Ideas for entrepreneurship?*

[Hristo Botev]

I'm reaching (or have reached) a point in my life--in terms of my age, my career, my family responsibilities, and my net worth/financial independence--where I'd like to consider starting a business, that is NOT a law firm. It's a bit of a bucket list item for me. It'd be a for-profit enterprise, but I'm not concerned about the enterprise being particularly profitable; I just want to create something that might benefit others, by filling some need in an ethical way and that creates employment opportunities for others, and that would be a bit of a new endeavor/adventure that would have the added benefit of getting me out from behind a computer screen for 8-10 hours a day.

I have a couple of like-minded friends who likely would be up for the adventure, who both currently run their own businesses and who, unlike me, have not been hooked into the corporate/large professional services firm mindset for their entire careers. These friends are more creative types who work with their hands, with the added benefit that they have industrial shops out of which the business(es) could operate. My contribution to the endeavor would be some funding as well as some legal, financial, and marketing experience.

I'd love whatever general business ideas or thoughts on entrepreneurship you all might have.

So far, I've thought of the following:

- manufacturing, marketing, and selling container garden accessories, raised garden beds, etc.
- marketing and operating some sort of short term tiny cabin rental business, with cabins we'd design and build ourselves on property we already own
- manufacturing, marketing, and selling branded furniture and/or outdoor pieces, which we'd build out from some sort of standard template, as opposed to a custom furniture model
- launch one of those cheesy lifestyle brands, with apparel, etc. we'd outsource, market, and sell
- figure out some sort of way to better facilitate the local farm share/CSA experience--perhaps by working with the local farmers/farm share types to make a sort of more expensive blue apron type service with produce and meat source from local farms

I'm trying to train myself to look for opportunities in my life, by identifying problems I and my family and friends have, and think of ways to solve those problems. Unfortunately, as a lawyer I've been trained to see risk, as opposed to opportunity.

I've no interest in getting involved with anything involving the distance learning educational thing; but no doubt that's a pretty big growth industry at the moment, with the "learning pods," etc. for these school districts that aren't going back to in-person schooling.

*No doubt this topic has been discussed at length in this forum elsewhere over the years, so apologies up front if I'm asking you all to reinvent the wheel.

[ertyu]

there's even books. "1000 small businesses you can start from home" and the like. though I assume these become outdated pretty fast.

[Alphaville]

I'm reaching (or have reached) a point in my life--in terms of my age, my career, my family responsibilities, and my net worth/financial independence--where I'd like to consider starting a business, that is NOT a law firm. It's a bit of a bucket list item for me. It'd be a for-profit enterprise, but I'm not concerned about the enterprise being particularly profitable; I just want to create something that might benefit others, by filling some need in an ethical way and that creates employment opportunities for others, and that would be a bit of a new endeavor/adventure that would have the added benefit of getting me out from behind a computer screen for 8-10 hours a day.

I have a couple of like-minded friends who likely would be up for the adventure, who both currently run their own businesses and who, unlike me, have not been hooked into the corporate/large professional services firm mindset for their entire careers. These friends are more creative types who work with their hands, with the added benefit that they have industrial shops out of which the business(es) could operate. My contribution to the endeavor would be some funding as well as some legal, financial, and marketing experience.

I'd love whatever general business ideas or thoughts on entrepreneurship you all might have.

...

I'm trying to train myself to look for opportunities in my life, by identifying problems I and my family and friends have, and think of ways to solve those problems. Unfortunately, as a lawyer I've been trained to see risk, as opposed to opportunity.

i wouldn’t discount your experience and training as downsides. on the contrary, you can bring a valuable and essential perspective to freewheeling creative sorts who tend to walk blind into the crocodile’s mouth.

while you might not want to establish you own firm, maybe you can help provide creatives with the support they need? often one is stuck between legalzoom and an expensive lawyer, and neither satisfies.

another option you might want is nonprofit or pro-bono work. this oftens solves problems that benefit people—any kind of legal aid whether is for indigents or artists or something else. i know you said “for profit” and “create employment,” but this is also a way to help people. just putting it out there.

then there are businesses that have a legal basis, like intellectual rights, trading, etc., where your experience can come handy.

but also approaching your own work as a problem-solving opportunity-enabling endeavor could be all you need.

i know this isn’t exactly what you were asking for but i feel that trying to throw away your valuable professional capital ould be a waste. sure, throw away the water of corporate restrictions, but keep the baby.

i’d strongly recommend reading “the myth of the garage” to maybe help reframe your understaning of entrepreneurial work.

also, the health bro’s “decisive” includes some fun stuff, like the story of redbox... you’ll know when you get to that part.

pomodoro break over, but more later

[Riggerjack]

Well, container garden is hard, as there are so many potential containers. For a startup, I would suggest small, nesting cold boxes that fit your containers, so you are selling tiny greenhouses. That would differentiate you from the others. Nesting is important for storage when not in use.

If it works out, expect competition from someone who is cheaper.

Good luck!

[Hristo Botev]

i’d strongly recommend reading “the myth of the garage” to maybe help reframe your understaning of entrepreneurial work.

Thanks! I'll definitely check that out. Why is it free? I don't know anything about the authors, but do they normally put their stuff out for free?

[Alphaville]

Thanks! I'll definitely check that out. Why is it free? I don't know anything about the authors, but do they normally put their stuff out for free?

i just checked it, free on kindle! great.

it’s a collection of articles from a magazine so i guess you can find elsewhere.

maybe for publicity? the authors are good business writers. enjoy!

[WingsOnFire]

Tiny houses or cottages sound interesting.
I also own land, but I don't think I'm up to building a bunch of houses there. I'd love it if someone else did though!!