Starting a business....

[auggiedawg]

I can't see soccer moms and little league coaches hauling their kids to some fancy italian ice cream shop.

why pay for some franchise fee when you don't have to? call up a local dairy, cut a deal with them to supply you ice cream at a fair price and start a stand... run it from memorial day to labor day. hire high school girls to run it. sell hot dogs too.

of course you gotta know something about the business and location is everything.

damn you're a teacher too? shit... every May you can start dropping hints to your students about summer jobs and your ass isn't working during the summer anyway so you'd have time to run it....

NO man. I would have "italian ice stands" at the local football games, pop warner football games, baseball/softball games. I have people work them. Its not gonna be a land-based store that u have to go to....I bring the italian ice to them...right there where the event it.

I just know there isnt anything like this in this area. Im in florida and its hot as crap here 24/7, so i think it has potential at least. Startup is pretty low too

 

[ClubmanCoop]

Pure Gelato

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350 Elgin St
Ottawa, ON K2P 1M8 Canada
+1 613 237 3799
Open Hours11am-11pm Sun-Wed, 11am-midnight Thu-Sat
OverviewLocated on lively Elgin Street, this funky cappuccino, juice, gelato and dessert bar is as colourful as the gelato it serves.

This place makes big $$
Location Location Location

BOL

 

[fhmesq44]

NO man. I would have "italian ice stands" at the local football games, pop warner football games, baseball/softball games. I have people work them. Its not gonna be a land-based store that u have to go to....I bring the italian ice to them...right there where the event it.

I just know there isnt anything like this in this area. Im in florida and its hot as crap here 24/7, so i think it has potential at least. Startup is pretty low too

why not just get an ice cream truck, drive it around and park at the fields when there are games going on? don't they sell italian ice out of the concession stands at the fields? I remember they did when I was a kid.

 

[VinnytheWorm]

4) Ticket Broker (Me and brother are looking at this. What is the secret?)

These are a couple sites that i used to be a member at. http://presalepassword.net/
http://presaleinfo.com/

both where very helpful especially the forums just like here. However getting the better tickets were getting tougher and tougher.

 

[fhmesq44]

Auggie,

If you want a real business that would be a monster success (if you live in the right area), start a combo cafe/kids play area (indoor). If you live in an affluent area where the mom's stay home, go to Starbucks and hang out with their friends while their toddlers play all day, this is ideal.

Basically combine a Starbucks/Jamba Juice/deli with an area for the kids to play by themselves while the mom's sit with their friends. Kids would have to be in view so the mom's can actually rest knowing their kids are basically locked in an area they can't leave. Charge not only for the coffee, smoothies, wraps, salads, sandwiches, but also per head for the kids (like $5/day or maybe $50/month). You can have birthday parties, play groups as well.

There is one near us they didn't do it correctly and it is kind of lame. (no coffee/juice bar or foods served, have to bring your own and it just isn't set up well, yet it is still always full.

Alternatively, something like this:

http://www.superfranks.com/food.php

Their website sucks and it is tough to tell, but it is basically Chuck E Cheese with a mini golf course, converted indoor volleyball court that kids can play in with all sorts of balls, trampolines, etc. - (they also have like schedule games taht kids can play). And, best of all, unlike CEC, there are TVs EVERYWHERE and they are always tuned to sports so the parents can actually enjoy themselves. Also sell beer unlike CEC. This place is f*ing jammed all the time. Tokens for the games, sell food, birthday parties, separate charges for the mini-golf, playing in the volleyball court.

 

[auggiedawg]

4) Ticket Broker (Me and brother are looking at this. What is the secret?)

These are a couple sites that i used to be a member at. http://presalepassword.net/
http://presaleinfo.com/

both where very helpful especially the forums just like here. However getting the better tickets were getting tougher and tougher.

moneyshot, or anyone else....

Have any of you actually tried to do this, and if so....

1) How much overhead do you need to get started?
2) How much time does one have to invest? (looking to keep job, and do this on the side...or maybe not)

3) Do u know of another forum that is dedicated to this?
4) how much $$ could one possible make doing this? Say if i were to invest 100% my time into this.

thanks

 

[auggiedawg]

OK, i need some serious opinions on this, as i think me and my brother has thought of something that could be pretty cool. We are both huge sports fans. I coach high school football and track. He is a avid football fan and his son goes to a local high school here. We were discussing this idea....and i thought i would run it by you guys...

We live in a very big high school sports county. There are 4 big high schools and many middle school. Also there is a big community in terms of pop warner, little league baseball and softball to name a few. My brother and i were thinking on the idea of hiring 4-5 photographers (maybe him and i, his daughter, etc...not sure yet), and going to say all the local h.s. football games on friday night. Take as many action shots as your budget allows. For instance, take 100-200 action shots from each of the local h.s. football games. Have a site dedicated to download only the best action shots for sale. I believe local athletes/parents/grandparents/friends would purchase the nice photographs for presents, etc.

The site would have all the action shots. The purchaser would go on the site...look around. If they see a shot they particularly like, they have the option to buy prints such as 4x6.....5x8....etc.....We would print these shots out on professional paper and mail them out.

I do believe this could be pretty good as there are always kids in school playing sports, and u know as well as me that there is nothing better seeing yourself in an action shot (i.e. football, basketball, soccer, etc). Kind of like these....

 

[ivyconniver]

not a bad idea at all, especially since the only upfront costs are the website and cameras. I suspect each good telephoto camera will run you $500-$1k, but you can always ebay them if you decide not to do it.

Only problem is, it's not easy to get great action shots, and it's gonna take a LOT of time to go to all these games. Are you going to want to go to ones that your kid isn't playing in just to take pics?

I think it would make a lot more sense if you were already a news photographer and getting a salary for it, then just spin off this website on the side for additional income on shots that don't make the newspaper.

As a side note, I actually know the guy who does the photography for Brown University sports, and he also does the Patriots. Lucky bastard got a superbowl championship ring just for that, you should see the thing, it's HUGE.

 

[Illini]

Limo service. Gas, oil changes, insurance, and storage space are your only expenses. Charge $600-800 for all day events, or $300-$400 for airport runs.

 

[lapdance]

Vending Machines.....bought A Small Company 8 Yrs Ago For 80,000. Now Worth At Least 15x That. Got Alot Of Small Colleges In S Flor. Only Have 3 Drivers That Work 6 Hrs Aday. DO ABOUT 20G AWEEK IN BUSINESS.

 

[auggiedawg]

Limo service. Gas, oil changes, insurance, and storage space are your only expenses. Charge $600-800 for all day events, or $300-$400 for airport runs.

Sorry, i cant afford the statup costs of buying limos. Great idea, but a no-go.

 

[auggiedawg]

Are you going to want to go to ones that your kid isn't playing in just to take pics?

I think it would make a lot more sense if you were already a news photographer and getting a salary for it, then just spin off this website on the side for additional income on shots that don't make the newspaper.

NO, i dont have any kids. So i would just basically go to the main sporting events of the nite. I would go to say 1 fball game....my brother to another....hire someone else to hit another, and so on. Come back...upload pics on website and be done.

Obviously, action shots would have to be good and may take lots of practice and experience to get it right, but i think in due time it could be good money-maker.

You could get to the point of customizing the pics, naming them, titles, borders, etc....u get the idea.

 

[ivyconniver]

hire someone else to hit another, and so on. Come back...upload pics on website and be done.

You know what might be a better idea is to take yourself totally out of the equation. Start up a website that allows freelance photographers all over the country to sell their sports action shots, give them 50% of profits on pictures sold. That way you have no time investment other than maintaining the website.

 

[VinnytheWorm]

moneyshot, or anyone else....

Have any of you actually tried to do this, and if so....

1) How much overhead do you need to get started?
2) How much time does one have to invest? (looking to keep job, and do this on the side...or maybe not)

3) Do u know of another forum that is dedicated to this?
4) how much $$ could one possible make doing this? Say if i were to invest 100% my time into this.

thanks

Auggie, I did this part-time also. Easy to do if you have internet access. Very important to be able to access pre-sales at the very minute that they go online.
Not much overhead at all. Would buy the tix online with credit cards and usually sell them quickly.
The sites i mentioned were pretty much the best. Forums where very valuable. Competition and the difficulty getting good seats and the where the parts that made it tough for me. plus I did not always have access to the internet.

 

[auggiedawg]

Auggie, I did this part-time also. Easy to do if you have internet access. Very important to be able to access pre-sales at the very minute that they go online.
Not much overhead at all. Would buy the tix online with credit cards and usually sell them quickly.
The sites i mentioned were pretty much the best. Forums where very valuable. Competition and the difficulty getting good seats and the where the parts that made it tough for me. plus I did not always have access to the internet.

thanks man.

How many tickets for a concert, sporting even would u buy? As must as u could afford? Per ticket, what did u usually make of them? (i know it depends on popularity on the event, etc)

How much could one make in a month if they have high speed internet, and able to access the pre pay sites quickly. Just trying to get some answers ...

thanks again

 

[Iceman]

Yahoo's list today on their site:http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/102807/The-Top-25-Home-Based-Business-Ideas

 

[auggiedawg]

You know what might be a better idea is to take yourself totally out of the equation. Start up a website that allows freelance photographers all over the country to sell their sports action shots, give them 50% of profits on pictures sold. That way you have no time investment other than maintaining the website.

You know the more and more i have thought about this over the last 2 weeks, i think i may go in this direction. Would like some other people's opinions/knowledge on a few things. Here is what i would like to do....

1) Creat a website that sells high school sport action shots. (Would start here locally in my area, and my state, and then branch if possible to the whole SE).

2) Be able to receive photos via uploading from local newspaper sport photographers. Here is the part i am not sure of. For instance, during a friday night football game, "the gazette" sends one of their sports photographers out to take some game photos, and the next morning you only see 1 picture in "the gazette". What are the chances of that photographer uploading the rest of the action shots for a price or cut back to him/her? Would "the gazette" have rights to these photographs, or would they mind if the photographer uploads them for a cut of the profit from my site?

3) market this widely as possible. Radio, newspaper, tv, word of mouth, etc. Try to eventually make it like eastbay.com for buying shoes, sports clothes.

4) Advertise to other sports photgraphers and freelance photographers about the website, and they will receive a % of any photo of theirs shot and is sold.

5) Maybe somehow set up contracts with the high school, so that they could receive something monetarily (not sure though???)

6) suggestions / opinions ??

thanks all

 

[fhmesq44]

1 - when you upload you have to make sure the file size is small enough that the person can't download it themselves and print the photo. you could also put a stamp over the online version so it would be worthless. that is easy though

2 - ownership depends whether the guy is free lance or employee of the paper. If he is an employee it is owned by the paper, free lance it would be owned by the photog. depends what is in it for the photog. One potential problem is that most photogs already have their own website, they may or may not upload all of their pics to it and/or sell from the site, but they are likely to have one. Question arises, what value are you adding?

 

[auggiedawg]

1 - when you upload you have to make sure the file size is small enough that the person can't download it themselves and print the photo. you could also put a stamp over the online version so it would be worthless. that is easy though (i agree, this isnt an issue at all)

2 - ownership depends whether the guy is free lance or employee of the paper. If he is an employee it is owned by the paper, free lance it would be owned by the photog. depends what is in it for the photog. One potential problem is that most photogs already have their own website, they may or may not upload all of their pics to it and/or sell from the site, but they are likely to have one. Question arises, what value are you adding? (well, basically could contact the freelancer/photog and offer them, say 25% of their photos sold? Maybe more , maybe less perhaps?) (If he/she is employed of the paper, what protocol could or should i go with in terms of them allowing me access to the unused photo shots from the game?

thanks for your help fhmesq

 

[fhmesq44]

contact the editor of the HS sports section of the paper and just ask them questions. Find out if (i) they do indeed claim ownership; (ii) they even have any on staff photogs; (iii) who they use as free lancers; (iv) whether or not they would be interested (they could get the money, I know our local paper where I grew up sold the pictures themselves, and for a pretty penny too). if they are interested the deal would be the same as with a free lancer. if they aren't, you would just have to work with the free lancers. It is really the same procedure you would follow with a free lancer.