In this economy, there are a few types of businesses that will do well - those that help consumers save money, help them make money, make them feel good or those they can’t do without. If you are looking to start a business today, here are some great ideas:
- Food & Drink
- Candy
- Beauty, Cosmetics, Personal Services
- Discount Retail, Pawn Shops, Thrift Stores
- Education, Tutoring, Self-Improvement, Career Services
- Contraceptives
- Health Care
- Love, Dating, Marriage
- Rent-a-Lifestyle
- Home Products
- Baby-Related
- Cleaning Services
- Cheap Entertainment
- Luxury Retail
- Cigarettes, Alcohol
- Bankruptcy Law
- Funeral Homes
- Tax Accounting
- Auto and Other Repair Services
- Home Security Solutions
- Mortgage and Foreclosure Rescue Services
- Repossession Businesses
- Debt-Related Services
Good reads:
http://adage.com/article?article_id=133241
http://money.howstuffworks.com/10-recession-proof-businesses.htm
http://www.explorestartups.com/blog-1355-9_Recession_Proof_Businesses_to_Start_in_2009.htm
http://entrepreneurs.about.com/cs/businessideas/a/10startupideas.htm
http://www.growingwealthmag.com/?p=1274
http://thesmarterwallet.com/2009/own-recession-proof-business-find-business-success/
Goodbye traditional Yellow Pages, newspapers, direct mail and radio. For Local Businesses, Online Advertising is definitely the new black. In 2008, approximately $120B was spent on local advertising. Of that number, $12.6 B was spent online. According to a recent Nielsen Online survey, 50% of consumers surveyed said they turn to search engines to find a local business, followed by yellow pages directories at 24%, Internet-based yellow pages directories at 10%, local newspapers at 4%, and white pages directories at 3%. The survey found that consumers use search engines 72% more than they did two years ago, when a similar survey was conducted. (Source: Nielsen Online/WebVisible survey, Feb. 2009)
In the midst of all of this excitement, it occurred to us at Adneuron that while there are so many companies trying to sell online advertising to local businesses, much less has been done to educate them. As a company that works very closely with local small businesses, we know that understanding and investing in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or Search Engine Marketing (SEM) can be a daunting task for a local business owner. Many have been burnt, or don’t really know what their ad budget is getting them. As such, we decided to start the first blog on local online marketing and advertising, from a local business owner’s perspective. We welcome an open dialogue.
