Great Small Business Ideas For Someone With Cash

I don’t know about you but I get a little tired of seeing all the lists of great small business ideas for people that are broke.  What about the rest of us?  I have to think that there are many would-be entrepreneurs out there who are sitting on a nice chunk of change due to an inheritance, investment achievement, or good saving habits and are ready to put it to work in a high-potential business.  Well, look no further.  I give you three of my favorite ideas for someone with plenty of startup capital.

Probably my best idea for someone with a lot of money to get going with is a residential house painting business.  Now, right off the bat I’m sure some of you are thinking that painting is the last thing you feel like doing, but keep in mind that great small business ideas don’t have to result in the owner actually doing the work.  In fact, I’d advise against it in this scenario.  House painting is one of the biggest home improvement industries in the world, accounting for billions of dollars worth of commerce every year, and it’s something that will never go away.  As long as people buy and rent houses there will be a need for this service.  All you need to do is hire a general manager and a few painters whom you can trust, rent a location, buy supplies, and you’re off and running.  Let the GM handle the business while you sit at home and watch TV all day.  This one is a cash machine, my friends.

Probably my next best idea would be to start a no-frills restaurant or sandwich shop. I would stay away from high-end restaurants because the costs can get out of hand very quickly if you don’t know what you’re doing, but there is much less risk with a small burger or hoagie joint. I can think of a local sandwich shop, in particular, that is so bare-bones that you wouldn’t believe it. No waiter or bussers, of course. Just a small space with a prep table, an oven, a soda machine, and two workers is all that make up this operation, but it’s always packed! Why? Because the food is delicious and it has a twist that people can’t get anywhere else. Those are the keys. Good food with a bit of uniqueness and nothing else matters. Keep you costs to a bare minimum and you should be cash-flow positive within a few months of startup. Give it a few years and you might just need to expand and start up a new location!

Lastly, consider opening a few car washes in your area. It’s no secret that these are a great, low-maintenance way to generate cash and increase your net worth. Most of them no longer even need a human attendant. The upfront costs would be substantial but once the doors open you’ll be amazed how much money this kind of business generates, day in and day out. The wonderful thing about a cleaning-related business is that it will always be in demand. Until they invent a car paint which repels dirt you can count on this being a big money-maker for your small business portfolio. The more the better. I know people who own dozens of car washes in their city and they go laughing to the bank every single week.  If you really wanted to expand your army of car washes and make them even more profitable then you could combine them with an oil change service.  This would obviously require a much larger cash outlay and the hiring of several employees but the margins are pretty huge in this kind of business.

Those are a few of my favorites, but it’s really just the tip of the iceberg. In general, my advice would be to look for business opportunities that have low fixed costs and can be run by a GM and unskilled laborers. Follow these few simple rules and I doubt you’ll be disappointed. Great small business ideas are often just simple notions that consumers need on a consistent basis, be it food, house painting, or car washing.