Weird Ways People Make Money
I’ve been writing a series of very short articles that are about weird business ideas that are making people money.
If you think you have a good business idea, chances are you do. One thing for sure is your idea can’t be any crazier than some of the ones that I’ve been reading about. This is a recap of the last three articles I’ve written on my other site. Here are a few ways people are making money that we would not have thought about:
Recycling and Up-cycling used moving boxes
www.boxcycle.com is a nationwide site that encourages people to recycle and buy used moving boxes. The site’s mission is to educate people that recycling boxes only helps landfills a little, whereas if we reuse them we have a more beneficial environmental impact. The site makes money when you order the boxes online and go pick them up at hundreds of participating locations.
Boxcycle started in San Francisco but is available in most states. Just go to the site and enter your zip code. I did notice they are not available in Honolulu, HI yet, but they were available in the other six or seven states I entered into the box-finder filter.
Think your idea’s crazy? Have some faith in yourself, do your homework to get yourself prepared, and most importantly of all—START! Like now.
The next “Weird Ways People Make Money,” is The Wedding Wagon in Las Vegas. The idea behind the Wedding Wagon is that anyone should be able to get married anywhere they want for an affordable price. How affordable? How about $129.00? (Flowers usually cost more than that.)
The Wedding Wagon is a fully decorated wedding on wheels. An Officiant and photographer will meet you at your location. The back of the van opens up for an elegant backdrop and that’s where the couple takes their vows.
Now granted, this business is in Las Vegas which is often called, “The wedding capital of the world.” (Side note, one of my brothers was married at Red Rock Canyon just outside of Las Vegas. The marriage didn’t last long though because unfortunately, she went back to doing drugs.) Moving on…
Vegas weddings can be fun and whimsical. There are drive-in weddings, “Little Chapel” weddings, and even weddings with an Elvis impersonator as the Officiant. This type of business model is great for Las Vegas, but what about other geographical locations around the U.S.? Would this idea work?
I happen to know a lady named Samantha who does, “pop-up weddings,” in St. Louis, MO. A pop-up wedding is usually a small wedding at a restaurant, park, or scenic viewpoint where the bride and groom can invite their close friends and family, have a quick ceremony, have a little food, and then get the heck out of there.
My friend who does these types of weddings usually charges about $2500 and has a 20-person max. All food is included and you also get a person to officiate the wedding. This is about 12 times cheaper than the average cost of a wedding these days, which is roughly $32,600.
The point is there are all kinds of ways you can make money. One of the many ways is through weddings. Whether it’s through pop-ups, DJing, Officiating, being the photographer, or the caterer, weddings are usually once (or twice) a lifetime event that people don’t mind paying for.
An interesting point here, the original guys who started The Wedding Wagon sold out. They thought they would franchise the idea. Unfortunately, they didn’t plan the exit very well and then went to Shark Tank to try to sell the idea. If you’re interested, you can click here to see the rest of the story.
We’ve all had that, “Why didn’t I think of that,” moment. Well, this next weird business idea is so far-fetched that I think almost everyone would have dropped it like it’s hot in the planning stages – but we all would have been wrong.
The Potato Parcel is a company that ships potatoes to your doorsteps. And these aren’t just any potatoes. These potatoes have messages written on the with Sharpie markers. Some of them have pictures attached to them as well. Those are called Potato Pals.
Need a Mother’s Day gift? How about a potato that says, “Love you, mom! From your little Spud.”
Or how about, “Happy Birthday Babe! Now cook this up for me.” I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t go over in my house and the website specifically says not to eat the potatoes.
Do you think this business is crazy? Well, they sold over $200,000 worth of potatoes their first year and you can watch the video of two Sharks from Shark Tank fighting over the idea.
The point of these quick articles is to show you that no idea is too crazy if you know how to sell and market something. Now get out there and figure out what your Potato Parcel is.