I have a busy brain.

Usually busy with things I don't need it worrying about. More often than not, some kind of plan to make money.

So, for this blog, I thought I would share 5 business ideas that I've had recently that I would start tomorrow, if I had the time.

Maybe there's someone out there that's looking to start a business, but needs a little help figuring out what to do.

Maybe that person will start one of these company's and make a huge success of it.

Maybe they'll feel bad that they basically took my idea, and probably offer me a small equity stake in the business.

I'll leave that with you and your conscience...

So, lets get on with it.

It's worth noting that it's now a race between all people that read this blog, to build these businesses first. I will point out that those of you that subscribe to the blog had a head start of 30 minutes versus those that saw it on Linkedin. If ever there was a better reason to add your email address to the field above or below...

I've broken the 5 ideas down into 3 categories to suit all tastes. 2 of them are lifestyle businesses that require no funding. 2 are agency businesses that require little to no funding. And the last one is a slightly more capital intensive option.

Of course, the idea of this blog isn't that you literally start these businesses, but more that it gives you a germ of an idea that then sparks a wider plan of your own.

Lifestyle business – no funding required.

A sales consultancy.

OK, I know what you're thinking. Not exactly ground breaking. You could have thought of that.

Well exactly. You probably have thought of that. And probably ruled it out for being too simple.

I would work out who I have in my existing network. Prior to starting FounderON and Kitchimo that would have been Ecommerce Manager's because of my previous Amazon agency business. That's niche enough to be specialist, but also big enough to make money.

I would try to think of something to sell that is high margin and people need to buy. Avoid physical products that are prone to supply-chain challenges etc.

So one thing could be SaaS solutions for Ecommerce Managers.

All Ecommerce Managers will be using SaaS products, and likely spending significant amounts on it already. So they would see value from me being an expert in that market and knowing the pros and cons of each solution.

I would then find a handful of non-competing, relevant SaaS softwares that are solid products, but not big enough yet for a full-time sales person. And I would offer to sell their products for a small monthly retainer. Maybe £2,500 per month.

That £2,500 per month is a great deal for them, because I have instant access to all of the clients they want to speak to.

And if I find 5 software companies, then it will be easy for me to get a meeting with the clients, because I come with various options they might not know about.

£12,500 per month business.

Kind of like the traditional hardware distribution model, but with software.

A Linkedin strategy consultancy.

Again, not telling you anything you don't already know!

There are lots of personal branding agencies out there now, mainly pitching at founders to gain followers and attention using Linkedin content.

All good. It's clearly a trend, and some of them will grow to be the biggest quick enough and reap the rewards.

But really attention on Linkedin is only half the battle. You need to know who to connect to, how to interact with them, and how to actually drive revenue through the channel.

Full Linkedin strategy support.

And I wouldn't target founders. I would think of a market that has high disposable income, and most likely to have missed the Linkedin gravy train.

CEO's of more traditional businesses. Maybe accounting, legal, logistics, agriculture. Traditional industries that aren't being targeted by the personal branding crowd, but could still turn Linkedin into a money making channel.

Again, £2,500 per month retainer. Maybe 10 clients this time. Kerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrching ££££.

Agency business – little or no funding

Pinterest Agency

Maybe seems backwards to focus in on one of the smallest platforms in terms of spend. But that's exactly why I would.

No media agency is making big money on Pinterest, so isn't investing in knowing it inside out.

I would learn it, understand it, speak to Pinterest, understand their blockers and create a narrative that makes Pinterest a viable part of a media plan.

Maybe I could only charge £1,000 per month or £2,000 per month initially, but I could scoop up large parts of the market. By showing brands that there is a way to drive revenue through Pinterest then it should be a no brainer to spend those kind of small retainers.

20 clients, averaging £1,500 per month gives you a solid foundation to start to target the larger brands where even their tiny Pinterest budgets are enough to build a solid business.

Full-Service Linkedin Agency

Similar to Pinterest, Linkedin Ads is rarely the focus of a media agency.

And Linkedin Ads are known for being very expensive.

But actually, they are an incredible way of driving high value business for B2B brands.

In order to maximise the impact of the ads though, you need a successful organic strategy.

So my agency would offer the personal branding services, the Linkedin strategy services (how to build connections, how to prospect etc) and the paid media element.

I would make sure that my agency was known as 'the' agency for Linkedin, and try to win business from personal branding agencies and media agencies alike.

Capital required

Wellness Centre

Bit more of a curveball this one.

Many wellness related independent professionals like personal trainers, therapists, chiropractors etc are amazing at delivering the services that they offer. But they're maybe not all experts in marketing, and maybe don't have the financial means or risk profile to take on full-time premises to trade from.

Customers like to buy from one place, with easy payments options. Hence the growth of marketplaces.

The Wellness Centre would be like a co-working space for service providers. They list their service and price, and customers can book them via the central site. The service provider gets details of the booking and the space that's been allocated for them.

I would take advantage of cheap office space and rent a floor in a business park and remodel it with a nice communal area and lots meeting sized rooms.

The business makes a margin on each booking. Simple-ish.

Well, there's an insight into my mind. Hopefully some of it makes sense!

And remember, if you're interested in starting your own agency, but want the support of two founders that have been there and done it, check out The Ten Club.