Neurons@Work

Well…for you guys out there who likes scented candles but find the candles in stores are just too floral for your liking, how about something more manly?

Manly Man Candle Company came up with an idea to produce and market unique scented candles that are catered to man. They have scent ranging from “The Hunting Lodge”, “Leather”, “Coffee Shop”, “Wild Alaska”, and etc.

This is a great example of what an imaginative mind can do. There are many other potential market segment to be targetted such as Baby Candles, Old Folks Candles, and etc. Something worth considering.

Website: www.manlymancandlecompany.com

It goes without saying, with a little imagination and willingness to break away from the norm, innovative ideas could be the end result. 

A new drink called ‘unagi nobori,’ or ‘surging eel,’ made by Japan Tobacco Inc., was launched in Tokyo just two days ago. At US$1.30 a bottle, the fizzy, yellow-colored drink contains extracts from the head and bones of eel and five vitamins (A, B1, B2, D and E) contained in the fish.

Many Japanese believe eating eel boosts stamina in hot weather. It’s mainly for men who are exhausted by the summer’s heat. I guess Livita and Red Bull will have a new competition in town.

If you ever wanted to run your own car business in Malaysia, there is company which is currently offering apparently a low risk opportunity business venture. Basing on the franchise model, EOA is inviting suitable and qualified investors or business partners to be part of this business venture.

Most traditional used car business model requires the business owner to have large capital investment to buy used cars. On top of that, EOA franchisee will provide all the necessary sales, marketing, financial and loan processing training. If you are keen, you can always check them out at the website below.

Website: www.eoaauto.com/franchise/franchise.asp

There are many minipreneurs out there looking for small business opportunity but lack the capacity to open up their own stores in busy malls. However this company in Singapore has helped these minipreneurs to overcome this problem by offering a display space in their store. inQbox™ is the first urban retail utility™ concept store that represents a collective of independant designers and entrepreneurs in the city and around the world. inQbox will give provide a  retail space and a gallery space at low cost and low risk. On top of that, they will even provide merchandising and marketing tips to create more exposure for your merchandise.

What a great way to start a business.

Website: www.inqbox.com

Cooler bags are nothing new. However this UK company manage to make something ordinary to something more eye catching . Whether it is for a for the beach or something to keep your work or school lunch cool and fresh, Polargear offers a great range of choice to meet your needs. The even have collection of bottle and food coolers and changing bags for babies.

Website: www.polargear.co.uk

Going into a shoe business is never a bad idea. Shoes are needed by everyone from every walk of life whether it is for sports use, work use, leisure use and etc. On top of that, shoes are not made to last which will somewhat guarantee a flow of demand. Companies such as Crocs, Ecco shoes, Vincci, Lewre and many more are making a name for themselves in the market. Shoe entrepreneurs such as Jimmy Choo, Marc Jacobs, Valentino and Christian Lacroix has become famous icons just by making beautiful shoes.

If you have the talent for shoe designing, why not start your own business. You can even just start small doing personalized shoes just for weddings or other special events. 

Website: www.footwearetc.com

Selling collectibles is another good way of earning money. A walk in a mall will show you a variety of shops selling different types of collectibles e.g. miniature toys, coins, stamps, painting and etc.

However, there are still many areas where you can fill up the gaps. If you look around, there are many people out there who demands certain niche items. With demands comes business opportunities. Take for instance Reamcollections.com. They supply  renaissance costumes, medieval weapons, home decors and etc – a one-stop shop for all your medieval items needs. Instead of selling, you can even consider rental opportunities for costume parties.

Website: www.realmcollections.com

Some people treat candle making as their  hobby. But some actually turned them into business opportunities. However, candle making is not something unique anymore. However, one company has manage to innovate again using a simple concept to turn candle making into a more differentiated product.

How about the idea of selling personalized candles? PrintaCandle™  System allows candle makers to print text, pictures, icons, logos or even photos directly onto Candles. The process is rather simple and the whole process takes just seconds, and the finished result is a beautiful, personalized candle.

Maybe something you can consider.

Website: www.printacandle.com

The next time you are thinking of starting your own brand of drinks, why not come up with something unique.

Consider a Singaporean company who came up with the concept of packaging the drinks with a unique concept such that every beverage has a generic design with no way of telling what flavour is contained in the can. Therefore, the consumers have no idea what flavour they bought until they drink it.

The drinks are are simply labelled as  “Anything” which is carbonated that comes in six flavours and “Whatever” which is non-carbonated and is also made in six flavours.

A very interesting marketing concept indeed.

Website: www.anything.com.sg

Consumers especially the working crowd are increasingly grabbing something on the run thus providing opportunity for entrepreneurs who can take advantage of this. Consider Pret A Manger, a British fast-food chain that opened in 1988. Pret offers restaurant-quality sandwiches made fresh everyday from only the finest ingredients and makes the food faster than that of a fast food outlet in a sleek setting at reasonable prices. Pret also serves salads, yogurt, juices and sushi.

If you are interested in food business ideas, why not consider this?

Website: www.pret.com