Businesses for Boomers: Mobile Businesses
If you are looking for a business that is easy to start with low overhead, consider a mobile (aka: door-to-door) business. I was reminded of this idea yesterday when a friend called me to ask if I would help her set up a professional practice that would go to people in their homes. The more I talked to her, the more excited I got about the concept.
There are lots of businesses that could “go mobile.” For example:
- Pet Grooming
- Personal services (”concierge” type businesses, that run errands, do house-sitting and pet-sitting, etc.)
- Food vendors (kind of a mobile canteen)
- Professional services (chiropractors, podiatrists, massage therapists, and other professions that don’t need a lot of equipment)
- Beauty services (who come to the home to give haircuts, styling, etc.)
- Interior design/decorating
Certainly, there are pro’s and con’s to setting up a mobile business:
Advantages:
- Simple and Inexpensive startup. No office to lease, no expensive equipment to buy. You can use your own car and put a sign on it.
- Flexible Hours. You can set your own hours and days of operation.
- Easy Office Setup. You don’t need a big, formal office with lots of office equipment. You can run a home office and deduct your office costs.
Disadvantages:
- The price of gas. Although you can deduct your mileage (the current IRS rate is 58.5 cents a mile), that doesn’t cover all your travel expenses.
- Carrying around files and records can be a pain, and you would have to get a portable debit/credit card scanner.
- Going to people’s homes can be a little difficult, and for some it might be a little scary.
What do you think? What kind of mobile business would you be interested in setting up?
Image source: PicApp
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POSTED IN: Boomer Businesses in Difficult Financial Times, Business Plan, Businesses for Boomers, Franchise opportunities for Boomers
1 opinion for Businesses for Boomers: Mobile Businesses
Business Ideas for Baby Boomers in 2008
Dec 29, 2008 at 7:36 am
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