Public Relations
Startup Costs: $50,000 - $100,000
Home Based: Can be operated from home.
Part Time: Can be operated part-time.
Franchises Available? No
Online Operation? Yes
If you've got a flair for demonstrations, people skills and the gift of organization, then an in-store demonstration service might be the business for you. You'll contract with food brokers and other suppliers and manufacturers to show off their products via your own on-call, personally trained demonstrators. People are more likely to purchase grocery products after tasting them, and customers of other types of goods can also be enticed by something they can see in action, feel, hear or smell, all of which makes the demonstration business valuable to brokers and manufacturers as well as store owners. You can start small and grow big--some demonstration companies manage as many as 2,000 to 20,000 demonstrators in several states. You'll probably start off by doing the demos yourself and hire others as your company grows. The advantages to this business are that you're always on the go so there's no time to get bored, you can work from home, and your start-up costs are minimal. Many owners of in-store demo businesses have a background in the grocery industry. This is helpful but not an absolute must. The must-haves are strong organizational skills to keep track of your demonstrators, their assignments and the materials they'll need to bring to each job; and top-notch administrative skills for paying your people and making sure you get paid. People skills are another must--you'll be dealing with lots of personalities, from store managers to food brokers to your own demonstrators. You'll also need a flair for demonstrating products and for teaching others how to do the same.
The Market
Businesses, organizations and individuals who seek media coverage or who need media training.
Public Relations Ideas
Ad Agency
Use your creativity to come up with knock-out ad campaigns for clients.
Advertising Broker
Use your sales skills to mediate between ad agencies and content providers.
Campus Coupon Books
If you remember your days as a student saver, you'll have no problem getting this business to sell.
More from Business Ideas
'$220,000 in 3 Months': These Friends — One a Former Apple Engineer — Started a Side Hustle By Revamping an 'Unruly, Ugly' Product in Their Garage
Cristina Ashbaugh and Kelly McGee launched Yardsale to solve a common but often overlooked problem.
'My Brain Thrives on Variety': His Side Hustle Inspired By 'The 4-Hour Workweek' Led to $600,000 in 16 Months
Mark Hellweg, 42, knows what it takes to start a business "with a fraction of the capital."
He Immigrated to the U.S. and Started a Business. It's 'Not the Sexiest' But Sells Over 6,000 Units Daily — Up to $25,000 Apiece — Anyway.
When 16-year-old Amir Loloi emigrated from Iran, he didn't intend to stay in the U.S. forever. Then those plans changed.