Entrepreneurship is the cool thing to do these days. Starting your own business is a lot of work, but it’s also fun and exciting, and very rewarding. Having some cool business ideas is necessary for doing so.
You’ll work long hours and at first, it may seem like you are not gaining any traction. However, if you stick with it, in time you can own and operate a successful business. You can pat yourself on the back for taking a risk that paid off.
Many people feel like they’re ready, willing, and able to build a startup from the ground up, but when it comes to coming up with cool business ideas, they get stuck in their tracks. There are a million ideas out there, but what’s the best one?
Much of this decision comes down to your personality, your skills, and your interests combined with the wants and needs of the masses. You can have the best idea ever, and the drive to get it off the ground, but if no one wants to buy your product or use your service, your business will fail. On the flip side, you could create a useful product or service, but if your heart and passion aren’t in it, you may have difficulty making it work.
If you’re looking for some cool business ideas, you’re not alone. Check out this list of businesses to start.
1. Mobile Axe Throwing Party Business
If you do a quick internet search for any area, you’ll find that most medium and large cities today have a number of brick and mortar businesses that offer customers a place to try ax throwing. People love it, and in most cases, they are so busy that interested parties must reserve a spot ahead of time. It’s an activity that involves some skill, but not too much, and it’s a fun thing to do together with friends.
Some entrepreneurs have taken this idea a step further and have turned this concept into a mobile business. In some cases, the targets are set up inside of a box truck; in other cases, they set up the targets on someone’s property. Either way, this business idea will allow you to market ax-throwing parties to anyone anywhere, and you’ll likely have a great time doing it.
2. Board Game Coffee Shop
People who love to play board games really love to play board games and although they often play them at home, many of them would enjoy going out to do it in a more social, festive atmosphere.
Boardgame cafes are a big hit; people love playing new games that they haven’t played before, and the cafe setting will give them a chance to meet other people who share their passion. Include some top-notch, high-end coffee, and you’ll have more customers than you can handle.
3. Ninja Warrior Gym
The television show American Ninja Warrior has encouraged thousands of Americans to strive for a level of fitness beyond anything they have achieved before. Ninja skills go far beyond running and lifting.
People who pursue this sort of fitness want to climb, leap, swing, hang, and balance and push their bodies to the limit, but they need a place to practice.
Some people have built ninja courses in their yards, but you can save them a lot of time and money by creating your own ninja warrior gym that they can visit, and they’ll happily compensate you for the opportunity. For this business idea, you’ll need to rent out space and build the obstacles, but other than that, your overhead will be relatively low. People will come from all over to try your gym.
4. Vintage Toy Store
Nostalgia sells well and there’s no better way to inspire nostalgia than by bringing people back to their childhood. Old toys that people haven’t seen in many decades can trigger this feeling deeply. A vintage toy store is a great way to celebrate the wonders of youth long gone and to make money while you’re at it, too.
To start this business, you’ll need to collect some old toys to start, but once you get up and running, you can also ask customers to bring in old toys for you to buy and resell. You’ll need to learn a lot about the value of different items, but in time you’ll begin to get a handle on which items are worth a lot and which items aren’t worth anything at all.
5. Custom Treehouse Business
Another way to celebrate childhood and to make some dreams come true is by starting a custom treehouse business. Almost everyone in America dreamt of having the perfect treehouse when they were small, and this is something that children still greatly desire today.
You’ll need a lot of carpentry know-how to succeed in this type of business, but if you’re someone who loves building things and enjoys working in the outdoors, this could be a very lucrative business for you.
6. Float Tank Spa
Float tanks, also known as sensory deprivation tanks, are all the rage these days. People who want to get away from it all and focus their thoughts internally in a place that feels like being back in the womb turn to float tanks to accomplish these goals. Although the up-front cost of a float tank is quite high, the return is as well. Once you buy the tanks and secure space, your overhead is next to nothing in this type of startup.
7. Meditation and Mindfulness Trainer
Many people today are interested in using meditation and mindfulness to practice awareness and acceptance of the world around us. Although the concepts behind these ideas are quite simple, they can be challenging in practice, and that’s where you come in.
Leading meditation and mindfulness training for businesses and individuals can be a great business with little up-front cost other than marketing. However, you’ll have to take time to master these skills before you begin teaching them to others; when it comes to a business like this, your potential customers will likely be able to spot a phony from a mile away.
8. Llama Rental
If you love animals and have room on your property for livestock, you might consider starting a llama rental business. Everyone loves llamas. They are cute and friendly and for the most part, they have agreeable personalities. If you also love llamas and think that you’ll enjoy caring for them, then this might be a good business for you.
9. Pet Bakery
If you instead prefer smaller animals that live mostly indoors, and you also enjoy baking, a pet bakery is another great idea. People love to spoil their pets and one common way to do so is with tasty treats. However, these days, people are becoming more and more conscious of the not-so-great ingredients in many pet foods and treats. If you can offer people healthy or even organic dog and cat treats that are enjoyed by their pets, they’ll be more than happy to patronize your shop.
10. Sunglasses Cart
A mobile cart that sells sunglasses is a fun business idea that you can bring along with you to a wide variety of events and locations. Sunglasses are quite inexpensive but you can mark them up quite a bit. A mobile sunglasses cart would do well at highway rest areas, at street fairs, at music festivals, on a boardwalk, or anywhere where people are having fun in the sun. This is one of those cool business ideas that can work for just about anyone.
11. Outdoor Survival Trainer
People who love the outdoors often want to know more about how to survive in it, even if there is little to no chance that they will ever be stranded anywhere dangerous or alone. If you’re someone who also enjoys spending time getting lost in nature, an outdoor survival skills business could be both fun and rewarding.
Other than your marketing costs, you won’t have to spend too much money to get this business off the ground; you’ll spend most of your time teaching participants how to build shelters, find food and water, and otherwise live off the land with the materials that nature provides.
12. Software Solutions Company
If you enjoy computer programming and all things tech, then you might enjoy starting a software solutions company. Businesses of all kinds need software designed that is tailormade to their needs, and they are eager to pay a pretty penny for the talent that can pull off this task.
Even if you don’t know how to create custom software yourself, you can hire experienced people to do it for you while you meet with clients face-to-face and discover their deepest software desires. This startup is perfect for people who like to find solutions to complex problems.
Cool Business Ideas Are Only the Beginning
The cool business ideas listed above are unique and diverse. Among them, there is likely something for everyone. However, unless you harness your excitement and energy and move forward with them, ideas are all they are.
In order to succeed in business using any of these ideas, you’ll have to take the next steps and then work hard to find success. Good luck!
If you’re interested in reading more great posts about starting a business, please check out the Business Skills section of our site.