Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I never knew it would be so hard to come up with a good business idea, but if it was easy I guess everyone would have own business. Here is where your help come in. I was thinking about some international business, buying here and sealing it in Europe, Poland to be exact. Before I go international I would like to own something that is profitable here in the states. I was thinking about retail but, who do I contact for large quantities of supplies.  

So, what would be the best way to pick an idea and make it in to reality, I have many ideas such as, recycling plastic and making it in to granulates, or making paper bags, but all that requires a large sum of money for equipment. What could be something simple to start with and expend with time?

We`re moving toward globalization both of the economies of the world, and overall human civilization. There`s little doubt it will happen, but it won`t happen automatically. Nor will it happen in the next 10 years.

Before that globalization takes place on a rational level, we`re going to pass through the same type of upheavals that came prior to the information revolution, industrial revolution, the bronze revolution, agricultural revolution, and every other cultural change.

During that upheaval, before things get better they`ll get worse. In my estimation, before we can come together we`re going to have to fragment. We`ve had strong examples of the benefits of globalization, so we know what could happen. But we`ve also had examples of the abuses of power available to running such a process with antique governing systems.

It isn`t globalization that`s a problem, it`s the antiquated governments and economies founded on national boundaries that aren`t equipped for anything larger.

The point here is that we`re soon going to discover a powerful movement back toward national economies, protectionism, separatism, and trade barriers. Economies will fold inward on themselves, making international trade more difficult before it gets better.

To that end, it seems more sensible to begin with a business that can grow within a national market more easily than an international market. If you have troubles or problems, you can step outside the front door and ask people for some answers. Not so easy to do if your primary markets are across the ocean.

The next major hurdle will be the collapsing economies around the world. Many of those economies are based first on exports to the US, and secondly on a currency system tied to the dollar. With the dollar collapsing, nobody knows what will happen. It`s never happened before.

As such, foreign exchange will be a major complexity. Exports will shut down, leaving the European population with significantly less money to spend, and that money will be worth less. Just like here in America.

I believe the strongest trend, likely one that will emerge as the stable groundwork from which to build a new governing and economic system will be local economies. We`ll return to the early 1900s with a boom in "mom and pop" stores, neighborhood markets, and regional differences of product.

The "mall America" concept of sameness everywhere will fall apart. Online retail and business will help that along, as more people search for something different, personal, or simply for what they actually want to buy.

"Buy Local" is a rallying cry just now starting to be heard. It`s going to grow, led by the micro-business and small-business sector. You might want to take a closer look at something that will prosper in a localized, fragmented economic environment.

To jump on Craig`s amazing vision :) I suggest you take it even one level lower in your search, local and sell something that we all always need, like food. I am not talking about restaurants I am talking about food that people put on the table in their homes, I not only see localized business returning but if it is not a life necessity many are not going to spend money on it, they are going to do without.
I`m sure many remember our grandparents, or great grandparents that lived through the depression, years after they still lived with the pantry always stocked to the hilt, enough to last months, because if you don`t have a lot of money you still need to eat. Not to mention the envelope of cash under the mattress.
so just a thought if you started a local co`op type of market, where you could offer local producers products and use the community needs to negotiate better prices on bulk items, you would build in a stable customer base. I remember back in the 70`s and early eighties these type of stores were fairly common, then the chains, the "me" generation, and the if it costs more it must be better attitude took people away from local mom and pop`s. and sent them to the mall.
I think not only are we going to see a return to local marketplaces, we are about to experience (for awhile) a return to essentials only with a no frills lifestyle.
even with 0% interest and all the government bailouts going on now, people that get saved will be "once burned twice shy" and the ones that don`t get bailed out will be out of the marketplace for some time to come.
My final thought is think local, think essential!
If it is an indication, My wife has all but abandoned the mall, where in past years she felt most comfortable.:)

What about eBay selling, is it still a good place to start from, or because so many people do it it’s not profitable? What do you guys think.

eBay is going down faster and faster. Fees rise, services fall, and visitors are becoming more and more scarce.