Madison, Wisconsin smokers are smoking mad about not being able to light up at bars and restaurants in the city. But now they have a website to go to that will tell them where they can still puff away both indoors in the suburbs and outdoors in the city. The founder said that the site was started for smokers looking for a place to have a smoke with their drink. Basically, a place is allowed on the list if it permits smoking.

A few months ago, 40 bars and restaurants were on the list. Visitors to the site can add places to the list, although the site’s manager checks-up on the additions before adding them to the list.

Whenever there is a law or ordinance passed, there is usually a significant group of people who are passionately against it. In this case, some smokers who were against the smoking ban in bars and restaurants created a webpage to help each other find a place to smoke.

These types of situations could be great opportunities to create a membership website where you charge your subscribers a fee, or you can charge for advertising on your website etc. There are many possibilities out there!

For more details on this story and other business ideas go to:
http://businessfastlane.com

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Steve recently bought a motorcycle. But he needs to get rid of the bike as soon as possible. In a classified ad, Steve wrote, he was selling it because it was purchased without proper consent of a loving wife.  Apparently, he felt he could do whatever he wanted because his wife told him “Do whatever the h*** you want, ” but as he says in the ad, she she really didn’t mean it.

Steve’s classified ad for his motorcycle was one of the most popular on T.V. station Website. On August 30, the ad had gotten around 83,000 views. By September 6th, the last day the ad was on the site, the bike had reached 115,244 views. That’s a huge number for a classified ad. The site administrator and his staff noticed a surge in traffic on the Web site they traced to Steve?s ad, with the majority of it coming from Yahoo e-mail users. They think the ad has made the e-mail circuit.

Yet despite all of the hoopla, the motorcycle didn’t sell. The attention the ad was generating was most likely from Steve’s funny and concise explanation of why he’s getting rid of the bike.

In the ad the tells about the bad timing of the purchase. He and his wife had promised each other that they would get out of debt before they made any more large purchases. Eventually, his wife got fed up and told her husband the line that has been e-mailed and viewed thousands of time.

What can we learn from this funny story besides the fact that women often don’t mean what they say? We can learn a valuable marketing lesson about ads. As Steve found out, making an ad funny or weaving in a personal story is a great way to make it stand out, but it’s no guarantee that it will help it sell.

For more details on this story and other business ideas go to:
http://www.businessfastlane.com

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Barbara knows the headache our chemical-filled world can be to chemically sensitive people. Barbara was not familiar with chemical sensitivity when her son, who is a naturopathic doctor, called and told her that a mail-order company for nontoxic products was being sold.

At the time, she really needed some kind of work. Using her savings, she bought the company, its mailing list and catalog with its directory of earth-friendly, often chemical-free and biodegradable home and building products. She says it turned out to be something I really get satisfaction out of, by helping other people.

Her son, who treats chemically sensitive people, has become her technical advisor. He helps her answer some of the detailed questions she gets from her customers, and he also carries most of the products in his office. Barbara publishes the catalog and takes care of all the orders.

Barbara feels sorry for some of her customers because some have a hard time getting their doctor to believe them.

What can we learn from this story? Several things. Sometimes other people’s problems can bring great business opportunities. This is also a good example of a specialty business that helps people who are overlooked by businesses that are only interested in creating products or services for the majority of people.

Other specialty groups out there include overweight people, people with food allergies, people with disabilities . . . just to name a few.

For more details on this story and other business ideas go to: http://businessfastlane.com

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Pillows For Lonely People

Here’s a really goofy idea that shows there is a market for just about anything.

For women…

The Japanese, renowned for their domination of the electronics world, have a somewhat softer market cornered as well. Instead of the perfect digital device they have created the perfect man! So say the single Japanese women who have flocked to stores.

This comforting cushion is shaped like a man’s torso with one of the arms available for cuddling on. Since December, 1000 women seem to agree. The buyers are saying, “He doesn’t snore, complain that his arm is asleep or steal the covers”.

At this point this novelty item is only available in Japan, but are underway to ship that boy overseas.

For men…

Not to be out-cuddled by the females, another Japanese manufacturer created a product for the lonely men of the country. This item is made of foam and is shaped like the bottom half of a kneeling women. A spokesperson for the company says “Single men find this soothing.”

He claims it fills a primal male need to snuggle onto a mothers lap. Sales reached the 3000 mark in just a few weeks. Only available in Japan at this point, but who knows?

In the meantime, while we wait, can you think of your own version of something that would offer comfort to the lonely singles folks out there. Remember not to let your imagination be stifled by something that might seem too silly or off the wall. There are millions of zany novelty items just waiting to be dreamed of.

For more details on this story and other business ideas go to:
http://www.businessfastlane.com

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Last weekend I was at a local shopping mall when I noticed a young man demonstrating toys in the middle of the mall. He was working hard as he juggled between doing demos and selling toys. As I watched him for awhile I couldn’t help but reflect on another time in my life.

I was the television production manager at a major university. It was exciting. I supervised a large TV crew and a remote television truck and did major sports events.

One occasion family members came to visit. I got them “VIP passes” so they could walk around the stadium and other T.V. facilities. They thought I was a “TV big shot”. Little did he know, I was also had a major case of “entrepreneurism.” While I supposedly had my “dream job”, I was also reading rags to riches stories and dreaming of being in a business of my own.

A few years later family came to visit me again. This time I had a booth at a local fair selling mechanical wind up birds. I was thrilled to be my own boss and got more satisfaction each time I sold a $9.95 bird than supervising a million dollar T.V. facility at my old job. Only another entrepreneur could understand the feeling.

Now many years later, I’ve never regretted my decision to be an entrepreneur.

As this year comes to a close… I salute you. Whether you are a well established pro or someone still looking for your first project to begin, I salute entrepreneurs everywhere who have the guts to take risks and make things happen!

We want to help you make your dreams a reality. For more business ideas go to:
http://businessfastlane.com

Ron