Editor’s note: This article was first published in February 2018. Its statements that the businesses are profitable “as of today (2018)” and that one is “a business for this summer” date the piece; the current status of each company should be checked.
The business ideas we present today were born in the United States during the crisis, and most of them belong to people who lost their jobs and were forced to start their own business. Others simply saw the chance to give shape to a business they had been thinking about for years.
Although some of these businesses are more original, others aren’t so original and are actually very simple. All these ideas have one thing in common: as of today (2018), they are profitable for their creators. It’s a question of seeing whether they could be adapted to your own country.
6 business ideas to import from the United States
See also: 9 cool businesses to import from the United States
1. Archie McPhee: the “mecca” of toys for children and adults… and a few other things
This shop (Archie McPhee) sells all kinds of toys for both children and adults. The secret of its success is its wide range of products and services: it boasts of having the most original and outlandish toys and gifts, not just the usual ones you can find in any shop.
It also sells joke items, stag and hen party supplies and costumes, and organises parties and birthdays. You could call it a mini shopping centre of fun. Thanks to a good social media marketing strategy, the business was profitable from its first months, as it quickly became well known.
(See also: 6 fascinating business ideas from Asia)
2. Handbag rental
Bagborroworsteal is devoted exclusively to renting and selling designer handbags. We have already talked about the boom in second-hand businesses and in renting wedding suits and dresses; this shop gives people the chance to try a handbag before buying it, or to rent a bag for a social occasion where they need to project “status”. If this business idea were diversified further, for example into all kinds of luxury clothing and accessories, it could be even more profitable.
3. A very sophisticated cinema
Big Picture is a luxury cinema with a cocktail bar, a restaurant and meeting spaces. It shows both new and old films. Sometimes it organises events: if it is going to screen a period film, it throws a party where people have to come in period costume. The entrepreneurs who developed this idea have made this “cinema” a landmark in their city. It is, in the end, a hybrid business (cinema, restaurant, bar and events venue).
(See also: New, profitable and little-exploited businesses gathered from other parts of the world)
4. A social holidays website
This website, Gatherball.com, works like a social network where you share what you are looking for in your holidays with all the network’s users: tastes, hobbies, interests and personal budget. That way, social trips are planned where you get the chance to meet other people. Where is the business in this website? In the contracts with travel agencies, hotels and so on. This kind of holiday is becoming increasingly popular in the United States.
5. Hot tub boat rental
If you are looking for a business for this summer and you live in a coastal city, the days of renting out the usual pedal boats and jet skis are over. Hot Tub Boats is a company that sells these boats fitted with a jacuzzi or hot tub, and rents them out by the hour, so you can relax as a couple, on your own or in a group. A huge success on American coasts.
6. Sustainable cleaning
There are lots of cleaning companies, but what makes the difference at Steam and Clean is that it is one of the few cleaning companies that use no chemicals or detergents. Instead, they use high-pressure, high-temperature steam to kill bacteria. The company also filters the waste water and reuses it. This recently founded company has managed to sign numerous contracts with city councils, hospitals and private companies, while also focusing on private homes, as it did in its early days.
As we can see, this time the ideas are not overly original; rather, they focus on specific needs. They are businesses that were profitable from the start because, you could say, each of these companies has something that sets it apart from its competitors and makes it unique.
Further reading
- 8 new and profitable business ideas from around the world
- 5 business ideas you won’t believe exist
- 6 businesses for young entrepreneurs
Featured image: rochelle hartman, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr.
