 minutes to load.

[BilltheButcher]

Facebook and Myspace's DB's are worth $100 million each. Maybe less since there are a lot of kids on there.

[Davey]

It just blows my mind how some people become millionaires by inventing really stupid ideas. Actually, they aren't stupid as they made them $1M, but stupid in a sense that you would think that no one would buy that product.

You guys see this one product called beerbelly (I think). It's like a water container that you see runners/cyclists have on their back, except that it goes on your stomach under your shirt. You pour beer/wine in it and go to sporting events.

And this other guy got a mailing address at the North Pole and charges parents $10 to send a letter to their kids pretending he's Santa. Made over $2M.

I agree with a lot of the points you guys made. I totally agree that MARKETING is the most important.

[Tennessee Mike]

Marketing is the key for sure.I promote my business like we're a big corporation .And Its a sole proprietership..People are always taken with my huge ad's.If you think small,you will stay small.In all areas of life.