Weird Business Ideas

1. Alex Tews website made UD$ 1, 037 million in just a few months. He sold single pixels in a grid of 1000 x 1000 pixels for UD$1 each. Novelty value allowed him to sell the last spot for over US$38 000. The lucky recipients are now a part of history. .....

MySpace Tutorials

2. A high school dropout, Ashley Qualls, earns more than US$70 000 a day by providing layouts and free tutorials for MySpace. Qualls site receives more than seven million monthly visitors and 60 million page views. .....

Virtual Eternity

3. With this programme families can create digital clones of each member to be preserved in an interactive time capsule for future generations. The company hopes to give the gift of immortality while allowing future generations to connect with their roots. It is yet to be seen if people will accept this somewhat creepy technology. .....

Virtual assistant

4. This business allows people to delegate the work associated with online dating to someone else. Everything from picking the correct sites to the arrangement of facetoface meetings can be organised by your assistant. The owner now earns a six figure income. .....

Toilet training for cats

5. CitiKitty sells toilet training kits for cats so owners no longer have to deal with litter trays. Their kit includes a toilet training seat suitable for all cats over three months old.Their revenue is in the millions and they boast eight years of positive reviews from customers. .....

Sunglasses for dogs

6. Doggle sells goggles to protect dogs eyes from the sun and wind. The goggles are designed specifically for the unique facial features of a dog. Lenses are UV resistant, shatterproof and antifog. The company makes over US$3 million in annual sales. .....

Pet rocks

7. As unbelievable as it sounds, in 1976 a business made US$ 15 million in their first six months of selling pet rocks. The rocks come with a complete care guide and food as well. The purchase of a pet rock became a fad which eventually died out.Another company started selling them last year. .....

Bed Bug Barriers

8. Australian, Tony Abrams, became a millionaire by inventing barriers for underneath the legs of a bed to prevent bed bugs from crawling up. He also sells a range of other products to prevent bed bug bites. He was motivated to start the business after the Sydney Olympic Games which resulted in an infestation of bed bugs. .....

Rentachicken

9. This gives urban farmers an opportunity to test their skills at raising chickens before actually buying all the equipment. The idea behind the business is to reduce your chances of being left with chickens and a coop when you discover you actually do not enjoy keeping chickens. .....

The Pet Loo

10. This square of fake grass with a waste containment system underneath is making waves in the US and Australia. People living in apartments are buying them for their pets to use in between walks. Last year they saw a 53% increase in sales. .....

Professional poop scooper

11. A US resident became a millionaire by scooping other peoples dog poop for them. He now employs seven people and has a fleet of six trucks to service his more than 700 customers. His idea was simply inspired by the large amount of pet owners in his vicinity. .....

Life is short Have an affair

12. This company takes the success of dating websites to a new level. The website is for people already in relationships who want to have an affair. Be careful of choosing such a contentious idea as the launch of the site stirred major controversy in the US. Nonetheless, estimated profits are already at US$20 million. .....

Buy a doctors note

13. Despite major debates around the legality and ethicality of this website, it still gets thousands of visits a month. This US company sells excuses to get off work ranging from sick notes to jury summonses and even funeral service programmes. .....

Reserve a spot in heaven

14. Whether people really believe or not remains to be seen but it is definitely worth a mention. ReserveaSpotinHeaven provides sinners with a backup plan in case they do not make it into heaven on their own merits. You can even get a full moneyback guarantee if you do not make it to heaven. .....

Working holidays

15. With Vocation Vacations you can pay to try out your dream job for two days. The great need for career and startup mentorship propelled the start of this business. They also provide video conferencing and phone mentorship. People pay up to US$2 000 for such a holiday. .....

Wishbone equality

16. Have you ever been disappointed at a family gathering because you missed out on the wishbone? Never fear, because The Wishbone Co produces plastic wishbones so everyone can make a wish. They have already generated over UD$ 4 million in sales. .....

Dear Santa

17. Santa Mail sends personalised letters to children from Father Christmas. Letters are even mailed to St Nicholas Drive in Alaska. Since their start in 2002 the business has made over US$3 million. .....

Hangover Helpers

18. Two college students charge clients to clean up the mess from a party the previous night. They help people recover from their hangovers as painlessly as possible even arriving with breakfast. The students made a splash in the US featuring on numerous media outlets and have an endless supply of business. .....

The Smashing Place

19. This idea takes the concept of stress release to new levels. The business in Tokyo sells plates and cups to their clients for them to smash against the wall. .....

Online jewellery pawn shop

20. Josh Opperman started Now I do, Now I Dont when his fianc .....

Corn in a bag

21. A housewife started her business in her local community selling different shaped bags filled with corn. These could be microwaved to create a warm pillow for children. The demand for the pillows inspired her to expand to supermarkets. She is now a millionaire. .....

Revolutionising insurance

22. In Brasil you can buy an insurance policy at a newspaper kiosk. The company is so successful they are now considering selling insurance at petrol stations. .....

Personalised romance novels

23. YourNovel.com provides readers with romance novels personalised to include their names, physical features and nicknames. If you pay an extra fee you can even include your photo on the cover. It has become a successful business and is still growing. .....

Spandex bodysuits

24. Superfan Suits provides sports fanatics will fullbody spandex suits to make an impression at sporting events. The suit is sold in various colours for different teams and covers every inch of the body. The company is now expanding to include multicoloured and textured suits to their range. .....

I Wear Your Shirt

25. Jason Sadler earned his success by making a buzz. He is paid to wear company branded shirts for a day. The buzz is generated by taking photos of himself in the shirt and uploading videos to YouTube. Sadler can make up to US$83 000 a year just for wearing a tshirt. .....

Bed Bug Barrier

26. If youve ever been to a hostel or hotel infested with bed bugs, then you know how terrible those little mites can be.Well, Tony Abrams made a fortune by inventing barriers to keep the bedbugs from biting. His business, Bed Bug Barriers, creates and sells barriers that go underneath the legs of a bed. These barriers trap the bedbugs as they attempt to crawl into the bed to bite sleepers. .....

I Do and Now I Dont

27. When Josh Oppermans fianc?e left him after a threemonth engagement, he was crushed. All she left him was the fancy engagement ring hed worked so hard to save up for. However, when he took the ring back to the jeweler to return it, he got a nasty shock. They only offered him $3,500 for the ring he paid over $10,000 for. Yikes. .....

The TakeAway

28. So these are six strange businesses that worked, but what can you take away from them? Well, if youre thinking about starting a business, dont go for ?weird? just because it worked for others. Thats a sure way to fail. The key to all these unusual businesses is that satisfy a need, even if many people dont realize they have that need (like with the Tokyo business, The Smashing Place). .....

Lucky Wishbone Co

29. Allowing everyone to make a wish on Thanksgiving.Generated over $4 million in sales so far. .....