Small Business Idea

People’s #1 Asset: Their Own Health

Most people, especially the young, take their health for granted. However, once an illness or accident strikes you or affects a loved one, people start to re-examine their priorities and realize how precious their mobility, clarity of mind, energy, and well-being truly are.

And, of course, they’re willing to spend for it. And, of course, that means a big business opportunity.

The Most Important Point

As with all businesses, the integrity of the business owners, employees, products and services are of critical importance in the health products sector. Partly because you’ll find a discriminating audience, partly because its heavily regulated (ie. liars and frauds go to jail), and partly because (I would suggest) at our root level, we all simply want to do the right thing for each other.

Some business owners feel okay about screwing over their customers in the widget business or when selling useless luxuries, but few people feel okay about cheating their customers (ie. other people; their sisters, brothers, grandparents and nephews) when it comes to matters of health. If you’re uneasy about this topic or feel unsure about your ability to legitimately offer something useful to people of ill or mediocre health, you should move on to another business idea now.

Intro the Natural Health Sector

In most western, developed countries, “health” is commonly thought of by the state and insurance companies as “stuff that’s related to drugs and surgery”. Things like exercise, diet, attitude, happiness, flexibility, exposure to plastics/toxins/fast-food, “eastern medicine”, meditation, “natural healing”, acupuncture, and so forth are not included. Yet, they can be essential contributors to good health. In other words, there are many important topics relating to “health” that are not directly handled by the state (drugs or surgery), which gives entrepreneurs a bevy of prospective business ideas.

The health sector is a huge market. Including hundreds of billions of dollars spent each year, you could argue that 90%+ of our purchases directly or indirectly affect our health. Name one purchase you’ve made over the past month that doesn’t in some way affect your health, lifestyle, level of fitness, exposure to toxins, or overall attitude, and I’ll stop suggesting that the health sector is one enormous business opportunity.

Big companies and industries have already been built up around the most obvious markets. Nutriceuticals (vitamin pills, special daily oils, mineral supplements, etc.), props for physical ailments (motorized wheelchairs, splints, tension bandages, vehicle modification kits, etc.), and professional services (home care, specialized practitioners like homeopaths or naturopaths, meal services, etc.) are all heavily saturated and regulated. So, unless you want to go through the years of training and set-up required to get into these industries, you need to look for a smaller, less populated, less regulated niche.

Possible Health Product Ideas for Your Small Business:
When searching for small business ideas within the health sector, consider some of the following ideas and then start brainstorming:

1. Natural Organic Food Supplier - Get your garden or plot of land certified as 100% organic, plant 15,000 carrots, rent a spot at a local farmers’ market, and let your business “grow.”
2. Grow Niche Herbs, Plants, Teas… - Many dietitians and health gurus make reference to specialized ingredients such as Milk Thistle, Echinacea, Senna Leaf, Buckthorn Bark, etc. Throw up a backyard greenhouse, post posters in local health food stores, yoga studios and left-wing political centers, set up a website to let people know where to find fresh rare herbs close to home, and become a small-scale farmer. (Be sure to check your local laws too, to make sure you’re 100% legal…)
3. Health Books, Plans, or Tips - If you’ve got killer information on how to cook, eat, exercise, or do something else that leads to better health, get your information together and monetize it via book or ebook sales, seminars/workshops, web traffic, or something else.
4. Exercise Equipment - Selling complex machinery may be beyond your scope of investment, but what about smaller items like squeeze balls, pedometers, office-friendly props, or exercise clothing (perhaps a catchy slogan on a tshirt or hat, sold via your website)?
5. Organize a Local Activities Club or League - Charge administrative fees for setting up, marketing, and managing a local sports league or activity club. Whether aiming for a multi-sport, multi-thousand-member organization or a simple once-a-month club for a niche activity (lawn bowling club, women’s recreational curling league, cycling club, regional beach volleyball tournament, regular all-inclusive ski or golf trips, moms-only weekly outdoor activity club with childcare included, seniors-only walking club with transportation included each week to a new location, etc.), this has the potential to be a very pleasurable social experience that also acts as a side stream of income for you.
6. Gardening / Health Food Co-op - Provide healthy food options to members on an annual subscription basis: fresh vegetables, niche herbs, fine teas, free-range non-medicated meats, etc. Advertise in dense urban areas where urban hippies (apartment and condo dwelling folk) lack access to gardens or healthy meat supplies.
7. Resell Natural Health Products - Perhaps the most obvious idea, consider setting up a website, small shop, or mobile stand selling healthy treats or health supplements. Essentially a widget business, be sure you’ve got a solid business plan and market in place before spending a lot of money to set up a store or mobile food stand.

The Bottom Line

Some people take their health very seriously, and those that do are willing to pay for high-quality health supplies. If you spot an unoccupied niche in your local community or on the web, health products could be great for you. Even if your idea is only peripherally related to health (its not drugs, surgery, wheelchairs, home care, or vitamins), try using the health angle in your marketing and watch people’s acceptance of your ideas grow.

In a time where we are quickly realizing that our food-production system, network of restaurants and entertainment options, educational materials, and personal routines have led to record obesity rates, a cancer epidemic, and other unprecedented health complications, demand for legitimate and natural healthy stuff is huge and growing. Pick an idea, make sure its healthy, make sure its natural, make sure its legal, make sure you have a clear business plan, and ride the health wave that is sweeping across North America.

Dogs, Cats, and other Million Dollar Small Business Opportunities

Whether or not you find it absolutely ridiculous (personally, I do), people spend gobs and then more gobs of cash on their pets. Doggy collars, bird treats, cat medications, home door alterations, art nouveau litter boxes, and so forth. And people spend these dollars gladly, willing to do anything to pamper their pooch (or, what the owner thinks will pamper their pooch… chances are Rover would rather have a week-old pork chop, no leash, no haircut appointment, and a few hundred acres to explore… but that’s beside the point. )

So, just how much are people willing to spend on their pets? Some estimates put the figure at over $25 billion in the US alone. WTF?!

Okay, Pets - But What’s the Business Plan?

There are plenty of angles a person can aim for. The keys are to find a business plan that has real demand (something pet owners would actually pay for) and not too much local competition (if there are already 50 kennels in your neighborhood, you might consider something else.) For starters, how about beginning a brainstorming session on one of the following ideas?

1. Certified Pet Health Services - In other words, becoming a vet. Yeah, its a ton of work to go through school and get certified, but at least you won’t have much competition (because the barrier to entry is so high.)
2. Uncertified Pet Health Services - Remembering that fraud is a crime and you should not lie about what you do, there are pet health service options that do not require professional certification. For instance, how about setting up a pet spa, doggy massage clinic, cat stress relief center (an entertainment center filled with cat nip, scratching poles, sunbeam, window sill, and a ready supply of fresh tuna?), pet gourmet dietary center (selling crickets, meat scraps, rare international grains, etc.), and so forth. In other words, something that appeals to the health and well being of a pet without the hassles of surgery, prescription medications, plaster casts, and other activities that require licensed pros?
3. Other Pet Services - This category of ideas may be the best for you because of one big factor: big national companies can’t compete with a local, well-known option. In other words, in most neighborhoods, you’re not likely to find a lot of competition. Options to consider include:
   • Dog walking service - Great for kids or other part-timers
   • Dog bathing/grooming service - Good for monthly or weekly appointments
   • Pet babysitting - Requires a place to keep the pets, plus an impeccable level of trustworthiness
   • Pet-friendly _____ (fill in the blank) - If you’re running another business already, switching to a pet-friendly model (and including it in your website or advertising) can reap big benefits primarily from attracting more humans (pet owners) to your establishment. However, the added revenue from running a pet-friendly hotel, restaurant, tour, museum, park, etc. could be very handy!
4. Useful Pet Supplies - All pets need a multitude of items. Selling these items, either online or in a local shop or farmer’s market, might be right for you: pet houses (cages, kennels, houses, fences, etc.), feeding supplies (dishes, water cans, food), out-and-about supplies (collars, chains/ropes, mobile kennels, etc.), and other necessary supplies. For more ideas, visit a local pet store and scan through their inventory.
5. Non-Useful Pet Supplies (Toys) - This is where the money is - mainly because non-useful supplies (”kitch”) is a non-saturated market, leaving room for your creative juices to flow. Decorative items “for the cat to enjoy”, toys, fashionable collars, extra clothing (cat jackets, dog boots, etc.), and other non-essential items (how about a krypton dog bed?) have the advantage of being fickle, meaning that one more catchy or witty item on the market (yours) might just have a chance of taking off.
6. Useful Supplies for Pet Owners - Pet door modification units, chains, functional collars, house barriers, dog mats, blankets for on top of the bird cage, etc. Again, check through a local pet store for a fuller list of items. Also, note that this marketplace is already pretty full.
7. Non-Useful Supplies for Pet Owners - As with non-useful pet supplies, this category of items has as much potential as you have creativity. The funny part of this category is that, while pet owners pretend to buy witty t-shirts, bumper stickers, hats, etc. for their pet, they are really just buying presents for themselves. For instance, every time you see a sign in a car window reading “Caution - Cat on Board!”, you can see an example of a non-useful pet owner supply who spent $12 on something for themself, but sort of for their pet. Taking advantage of this type of buyer is the name of this category’s game.

Extra Tips

Aside from choosing a business model with an economic upside, its essential that you take care of a few other things.

If you don’t love animals, don’t try any of these plans. Your lack of enthusiasm will eventually show and kill your business.

Likewise, if you don’t realize the difference between a business and a hobby, don’t choose this business. You’d be better off getting a pet than starting this business.
Honesty, trustworthiness, and the ability to communicate those two are essential in this business. If prospective customers get the impression that you’re second-rate or that their beloved pet might be mistreated, you are guaranteed to have a failing business. Be friendly, be exquisitely clean, keep your facilities exquisitely clean and “happy”, and be sure to be a great listener (when prospects are talking about inane details about their pets).

Good Luck!

Pets are a happy part of people’s (prospect’s) lives, so this has the potential to be a very pleasant and joyous sector for your small business!