Smart ideas for small businesses: the ‘online’ way and the old-fashioned way

When most of us are asleep, Irvine Green is awake thinking up new money-making ideas. Very little passes his attention. Whether it is his neighbour's plants that could be pruned for free cuttings or the paucity of Barbie doll fashions in shop windows, everything holds profit potential for Irvine.

In his blog this week, the small business expert shares more of his tips for putting limited resources to good use. He emphasises the benefits of using the web as a business tool. But Irvine's also got some interesting proposals for technophobes – so do read to the end if you are on the hunt for entrepreneurial inspiration. – JC

Doing business, the  'online' way

By Irvine Green

At one point I stated these SMME blogs were mainly for bootstrapping start-ups where the reader might be in a rural settlement in far-flung North-West province, reading my words by candlelight on a print-out provided by a friend or uncle from the city.

I am however very aware that only around 30 percent of South Africans have access to the internet – and not much extra added to that via internet cafes.

However, one MUST discuss at some point the importance of the internet as a business tool. So, this time, I am going to hope that any school leaver/graduate/retrenched or retired worker about to start out on his/her own 'something to do for an income' search has SOME access to the web/e-mail. Whether by computer, via generic  tablets, smartphone or at a centre for the elderly (eg. a library) that meets once a week.

I heard recently on a radio talk show that one of the largest arenas of operation by SMMEs is the internet, people working from bedrooms, dining rooms or garages… doing anything from freelance 'remote' accounting to being a finder and supplier of anything.

From here on this particular blog is a mixture of the concept of 'sideline' income production and/or being THE business that makes it to bigger things.

The nice thing about the internet is that it is world-wide and 24/7. YOU can be ANYWHERE and so can your client. My '2010 World Cup ideas for SMMEs' booklet was a good example. And something that I started recently (still in its infancy) is an example of that. I have some friends who are now SA expats living in Mauritius, building a Marina/Leisure development. Quite often they need photographs printed… but the quality and reliability of that service on Isle de Maurice is YUK. So now they e-mail me their photo files, I get them printed at a local lab and whenever these friends are in Jhb (fairly regularly) they fetch them (already paid by eft from their SA bank a/c).

Now that isn't a NEW idea. But it has nice applications in our part of the world where places are far apart and there isn't a major photo lab in every mall (ie. there aren't m/any malls so to speak). From within our borders to countries around us (and the islands offshore, near and far). I'm looking at expanding this idea to farmers who don't often come into the BIG city, but need pics printed – while their nearest small town with the co-op has no photo lab. In this case I'd send their pics by SAPO/courier.

Here's another idea – a few years ago things were TIGHT money wise. Hmmm. Ahhhhh. Ok, grow some plants and sell them. As in a 'small independent nursery'. Stuff like 'chicken and hen' (aka spider plant), bulbinella (nature's own antibiotic and burn reliever), geraniums, etc.

Sourcing of  'starter plants'? EASY. I do a lot of walking and these plants are ten a penny on

sidewalks. So, snip a few 'side branches' on each walk and plonk them in water at home to grow roots (my surname helps with this sort of project – green fingers)! Much hard work later (dividing, rooting and re-planting the original starter plants at home) I made my first sale. A batch of 50 Chicken 'n hen. Sold via? Junk mail. That was a private sale – but I'm aiming to expand this to quantities landscapers need.

You may (or not) have wondered. Where do nurseries get THEIR plants from? From people like me, who grow plants for them, like farmers grow food for the retailers or local markets. This project of mine is ongoing – it's got an impetus of its own now and I enjoy it. It's relaxing. The veggies that worked their way between the containers of plants feed me and some neighbours (sold to them of course). But the essence of all this are the garden plants – sold via the 'net.

An idea now for young girls and 'home work' seeking ladies. An idea I've had for a while but have yet to get anyone to pick up on, though I've often spoken about it. Every little girl on the planet at one time has a few dolls. Some just play with them and that's it. But some get PASSIONATE about them, care for them, have chairs for them and such. But these dolls wear the same clothes day in and year out… NO MAN. That's NOT FAIR. So – how about a range of dolls clothes for little girls who like to change their doll's outfits on a regular basis ? Barbie has clothes, fashions and shoes by the dozen… what about the 'middle class' dolls ? They TOO want to keep up with the 'Barbies'!

How about maybe Naartjie style clothes for dolls? Or jammies and summer wear and anoraks/snow/ski outfits for winter? The possibilities are endless. Marketing? Via the web – OLX, e-bay or Bid 'n Buy. There's nearly 300 countries in the world. The idea is bound to catch on in a FEW places… even if it's just LA, Helsinki and/or Auckland. With the exchange rate in their favour, we could do for dolls clothes what China is doing for the price of human clothes. Doll's clothes don't need too much material. A starter set to show off would be within the financial ability of most females reading this. Hubbies – tell wifey/daughter about this one.

Old vinyl LPs and 45s are becoming collectors items. Some more so (Beatles) than others. Maybe you have some, or granny left some in her estate for someone to do with what they will. Put search engines to work. Some movie and stage show soundtracks (the first Star Wars, The King and I, Paint your Wagon, My Fair Lady, Wizard of Oz) are quite valuable. You could get an on-line trading business going here, sourcing and re-selling LP's and 45's.

My mom had many pen pals (the olden days version of Facebook, so to speak…!) And like my mom, many were stamp collectors. So on her passing there were about 70 000 stamps gathered here, from 1894 (not a typo error) to 1997. From each and every country on the planet. Sorted by pen pal, not by country. It's taken about 18 mths to sort them by country – a fair number are valuable. I also want to start something to introduce today's youth to stamps and stamp collecting.

Many children today have never seen a postage stamp as we use e-mail and most physical mail received is franked/postage pre-paid. Stamp sales are also big on the web… so I'll be into that too soon.

Get my point? The internet is fair game when looking to do business, local or international, big or small.

To end – you might be thinking 'WHERE does he get these ideas – what's he reading?' NB. These are ALL brain sourced ideas. I often just let my mind 'run wild'. Imagine starting a grass fire in a heavy wind – the flames go all over the place. I start a 'creative thinking version' of this wind driven veld fire in my head, and sometimes wonder where on earth an idea came from. You have to do that in silence, without distraction, say at 3 am in the morning. The brain seems open to this around that time!

To paraphrase a line from the old Springbok Radio show 'Taxi', let me leave you with: "If I don't see you through the week, I'll see you doing business on the internet '.

For more by Irvine Green, click here.