Editor’s note: This article was first published in January 2011. Parking-space sharing is presented as a future business and home swapping as just starting out; both kinds of service have since become common.
When I was sharing a flat, one of my flatmates, a guy who liked to talk a lot, came up with a business idea one day: swapping garages and parking spaces. It sounded ridiculous at the time, but I have to admit that, whether it was down to the street drinking sessions he used to go to or whatever he was smoking, he had a vision of a need that is completely real today, and of a lucrative business, though a fairly complicated one to pull off.
Picture a city like Madrid (although these days every city has the same problem: parking), where thousands of people head off to work and have to leave as much as two hours early just to find somewhere to park. The luckiest ones will find a space in the car park nearest their company, while many others will end up taking public transport or renting a garage space near their workplace.
The thing is, while thousands of cars are hunting for a space in one area, thousands of garage spaces sit empty in other areas, where hundreds or thousands of people are also looking for somewhere to park.
Imagine if every worker who has to commute were in a database showing the hours when their garage is free, and they could also look up the garage spaces available in the area where they want to park, and use them with no hassle.
Turned into a business for a small monthly or yearly fee, this idea would no doubt be a lifesaver for millions of people across a country and would put an end to many of the problems a driver and worker has to face every day.
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Obviously it isn’t simple. It would need sophisticated software, mobile apps to check which garages are available and, of course, a way for the person lending their garage to feel completely confident that they can trust the “tenant”.
It’s a very complex business, but make no mistake: one day the people with the right know-how and contacts will come together to make it happen, and it will be a resounding success. It’s a business idea for brave entrepreneurs… with deep pockets.
On the other hand, the business idea of swapping houses or flats is already starting to take off. There are websites and agencies devoted entirely to it. People who live on the coast and are going away can rent out their flat for the days they’re gone.
Others can agree to swap a house in the mountains for a beach flat for the month of August. In some cases, people who had to move to another province for work have found a family who, by coincidence, had to move to their province for the same reason. Just imagine the savings and peace of mind a service like this offers a customer.
Two great business ideas for daring entrepreneurs. Good luck!
Further reading
- Profitable business ideas with little investment
- The most profitable businesses for 2011–2012
- How can I start my business with no money?
Featured image: side guacamole, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr.
