Help me pick one of my 4 different business ideas!!

[captainimmy]

So please take into consideration that I am seventeen...
I read that the owners of subway were 17 when they started so I do not see a problem that I am to young...
I have a very small budget so yea..

Idea 1:
cocoa.com (or sumtin like that)
I simply make a website where it is easy to buy cocoa beans...provide lots of instructions on what healthy things you can make with cocoa...also how you sould cook it. I would expand by slowly making other things like available like tea and coffe and so on and so forth...simplicity and affordability are to major reasons people will come to me...

Idea 2:
Gourmet Ice Cream stand
again affordability is the main selling point...I will sell it at a local farmers market and swap meets...so it will be a weekend thing...for price I am looking at something like 1 dollar for a scoop!! I will have people all over me...!!! Because it is a stand every weekend I will only have like a few flavour that I work on that week.

Idea 3:
Gourmet Popcorn Stand:
So I will make a custom popcorn stand. I will have cool flavors like oreo popcorn or carmel and stuff like that...I will also start to be selling at local farmers market and swap meets...Again Because it is a stand every weekend I will only have like a few flavour that I work on that week...AFFORDABILITY again...like 1 dollar a bag...

UPDATE 2:
I can also do this as an online thing and people can send popcorn as a gift to people!!!!! (popcorn)


Here is my problem with ideas 2 and 3...I feel like people are becoming more health concious and I feel like people would not buy the ice cream and popcorn...
THIS PART IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME!!
please comment on that as well. I really want to make the idea expandable in the future to maybe a permanenet store and then chains... please do not suggest me to get some money from something then change my business because I really want to learn a certain business...


Idea 4:
Chowder and Panini Food cart
it is all in the title...and again it will relate back to my theme...except the idea of this idea will try to be all eco-friendly...even buy the supply from the local market itself that morning before I open...Again I try to be cheap but it may be kinda hard...but becaue it is a cart I will only have a few sandwiches and maybe 1 or 2 chowders...

I live in LA so I do not know even if I will have soups on my cart in the beggining!

UpDATEL

Idea 5:
maybe an olive oil cart...I feal like that could be very cheap to start and people could be interested!!
I can also do this as an online thing but I feel like without tasting people will not buy!!


I BELIEVE THE DIET/HEALTH CRAZE IS HERE TO STAY!!! SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND!!!!
GIVE ME SUGGESTIONS ON ANY OTHER IDEAS IF U HAVE ANY!!

[andrewrichardgale]

idea one sounds the best personally to me , and it seems like its the easiest to think through and do. and very profitable if you can market it good, if you want good marketing techniques i suggest you pickup the book 'yes! 50 scientifically proven ways to persuade people' its all about business and maybe could help you

[captainimmy]

you really think just cocoa will do well...i know the market is expanding...the question is will you buy it...

[andrewrichardgale]

i dont buy stuff online generally but if i did i would!

[MoneyMagnet]

I would vote on either ice cream, or pop corn. I would say pop corn is best. I sincerely don't see any change in people actually becoming health conscious and not eating these two items. Ice cream is a seasonal food. It will differ depending on where you live. If you live in an area where its NEVER cold, then that is the best, but if you live in a place where it gets cold, don't bother unless you don't mind the winter downturn in sales. You say you're going to be at a farmers market, so check out to see if there is any competition for what you plan to do, and look at their prices and number of customers who flow through. Learn and research your true margins that you'll have before you decide on setting your prices.

[rogercbryan]

Have you done a basic business plan for each.. what about market analysis? This is where you should start.. not with other peoples opinions

[captainimmy]

well i live in los angeles...so it is kinda cold sometimes...

[captainimmy]

well of course I have a basic business plan!!...lol...the only problem i am having is that i just can't choose...minus the olive oil...
really
popcorn, ice cream, panini, cacao are are really tied!!

[loviexox]

Hey there! That is great you are 17 and already planning on a business! Way to be ahead of the crowd!

I heard cocoa beans are going to become more expensive, something about its getting to cost a lot to grow- or they are disappearing. But that is just some article I read a while back- don't know if it's any valid. So I would look into that more.

There is a popcorn place I used to live by that did exactly what you were talking about and they were wildly successful! PM me and I'll give you the name of it- they had a few locations & I'm sure they have a website. However I do not remember Oreo Popcorn! Mmm that sounds good! Most people say they are "health conscious" but then again over 50% of America is overweight so I don't think you have to worry Besides- popcorn is light and fluffy, I think it would be assumed to be a "healthy snack", you know like those 100 Calorie Packs- people still buy them because they seem "healthy" when really in fact they are just eating smaller sized cookies Haha. I already have an idea for you-- Peanut Butter & Chocolate Popcorn, YUM! Keep me updated. Good luck!

[rogercbryan]

well of course I have a basic business plan!!...lol...the only problem i am having is that i just can't choose...minus the olive oil...
really
popcorn, ice cream, panini, cacao are are really tied!!

Which project has the highest margin with the lowest capital investment? Which has the lowest barriers to entry and the maximum market exposure? These fundamentals are all part of your market analysis which can be done in only a few hours.

I know it sounds strange to be applying these business fundamentals to this type of decision but it will work. One of these items creates more value then the others. You need to figure out the numbers so that you make a smart financial decision and not just a guess decision...

[captainimmy]

Oh...I thought I wrote that...well they are all about the same cost of 1 thousand dollars...The ice cream is a little bit more expensive...around 1.5K
but for my popcorn I will have to build a custom kart... maybe like 800 lol...

[rogercbryan]

Oh...I thought I wrote that...well they are all about the same cost of 1 thousand dollars...The ice cream is a little bit more expensive...around 1.5K
but for my popcorn I will have to build a custom kart... maybe like 800 lol...

About the same cost? What research have you done to accurately predict your costs? Have you called suppliers and had actual orders written up for the materials needed to have a sellable product? Have you calculated all the expenses involved in each proposed idea?

This isn't hard work.. the problem is most people don't do it...

[captainimmy]

why r u so grumpy...jealous that I found a way to make an expensive business cheap...lol...they are all about 1K to 1.5K

so there!!
now shut ur face

[rogercbryan]

why r u so grumpy...jealous that I found a way to make an expensive business cheap...lol...they are all about 1K to 1.5K

so there!!
now shut ur face

That's almost funny... sorry for trying to help.. running a multi-million dollar consulting company sometimes goes to my head.. I have to remember that offering free advice to people who don't have a clue is a waste of my time...

[captainimmy]

So I do not care if you own frickin multi billion dollar comapny...I calculated it 10 times with many different scenarios for each location.... (scenarios being I wewnt to the farmers market and calculated how many people bought the hot dog in 2 hours)
I am so happy I know it is people like you who own a multi million dollar company...I gues that sets me up for a billion dollar company...