I Need A Business Idea! Please Help

**golo** · 12-04-2005 10:41 PM

HELLO EVERYBODY, MY NAME IS ANDRES AND I COME FROM BOGOTA, COLOMBIA. I AM 18 YEARS OLD AND SINCE I WAS 16 IVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR A REALLY PRODUCTIVE VISIONARY IDEA. TO CREATE A BUSINESS IS NOT A VERY DIFFICULT THING, BUT TO CREATE A PRODUCTIVE BUSINESS, WITH GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IS NOT AN EASY TASK, SO I REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE TO HELP ME WITH IDEAS, OR IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A BUSINESS PLEASE TELL ME YOUR STORY OR EXAMPLE THAT COULD BE OF HELP. thanks a lot golo

**nado** · 12-04-2005 11:40 PM

Try: http://www.google.com/search?q=business+ideas

btw, upper case on the net generally comes across as shouting/yelling

**CrazyHungry** · 12-04-2005 11:40 PM

Hey Andres,

This is actually one of my first posts on this site after discovering it a few days back. I find this site to be very interesting with so many different people with a passion for starting businesses.

I completely understand where you are coming from. For the longest time, I have always wanted to start my own business. I have spent a lot of time looking into various businesses such as website ideas, local stores, and product patents. Some seemed to be decent, others were just way off.

I think one of the best ways to think of a great business is to analyze the problems or issues you currently experience. Addressing any of these problems could be the visionary business you are seeking. I can share from my personal experience. When I was in college, I would order food into my dorm time to time. Whenever I couldn't find a menu, I would go down the hall and ask other dorm mates for menus that they had. My choices of places to order were always restricted to the menus that I had access to. Also, none of the local restaurants were listed on big restaurant sites such as Citysearch.com, because my campus was not in a major city. That's when I thought, there should be no need for everybody to stack these menus in their drawers especially when having access to the internet. All these menus should be online and everyone should have a variety of restaurants to consider.

Well thats how my business was started. From those ideas, my business has come a long way and of course has changed quite a bit from the original vision I had in mind. Nevertheless, it was that orginal problem of finding menus that started my business. Keep thinking of problems that people have today and think of innovative ways in addressing them. There you may find the business you are seeking to create. I hope that helps and good luck!

**akula** · 12-05-2005 05:24 AM

Originally Posted by golo

HELLO EVERYBODY, MY NAME IS ANDRES AND I COME FROM BOGOTA, COLOMBIA. I AM 18 YEARS OLD AND SINCE I WAS 16 IVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR A REALLY PRODUCTIVE VISIONARY IDEA. TO CREATE A BUSINESS IS NOT A VERY DIFFICULT THING, BUT TO CREATE A PRODUCTIVE BUSINESS, WITH GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES IS NOT AN EASY TASK, SO I REALLY WOULD LIKE FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE TO HELP ME WITH IDEAS, OR IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A BUSINESS PLEASE TELL ME YOUR STORY OR EXAMPLE THAT COULD BE OF HELP. thanks a lot golo

Great entrepreneurs should be like larvae who struggle to break the cocoon and turn to be beautiful butterflies.

The best we can do is put obstacles before you so you can overcome them and be great. I can't assist you because then you'll be needy and useless.

So here's the first obstacle: I'm telling you that you're a wannabe and don't know what you're doing. Do your self a favour and try your hand at something else other than entrepreneurship.

Good Luck

**Kelloway** · 12-05-2005 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by CrazyHungry

Hey Andres,

This is actually one of my first posts on this site after discovering it a few days back. I find this site to be very interesting with so many different people with a passion for starting businesses.

I completely understand where you are coming from. For the longest time, I have always wanted to start my own business. I have spent a lot of time looking into various businesses such as website ideas, local stores, and product patents. Some seemed to be decent, others were just way off.

I think one of the best ways to think of a great business is to analyze the problems or issues you currently experience. Addressing any of these problems could be the visionary business you are seeking. I can share from my personal experience. When I was in college, I would order food into my dorm time to time. Whenever I couldn't find a menu, I would go down the hall and ask other dorm mates for menus that they had. My choices of places to order were always restricted to the menus that I had access to. Also, none of the local restaurants were listed on big restaurant sites such as Citysearch.com, because my campus was not in a major city. That's when I thought, there should be no need for everybody to stack these menus in their drawers especially when having access to the internet. All these menus should be online and everyone should have a variety of restaurants to consider.

Well thats how my business was started. From those ideas, my business has come a long way and of course has changed quite a bit from the original vision I had in mind. Nevertheless, it was that orginal problem of finding menus that started my business. Keep thinking of problems that people have today and think of innovative ways in addressing them. There you may find the business you are seeking to create. I hope that helps and good luck!

hey I checked out your site, well done! where does your profit come from? advertisments?

**nado** · 12-05-2005 09:17 PM

Originally Posted by Kelloway

hey I checked out your site, well done! where does your profit come from? advertisments?

lol, I think it's obvious with the ad banner at the top and bottom, and google ads on other pages which are also within the middle of the page and also a pop-up ad.

I think it may be an idea to cut back on a few of the ads, especially the annoying pop-up.

**akula** · 12-05-2005 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by Kelloway

hey I checked out your site, well done! where does your profit come from? advertisments?

i have no idea why this guy can't just copy judy's book

the site is second rate

**CrazyHungry** · 12-05-2005 10:43 PM

Originally Posted by Kelloway

hey I checked out your site, well done! where does your profit come from? advertisments?

Thanks. Advertisements are one of the additional streams of revenue for CrazyHungry. Our primary source of income is the listing fees we charge to restaurants on our site. We have three different levels of listings for restaurants, all offering a different amount of exposure and content.

In response to aklula's comments:
CrazyHungry is completely different than Judy's book. Judy's book is a business aimed to share information among local communities, a complete open forum. CrazyHungry is about bringing new business to restaurants. In today's internet age, most established restaurants have their own websites and are looking to bring new traffic to their site. CrazyHungry fulfills this need and also allows users to look through our familiar interface of restaurant pages, instead of having to figure out each individual restaurant's website layout. Moreover, we provide a low cost solution for the smaller restaurants and take-out joints that don't have the budget to create their own sites. This is why CrazyHungry is able to exist in today's market.

Yes, the idea of restaurant listings is not an original idea. Today, there are tons of sites that try to fulfill this need of restaurant directories. However, most sites I come across today seem to lack the amount of information that CrazyHungry provides in order for users to make the perfect choice of a restaurant.
We may not be able to offer all the coverage that Citysearch offers, being that they are one of the greatest guides available. Yet, our business is not to compete against Citysearch. Citysearch covers the major cities. CrazyHungry currently covers Long Island, where the use of internet as a means to bring new customers is fairly new. These factors have proved our business to be successful and we are continuing to grow.

**akula** · 12-06-2005 05:29 AM

Originally Posted by CrazyHungry

In response to aklula's comments:
CrazyHungry is completely different than Judy's book. Judy's book is a business aimed to share information among local communities, a complete open forum. CrazyHungry is about bringing new business to restaurants. In today's internet age, most established restaurants have their own websites and are looking to bring new traffic to their site. CrazyHungry fulfills this need and also allows users to look through our familiar interface of restaurant pages, instead of having to figure out each individual restaurant's website layout. Moreover, we provide a low cost solution for the smaller restaurants and take-out joints that don't have the budget to create their own sites. This is why CrazyHungry is able to exist in today's market.

That's great. https://eatnow.com/ is the best example, I know of, on how to implement your business model.

They are extremely focused (sell food only to college students) and they have a technology portfolio (geolocation). Eatnow.com has a real shot at being a sizable business (as different to crazyhugry).

People come to YE for god knows what reasons. I hope you know what you are here for.

To be really successful with you venture either a) copy Judy's Book or b) copy eatnow.com (but for a different demographic).

Knock'em dead.

P.S. I don't know you, I am not your friend, I am telling you things your buddies won't tell you for the fear of hurting your feelings. I hope you can appreciate that. To that end, please understand that you have a lot of things to improve on. There is nothing to congratulate you on.

I've given you two options. Maybe there is a third one. But if you don't take either of them, mark my words - in 5 years time this venture of yours is either going to be scrapped, or MUCH WORSE, you will be stuck with this thing, going nowhere, getting older and more diselusioned.

Get focused, web.20 the fucker, put in some mashups with GOOG MAPS, and Bob's your uncle.

**mitztraykray** · 12-06-2005 02:24 PM

i have no idea why this guy can't just copy judy's book

the site is second rate

Now check out http://www.southerncrossventures.com/ - yes, that's a first class site... This site takes the worst of the web (such as sitepal.com - all the rage for marketing morons/web dev beginners) and throws it together. Please note, the designer of this site thinks that you can make the page title bold. I just love this part as the page title:

Code:

<br><b>Warning</B>

It's just great to see an asshole make fun of someone who has a better site than he does. Yes, http://www.crazyhungry.com/ is better than your site, and no, I don't know the owner of it. As a great entrepreneur once said:

P.S. I don't know you, I am not your friend, I am telling you things your buddies won't tell you for the fear of hurting your feelings. I hope you can appreciate that. To that end, please understand that you have a lot of things to improve on. There is nothing to congratulate you on.

Please keep that quote in mind when you are putting people down. Your site is crap, I am sure it is following your business model.

Take care,

Lee

**akula** · 12-06-2005 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by mitztraykray

Now check out http://www.southerncrossventures.com/ - yes, that's a first class site... This site takes the worst of the web (such as sitepal.com - all the rage for marketing morons/web dev beginners) and throws it together. Please note, the designer of this site thinks that you can make the page title bold. I just love this part as the page title:

Code:

<br><b>Warning</B>

It's just great to see an asshole make fun of someone who has a better site than he does. Yes, http://www.crazyhungry.com/ is better than your site, and no, I don't know the owner of it. As a great entrepreneur once said:

Please keep that quote in mind when you are putting people down. Your site is crap, I am sure it is following your business model.

Take care,

Lee

Now we're talking! thanks man.

Finally starting to get some value out of YE.

We're not here to pay compliments to each other. The best thing entrepreneurs can do for one another is keep a well worn boot in one another's backside.

Any other attitude, and the result is weak, needly, impotent company founders.

Be tough on eachother people. That's the best thing you can do. You'll always have the chance to be nice to your friends, just don't be nice to me- be critical. I have enough nice people around me.

P.S. Fucking oath I've got things to work on. Duh' It's you who can stop being an asshole and actually say something constructive rather than throwing a fit, i.e. provide advice.

I welcome you to have a look at this thread:

http://youngentrepreneur.com/forum/s...ead.php?t=4779

As a side note, I'm reflecting that I don't have one good friend who has the curse of trying to be pleasant. Best friendships are built on taking the piss out of eachother (same as great employee-employer relationships).

I hope you think about that when....fuck I dunno when.

**mitztraykray** · 12-08-2005 01:24 AM

As a side note, I'm reflecting that I don't have one good friend who has the curse of trying to be pleasant. Best friendships are built on taking the piss out of eachother (same as great employee-employer relationships).

I guess I have a totally different outlook on management and social etiquette in general. I believe that a happy employee is a productive employee. Of course, I am not here to blow smoke, but you have to understand that there is a difference between being nice, and being KIND. I am kind and respectful of people, not nice.

I would be more than happy to point out problems with your ideas or products, and I look for the same thing. But holy crap, be constructive. There isn't any need to simply be mean to people just because.

Great entrepreneurs should be like larvae who struggle to break the cocoon and turn to be beautiful butterflies.

The best we can do is put obstacles before you so you can overcome them and be great. I can't assist you because then you'll be needy and useless.

So here's the first obstacle: I'm telling you that you're a wannabe and don't know what you're doing. Do your self a favour and try your hand at something else other than entrepreneurship.

Telling this 18 year old kid that he doesn't know what he is doing is pointless - sure, of course he doesn't know what he was doing. I simply don't see him gaining anything by telling someone they are stupid.

When I was 18 I owned part of a finance company and one of our own business partners stole everything right out from under us. Sure, I was not a business genius but hey, I was learning. If you told me I was stupid when I was doing that, I would write you off and keep going. If you told me that I was doing wrong for reason A, B and C and then explained yourself, I would listen and learn. I am 24 now and on my third business and I will succeed despite people like you.

I picked up a great book from Barnes & Noble this weekend called "Never eat alone" by Keith Ferrazzi. It discusses how to build business relationships, it sounds like this would benefit you greatly.

Relationships with other people rule business. You may think this is silly, and I am a moron, but from reading your negative post I am sure you have turned at least one person on this forum away from you. Next time you have a great idea and need an investor, the very person you could have hooked up with may see your name and skip your post. Sure, this example may be a bit extreme, apply it in a real world setting and you can (hopefully) understand what I am saying.

I hope you take something from this, good luck.

Br

**nado** · 12-08-2005 02:38 AM

wow, keep the flaming coming... hilarious

I think the site will be pretty successful because of the tight niche you've got going. Though as I said before, please cut back on the ads, they are very annoying. There are two different block ads on the front page and 3 different types (plus an additional google ads) on the 'this week' section. And don't forget the popup.. that's enough to make anyone close the site.

And the majority of the ads (except google ads of course) have absolutely nothing to do with restaurants or food at all! Offer the restaurants you list the ability to have their own ad on your front page or other pages. Even if that ad only links back to their listing on your site it will be way more effective than ads on plasma screens and 4wds.

Other things: a few of the photos are bad quality and distorted, put a simple mouseover effect on the links in the left-hand nav bar, and I'd suggest adding a clickable map of some sorts.

Just a few suggestions. Anyone else agree?

PS, akula your site really does suck compared to this one. mmm love that greeness and text

EDIT: Just noticed that this thread has been hijacked from the original post, meh

**akula** · 12-08-2005 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by nado

wow, keep the flaming coming... hilarious

I think the site will be pretty successful because of the tight niche you've got going. Though as I said before, please cut back on the ads, they are very annoying. There are two different block ads on the front page and 3 different types (plus an additional google ads) on the 'this week' section. And don't forget the popup.. that's enough to make anyone close the site.

And the majority of the ads (except google ads of course) have absolutely nothing to do with restaurants or food at all! Offer the restaurants you list the ability to have their own ad on your front page or other pages. Even if that ad only links back to their listing on your site it will be way more effective than ads on plasma screens and 4wds.

Other things: a few of the photos are bad quality and distorted, put a simple mouseover effect on the links in the left-hand nav bar, and I'd suggest adding a clickable map of some sorts.

Just a few suggestions. Anyone else agree?

PS, akula your site really does suck compared to this one. mmm love that greeness and text

EDIT: Just noticed that this thread has been hijacked from the original post, meh

good one. now we're getting somewhere. I've taken the suggestions and we're implementing new css templates.

**CrazyHungry** · 12-08-2005 11:18 AM

Relationships with other people rule business. You may think this is silly, and I am a moron, but from reading your negative post I am sure you have turned at least one person on this forum away from you. Next time you have a great idea and need an investor, the very person you could have hooked up with may see your name and skip your post.

I can't agree enough with what mitztraykray just stated. Your negative attitude is the first thing you need to work on. If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, take his advice. Having a great business idea and capital to start is a business is one thing, but more important is the relationships you have with others to successfully grow and maintain a business. I just do not see how you could possibly have any effective control over any business with others, with your attitude and mindset.

Originally Posted by akula

That's great. https://eatnow.com/ is the best example, I know of, on how to implement your business model.

They are extremely focused (sell food only to college students) and they have a technology portfolio (geolocation). Eatnow.com has a real shot at being a sizable business (as different to crazyhugry).

Thanks for your suggestions, but I've done plenty of research on that model long before they ever launched. I've seen numerous start ups try the online meal ordering model and have failed in the early stages. It is not something that will be as profitable as the business model that CrazyHungry is pushing, especially in a suburban city.

Here are the main factors:
1. Necessary equipment (restaurant side) – Online ordering requires restaurants to have either a fax machine or access to email (comp with internet connection). This is a major problem in getting restaurants to sign up for this service. In bigger cities, many restaurants have this equipment, yet the most suburban cities don’t. That means I would have to convince owners to buy fax machines (or we would have to offer them) and install additional fax line to try out this service.

2. Profitability – Online ordering generates revenue through commission per order. Commissions or paid either by % or $0.25 or $0.50 fees per order. This makes online ordering very difficult to become a profitable service. At a 5% level commission (Eatnow.com’s rates), you need to generate $100,000 in sales to make $5,000. By the way, Eatnow is exactly the same business as campusfoods.com which has been operating for many years. You can do the calculations to see that it would take a tremendous number of locations and orders to be profitable. Now, this model can be very effective in major cities where there’s a lot more restaurants that deliver and people that order in. This online ordering market is already well covered in major cities (ex. NYC). This was not an option for me because there are too many competitors and the market is too well covered.

3. Target market of College students – Targeting restaurants that only deliver to college campuses narrows down your market substantially. My initial sales initiative was done this way and we advertised to over 10+ colleges in Long Island with a total number of 200,000+ students. This proved not be the greatest approach because there isn’t a sufficient number of restaurants that deliver to campuses. Around 80-120 restaurants at most in L.I. deliver to campuses, which makes it very difficult. We have changed the college based model to cover a broader age range of users. Our business has benefited tremendously after initiating this shift in business model.

4. Users placing orders online – The advantages of ordering online are to avoid holding on calls to place orders, viewing online menus and prices, and having credit card and delivery addresses tied to your account. First of all, in smaller cities you don’t have to wait on a call to place orders. Orders are simple and easy to place over the phone. Although, I use the internet for everything, I’d rather speak to a real person and get confirmation that my pizza is on its way rather than ordering online and wondering if my order was ever received on the other end. This is a major problem. What about the older generation that is not as familiar with the internet? Some companies resolve this issue, by having restaurants call the person back after receiving an online order to confirm the order. Well if you had to speak to a person eventually, why not just order over the phone from start? Having credit card info tied to an account is definitely convenient, yet not all college students have cards. So that leaves online menus and prices, which is something CrazyHungry provides, and much more. We not only offer restaurants that deliver, but any type of restaurant you are looking for. Whether it’s take-out or fine dining, ordering in or dining out, Chinese or Italian, we have an option. That is our business.

Although these factors exist, all restaurants will soon have to consider online ordering. Yet at this time, especially in smaller cities, it’s difficult to get restaurants to sign up for this service. Online ordering is something I do plan on offering in the future. I congratulate the founders of Eatnow.com. They are doing a great job in growing their operations and PR initiatives.

Seamlessweb.com is the best example of a successful online ordering service. They are brilliant because instead of targeting users as the general public, they convinced major companies to set up accounts with them. They currently are affiliated with all the major financial institutions with meal budgets in the $ millions. These types of contracts make it very attractive for restaurants to join their business. Now they are even ready to open to the public. Coming into a market where Seamlessweb is expanding makes it extremely difficult to compete.