Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

This is just a quick thought.  Has anyone noticed that few companies focus on Single people?  I`m not talking about younger people who are unmarried.  I`m talking about us 40-somethings, who either never got married or who got married and divorced.  I call us Singularities because we all have unique reasons for why we are single.  For some people, it is by choice, but for others it is due to circumstance.  I think we are a unique demographic, because when the only person you can depend on is yourself, that creates a unique set of needs and wants.

-------------------------

Change creates Opportunity Opportunity creates Risk and Reward But, Who creates Change?

Can`t help but wonder what need/want is not being met by the marketplace.

Elid,

I`d go with `hair`.

Hey!! Watch the hair comments!!

:-D
I`ve noticed this, and it`s why I`m in a group marriage. We have 30 people living in our home (it`s a big home) so that we never have to say we`re "single."

Wants/Needs

• Getting from home to work when your car is in the shop and there is no public transportation available.  Shouldn`t repair shops offer an transportation service?
• Who takes care of our pets when we are away?  Sure, Dogs can go to kennel to commune with their kind.  But cats would prefer to stay at home.
• Do I really have time to take half a day off work waiting for a plumber to show up to do 30 minutes of work?
• How about matching services to link people to like minded others for vacation and travel opportunities.  We don`t want to be "hooked up"; we just don`t want to go alone.
• Why do I have to be totally responsible for everything.  Can`t I hire a manager for particular issues?

-------------------------

Change creates Opportunity Opportunity creates Risk and Reward But, Who creates Change?

I believe this is one reason the concierge business has started to take off.

I`m pretty sure we`ve had this conversation before  

Hi Karel,

My initial thought is that companies that offer services that single people might want to use won`t specifically say "Hey, single people over here!  You need us!"  This goes against the American cultural desire to be independent.  But plenty of companies will talk about how their services or products will save you time and hassle, which is something a single person would want.  It`s just indirect.  To address your specific examples:

Car`s in the shop--some shops DO offer a loaner, especially the dealerships.  Enterprise will pick you up from a shop and take you to rent a car.  Or there are taxis.

Pet care--plenty of people are available to stop by your house and feed/walk/play with your pets while you`re away.  And this isn`t just a concern for single people--married couples often go on vacation together!  :D

Plumber--yeah, I think you pretty much have to wait for them.  And this would be the case if you were married, too.  Someone has to be there.  You could ask your boss to let you telework on this day.

Travel groups--I don`t know for sure, but I bet you could find something like this online.  It might be marketed toward senior citizens, though.  I think this is the example of the five that seems most ripe for new ventures.

Hiring a manager--as Craig said, there are concierges.  There are also maids and secretaries.  And if you really want someone to be in charge of your life, make a lot of money and hire a personal assistant! :D

What you may be sensing a need for in the marketplace is a resource where all of these services were made available in one place, like a website.  I could definitely see a website about making life easier for "singularities" being popular.  I don`t know if any already exist.

Also, I addressed my comments to "you," but I`m not assuming that you, Karel, have all these problems.  I`m just speaking generally.

-------------------------

EFFECTIVE WEBSITES
when results matter

www.effective-websites.com

Another way to approach this concept is to ask, "What companies focus on couples?"

The likelihood is that in a couple, with shared resources, you can be in two places at the same time, sort of. But with only 1 person, that`s really out of the question. With so many people tending to be part of a couple, I`d guess that not many people really ever think about the logistics of handling life alone.

Secondly, the whole idea of an isolated single person, I think is a relatively new problem. Think about how for so many decades, neighborhoods were places where lots of people knew each other. With the nuclear family, divorce, and all the other aspects of modern life, the whole infrastructure for support is collapsing.

Definitely a business opportunity! :-)