Starting a Biz
June 15, 2010 8:33 PM Subscribe
Starting something like a business in a very unique location.
I'm the opposite of business oriented, but suddenly I need some money. I find myself in a (fairly) unique geographical location, with probably many opportunities for money, but have no idea how to start.
I am currently living on a small island in the United States with less than 1,000 inhabitants. It is very hot and very humid here. It is known for it's beautiful untouched coastline. Therefore, in the summer, this place is very very famous, and so tourist season begins. I am currently a host in a restaurant making 8 dollars an hour, and spend my time thinking of ways to make money, as I watch waiters pull in 150 - 350 dollars per night (becoming a waiter is not a possibility).
I have very little in terms of finances.
I teach some classical guitar lessons, and am working on expanding in this area. However, you guys all know the problems inherent in this area.
I also own some gym equipment (barbell, plates, squat rack), and there is no gym on the island.
Resume:
college graduate in area studies, fairly fluent in Russian
attended a conservatory as a classical guitarist
highly physically attractive (male)
I include physical attractiveness because it certainly plays a part on this island and it's business.
Soon I'll try playing some gigs at local restaurants, but there are already a large number of musicians in the area, my advantage in this area is that I am the only skilled classical guitarist around.
Anyhow, time is short, and although I have some ideas, I'm sure some of you have much better ones than I.
I'm the opposite of business oriented, but suddenly I need some money. I find myself in a (fairly) unique geographical location, with probably many opportunities for money, but have no idea how to start.
I am currently living on a small island in the United States with less than 1,000 inhabitants. It is very hot and very humid here. It is known for it's beautiful untouched coastline. Therefore, in the summer, this place is very very famous, and so tourist season begins. I am currently a host in a restaurant making 8 dollars an hour, and spend my time thinking of ways to make money, as I watch waiters pull in 150 - 350 dollars per night (becoming a waiter is not a possibility).
I have very little in terms of finances.
I teach some classical guitar lessons, and am working on expanding in this area. However, you guys all know the problems inherent in this area.
I also own some gym equipment (barbell, plates, squat rack), and there is no gym on the island.
Resume:
college graduate in area studies, fairly fluent in Russian
attended a conservatory as a classical guitarist
highly physically attractive (male)
I include physical attractiveness because it certainly plays a part on this island and it's business.
Soon I'll try playing some gigs at local restaurants, but there are already a large number of musicians in the area, my advantage in this area is that I am the only skilled classical guitarist around.
Anyhow, time is short, and although I have some ideas, I'm sure some of you have much better ones than I.
Best answer: Tourist portraits and/or caricatures. For $20ea you could probably make some nice cash if you can draw well and quickly.
posted by rhizome at 8:52 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by rhizome at 8:52 PM on June 15, 2010
Best answer: I know that you suggested that this is out of the picture, but why can't you become a waiter? With your charisma and looks, I'm sure you can pull in lots of moolah as one!
That said, having lived on a small island before, I have seen the following work:
*making a flyer and announcing yourself as a "go-to" guy for anything needed - whether a handyman around a rental house, helping with luggage, transport to and from the airport/boats, picking up food from the places that won't deliver, etc. $15/hour, $15 minimum charge.
*doing local tours, coming up with your own 'by foot' tour and selling an hour long walk with history, etc. about your area for $45pp, $70 per couple,
*looking hot in a swimsuit, bopping around the beach with a cooler of snacks and a polaroid and selling pictures of them in special locations for $5 a pop, and $2 a candybar, $3 a soda/water, is an easy way to make a killing.
*making knickknacks that say your island's name out of trash from the island, and selling for $10-20, perhaps with your polaroids/snacks
*being a hot babysitter. $30/hour if you know cpr/first aid.
the possibilities are endless!
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 8:59 PM on June 15, 2010
That said, having lived on a small island before, I have seen the following work:
*making a flyer and announcing yourself as a "go-to" guy for anything needed - whether a handyman around a rental house, helping with luggage, transport to and from the airport/boats, picking up food from the places that won't deliver, etc. $15/hour, $15 minimum charge.
*doing local tours, coming up with your own 'by foot' tour and selling an hour long walk with history, etc. about your area for $45pp, $70 per couple,
*looking hot in a swimsuit, bopping around the beach with a cooler of snacks and a polaroid and selling pictures of them in special locations for $5 a pop, and $2 a candybar, $3 a soda/water, is an easy way to make a killing.
*making knickknacks that say your island's name out of trash from the island, and selling for $10-20, perhaps with your polaroids/snacks
*being a hot babysitter. $30/hour if you know cpr/first aid.
the possibilities are endless!
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 8:59 PM on June 15, 2010
Best answer: curiositykilledthelemur is on to something. Expanding on one of the ideas, if this is a popular summer house area, a lot of folks would love to have a Man-ny for their boys. You offer sports, guitar, arts and crafts, area knowledge, etc. Either hire yourself out to a family for weeks at a time or for longer or set up a day camp like option where you take up to 10 kids and do different things each day. Charge by the day or give a slight discount for the week.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:33 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:33 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Do tourists stay in places like hotels? Or something like cottages? If they're in cottages and hosting parties, maybe they'd like to hire a bartender/waiter/dancer for the night. Or you could use rhizome's idea, and be the hired portaitist (do you do caricatures?) who sits in the corner and guests come over to you to have their picture done. Again, if it's rental properties of a certain type and you've got some elbow grease, you could also do housecleaning. Low to zero startup costs for that.
Is boardwalk/downtown busking possible?
Re-reading the other answers, I'm thinking about curiositykilledthelemur's flyer - if you've been on the island for a couple of years, promote that aspect of yourself. You know the place well, presumably. You've hopefully got connections & know the other inhabitants such that if a tourist needs something you can't provide, they call on you as a reference service & you act as liaison. A concierge, if you will.
posted by knile at 9:47 PM on June 15, 2010
Is boardwalk/downtown busking possible?
Re-reading the other answers, I'm thinking about curiositykilledthelemur's flyer - if you've been on the island for a couple of years, promote that aspect of yourself. You know the place well, presumably. You've hopefully got connections & know the other inhabitants such that if a tourist needs something you can't provide, they call on you as a reference service & you act as liaison. A concierge, if you will.
posted by knile at 9:47 PM on June 15, 2010
A bit in the busking angle, but more official. How about playing romantic classical guitar for tips in restaurants/hotels/lounges?
posted by Widepath at 9:56 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by Widepath at 9:56 PM on June 15, 2010
Soon I'll try playing some gigs at local restaurants, but there are already a large number of musicians in the area, my advantage in this area is that I am the only skilled classical guitarist around.
Oh oops, disregard.
posted by Widepath at 9:58 PM on June 15, 2010
Oh oops, disregard.
posted by Widepath at 9:58 PM on June 15, 2010
Well someone is certainly full of themselves. Surely if you were that attractive you would be a model by now no?
First off, don't try to make money off your looks--the only people who do so successfully are models and whores and for both of those professions, looks don't last forever and you had better have something to fall back on.
Try to do something that can benefit from the seasonal lift when tourists arrive, but that locals will pay you for as well in the off season. Can you make and sell anything? Can you create a website and start an online business so as to not be limited by your geography? Could you start an online business that takes advantage of your unique geography?
Use your head, not your (supposed) looks.
posted by Elminster24 at 10:01 PM on June 15, 2010
First off, don't try to make money off your looks--the only people who do so successfully are models and whores and for both of those professions, looks don't last forever and you had better have something to fall back on.
Try to do something that can benefit from the seasonal lift when tourists arrive, but that locals will pay you for as well in the off season. Can you make and sell anything? Can you create a website and start an online business so as to not be limited by your geography? Could you start an online business that takes advantage of your unique geography?
Use your head, not your (supposed) looks.
posted by Elminster24 at 10:01 PM on June 15, 2010
Best answer: also: personal training for $50/hour, 75/hour for couples - you come to them with your equipment or better yet, personal training on that pristine coach in your favorite nook, including running on the beach; grocery shopping ($25 plus the cost of groceries); and i like the ideas above about group classes for kids - get 'em out of the hair of adults! just make sure you know cpr/first aid. and can deal with kids.
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 10:07 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 10:07 PM on June 15, 2010
coach=coast
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 10:07 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 10:07 PM on June 15, 2010
Response by poster: Firstly, thanks for the great answers. Really, really thank you! Maybe you have changed my life.
curiousitykilledthelemur, just wow. Your ideas are really really great. I know that I have just said really really twice in a row and so maybe one thinks I am naturally hyperbolic, but it is the opposite, I actually am highly grateful for these ideas.
JohnnyGunn, this is something I will definitely consider. Thank you for that idea, I will be considering the details of this venture the next few days. It could be really profitable!
knile, the tourists stay in hotels as well as summer houses. Thanks to several of the ideas above, I have thought about taking a Polaroid photo of tourists on the beach, then offering the service of portraiture on a post card, bringing it to them later in the week. I can't really bring myself to do caricature but this is certainly a good idea in terms of profit.
Elminster24, I understand why you think I am full of myself. But, it is the language of economics and business that drives me to describe myself that way, that is, as something marketable. And really, I only say 'physically attractive' in the sense of conventional standards, that is obliqueness of the parts and such things. But I do not really regard these standards as particularly noteworthy, except in the context noted above.
posted by past at 10:18 PM on June 15, 2010
curiousitykilledthelemur, just wow. Your ideas are really really great. I know that I have just said really really twice in a row and so maybe one thinks I am naturally hyperbolic, but it is the opposite, I actually am highly grateful for these ideas.
JohnnyGunn, this is something I will definitely consider. Thank you for that idea, I will be considering the details of this venture the next few days. It could be really profitable!
knile, the tourists stay in hotels as well as summer houses. Thanks to several of the ideas above, I have thought about taking a Polaroid photo of tourists on the beach, then offering the service of portraiture on a post card, bringing it to them later in the week. I can't really bring myself to do caricature but this is certainly a good idea in terms of profit.
Elminster24, I understand why you think I am full of myself. But, it is the language of economics and business that drives me to describe myself that way, that is, as something marketable. And really, I only say 'physically attractive' in the sense of conventional standards, that is obliqueness of the parts and such things. But I do not really regard these standards as particularly noteworthy, except in the context noted above.
posted by past at 10:18 PM on June 15, 2010
think more about making a fun unique frame that can be color copied, to slide the picture of the beach people into for an extra charge, isntead of the portraits. unless they take you very short periods of time to create, you can make more money just snapping and sliding instead of snapping and drawing and hoping that they like it. you may want to offer that as a very 'high end' option, but price it accordingly to make the polaroid-in-pretty-sleeve seem to be a bargain in comparison.
goodluck and have fun!
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 10:24 PM on June 15, 2010
goodluck and have fun!
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 10:24 PM on June 15, 2010
by sleeve i mean, you can totally make a pretty frame out of an 8.5x11 sheet of paper, and then color copy that onto cardstock, and use a gluestick to glue the polaroid to the middle of the 'frame.'
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 10:26 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by curiositykilledthelemur at 10:26 PM on June 15, 2010
,with white (cleardrying) glue and sand, a beachside border?
posted by infinite intimation at 10:44 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by infinite intimation at 10:44 PM on June 15, 2010
or use a thick or medium acrylic medium before-hand, and sculpt minor relief waves as borders (painted sea-like, maybe even create sculpted beach scenes); it could be higher draw to have 'several visually stunning pieces', and several 'levels' of service (product), frames and mini-sculptures? Local Shipwreck models? Popsicle sticks and some acrylic medium barnacles and curves (not sure if that doesn't apply locally). Layered, colored sand and local sand jars? Base tourist sales rely often on craft more than arts, guessing by your description of high level art skills, I guess you may seek something more specific art skill based, a project, or a set of pieces, but for someone ready to step out, there are many chances to sell more elaborate things often with tourists... could do water-color beach scene landscapes (or oils, really anything you would enjoy to create most) on a nice paper... frame the best, offer them to a local wealthy spot, and say they can have a % of a sale, and can display for free, or a series of photos perhaps?
Is there some stretch of beach where you could be permitted to set up 'campfire', maybe work with some local residence places (or places where appropriate audiences may be found locally), and play music out on the beach; perhaps a really good experience to be had in trying to bring together several musicians, perhaps across 'styles' this always makes for interesting times, or maybe a 'generational' show if there are several ages of performers wanting to participate, not sure if there are other classical performers. You don't have to all play at the same time, take turns, start with faster music, then slow it down with dark... maybe set them for every Sunday night? A few fireworks on the last one?
Have 'tickets' for seats for the night at the fire, 5-10$x25-35 people, perhaps refreshments for sale. Guess culture, leave your guitar case open. Ask, put a sign saying 'thank you for joining, this amazing evening will be same and better next Sunday, our guests will be )______, ____ _____ and also _____ft._____ all tips _____ appreciated (greatly)'. (If it works well, and demand is there you could set up, like, 5 fires, in a series, far enough that acoustic music is heard and separate, but close to go between them, and rotate performers. 5 shows a night, and you quintuple profit).
I do not know local laws relating to events or locations.
posted by infinite intimation at 12:08 AM on June 16, 2010
Is there some stretch of beach where you could be permitted to set up 'campfire', maybe work with some local residence places (or places where appropriate audiences may be found locally), and play music out on the beach; perhaps a really good experience to be had in trying to bring together several musicians, perhaps across 'styles' this always makes for interesting times, or maybe a 'generational' show if there are several ages of performers wanting to participate, not sure if there are other classical performers. You don't have to all play at the same time, take turns, start with faster music, then slow it down with dark... maybe set them for every Sunday night? A few fireworks on the last one?
Have 'tickets' for seats for the night at the fire, 5-10$x25-35 people, perhaps refreshments for sale. Guess culture, leave your guitar case open. Ask, put a sign saying 'thank you for joining, this amazing evening will be same and better next Sunday, our guests will be )______, ____ _____ and also _____ft._____ all tips _____ appreciated (greatly)'. (If it works well, and demand is there you could set up, like, 5 fires, in a series, far enough that acoustic music is heard and separate, but close to go between them, and rotate performers. 5 shows a night, and you quintuple profit).
I do not know local laws relating to events or locations.
posted by infinite intimation at 12:08 AM on June 16, 2010
When I am on a tropic island holiday, the only thing I really need is a local selling bags of marijuana. Because I am not in my normal place and it is holiday season, I know that I will pay through the nose for a small bag of middling quality weed.
posted by Meatbomb at 4:26 AM on June 16, 2010
posted by Meatbomb at 4:26 AM on June 16, 2010
I am currently a host in a restaurant making 8 dollars an hour, and spend my time thinking of ways to make money, as I watch waiters pull in 150 - 350 dollars per night (becoming a waiter is not a possibility).
I'm not sure that this directly answers your question, but ... are the waiters not giving you a percentage of their tips as host? Anywhere I've ever waited tables we've always paid out a percentage of our tips to the support staff. Certainly its not the solution to your problem, but it would add a little to your meager finances, and every little bit helps, right?
posted by anastasiav at 4:49 AM on June 16, 2010
I'm not sure that this directly answers your question, but ... are the waiters not giving you a percentage of their tips as host? Anywhere I've ever waited tables we've always paid out a percentage of our tips to the support staff. Certainly its not the solution to your problem, but it would add a little to your meager finances, and every little bit helps, right?
posted by anastasiav at 4:49 AM on June 16, 2010
In the tourist season "morning stretch" or yoga classes on the beach would probably do well. I'd pay about 20$ for a 45 min - hour long session.
posted by WeekendJen at 7:02 AM on June 16, 2010
posted by WeekendJen at 7:02 AM on June 16, 2010
Can you do small watercolors of characteristic local scenes--colorful local fishing boats, outdoor market, local docks, flora, signs, etc.? Buy some wooden frames, paint them in tropical colors, and voilà a small piece of original, local art you can sell for twenty bucks or so to pack in the suitcase.
Nthing the Polaroid/portrait idea, but do it with people's very young children while they're playing on the beach with colorful toys. You may have to do two or three gratis to show as examples.
posted by Elsie at 8:04 AM on June 16, 2010
Nthing the Polaroid/portrait idea, but do it with people's very young children while they're playing on the beach with colorful toys. You may have to do two or three gratis to show as examples.
posted by Elsie at 8:04 AM on June 16, 2010
Elminster24: "
First off, don't try to make money off your looks--the only people who do so successfully are models and whores "
That's certainly not true. Pharmaceutical reps and salesmen always have a marked advantage if they are good looking, in fact numerous studies have shown that good looking people do better across all professions.
That's why you might do better at busking than the average Joe (well that and the classical guitar skills), it will also help if you try the cooler full of goodies at the beach idea.
posted by Bonzai at 10:48 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
First off, don't try to make money off your looks--the only people who do so successfully are models and whores "
That's certainly not true. Pharmaceutical reps and salesmen always have a marked advantage if they are good looking, in fact numerous studies have shown that good looking people do better across all professions.
That's why you might do better at busking than the average Joe (well that and the classical guitar skills), it will also help if you try the cooler full of goodies at the beach idea.
posted by Bonzai at 10:48 AM on June 16, 2010 [1 favorite]
Seconding looking into if you are supposed to get a percentage of tips as kitchen staff, my experience was a sharing of these tips.
in fact numerous studies have shown that good looking people do better across all professions.
see also; as defendants in jury trials, and in measures of subjective 'trustworthiness', and 'employability' - it is not fair, and worth mentioning and speaking of with people interested in politics, Anthropology and other social sciences, but is reasonable to think that it will be 'easier' to sit (perform) in public places, and be appreciated, and 'accepted' in some situations for someone fitting our culturally defined 'stats' for 'beauty', reasonable for the asker to have added (without giving us something to judge him by, and nothing to 'judge' ourselves on to "accept" that this is how 'we' are as 'masses' [like in the polls and studies]). But yeah, don't be happy to sit back and sell smiles, you will earn, learn, and grow more by offering your creativity and selling your passions.
Everyone on an island beach paradise needs a private professional troubadour, or Seranad'eer; ~75 dollars for a discreet private musician for candle lit beachside dining evening?
Public bulletin boards, and other 'notification' areas are your friend, a few minutes with something like MS Publisher, and you have a nice flyer to print out and distribute, be creative and 'professional'. Check out some competing flyers, then look at magazines, try to be more like the mags than the other flyers. Remember magazines just have to make you notice a product, or brand, you have to give people enough information to be able to know how to 'buy' your product (contact space, email, phone?, pricing, product, why you).
posted by infinite intimation at 8:01 PM on June 16, 2010
in fact numerous studies have shown that good looking people do better across all professions.
see also; as defendants in jury trials, and in measures of subjective 'trustworthiness', and 'employability' - it is not fair, and worth mentioning and speaking of with people interested in politics, Anthropology and other social sciences, but is reasonable to think that it will be 'easier' to sit (perform) in public places, and be appreciated, and 'accepted' in some situations for someone fitting our culturally defined 'stats' for 'beauty', reasonable for the asker to have added (without giving us something to judge him by, and nothing to 'judge' ourselves on to "accept" that this is how 'we' are as 'masses' [like in the polls and studies]). But yeah, don't be happy to sit back and sell smiles, you will earn, learn, and grow more by offering your creativity and selling your passions.
Everyone on an island beach paradise needs a private professional troubadour, or Seranad'eer; ~75 dollars for a discreet private musician for candle lit beachside dining evening?
Public bulletin boards, and other 'notification' areas are your friend, a few minutes with something like MS Publisher, and you have a nice flyer to print out and distribute, be creative and 'professional'. Check out some competing flyers, then look at magazines, try to be more like the mags than the other flyers. Remember magazines just have to make you notice a product, or brand, you have to give people enough information to be able to know how to 'buy' your product (contact space, email, phone?, pricing, product, why you).
posted by infinite intimation at 8:01 PM on June 16, 2010
Some good ideas here, but its not clear to me what your goals are, other than, perhaps, making more money than you are as a restaurant host, but even that doesn't say much, because if making money was important in and of itself, I doubt you'd be where you are now.
So, what are you after? Are you just in this spot for a year or something besides heading somewhere else, or could you see spending, say, 5 years there? 20? 50? There might be different advice if you are just looking at maximizing income the next year or two, vs something longer term.
One suggestion I have is to not to be in a rush to give up your gig as a host. It brings you into contact with a lot of people, people who might be customers/clients for whatever else it is you do, and if they aren't likely customers/clients, they may have friends who are. So maybe you work to get something going on your days or hours off work. Once that is working, maybe you can afford to cut your hours back a bit. At the same time, any clients you get for your own business, you should steer some to the restaurant, and make sure your manager knows when they show up; they are less likely to be concerned about you promoting yourself at their business if they know you are promoting them at yours.
posted by Good Brain at 12:12 PM on June 17, 2010
So, what are you after? Are you just in this spot for a year or something besides heading somewhere else, or could you see spending, say, 5 years there? 20? 50? There might be different advice if you are just looking at maximizing income the next year or two, vs something longer term.
One suggestion I have is to not to be in a rush to give up your gig as a host. It brings you into contact with a lot of people, people who might be customers/clients for whatever else it is you do, and if they aren't likely customers/clients, they may have friends who are. So maybe you work to get something going on your days or hours off work. Once that is working, maybe you can afford to cut your hours back a bit. At the same time, any clients you get for your own business, you should steer some to the restaurant, and make sure your manager knows when they show up; they are less likely to be concerned about you promoting yourself at their business if they know you are promoting them at yours.
posted by Good Brain at 12:12 PM on June 17, 2010
@Bonzai
My point was that regardless of the profession, looks don't last forever and thus a career that is based on looks, unless it pays enough to one day retire on or allows you to leverage it into a different career, is short-term at best.
@OP
I understand why you feel it is worth noting, however I encourage you to not rely on it per my point above about the short-sighted nature of such a folly.
posted by Elminster24 at 5:06 PM on June 23, 2010
My point was that regardless of the profession, looks don't last forever and thus a career that is based on looks, unless it pays enough to one day retire on or allows you to leverage it into a different career, is short-term at best.
@OP
I understand why you feel it is worth noting, however I encourage you to not rely on it per my point above about the short-sighted nature of such a folly.
posted by Elminster24 at 5:06 PM on June 23, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by past at 8:37 PM on June 15, 2010