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Businesses that can be started in less than 24 hours.

Hi!

Just wan't to give my input on the starting a business threads.

You don't need to invest a lot of money, just make sure you have what it takes for you to rent a pad and keep you floating for 6 month and then give it a go.

You can work yourself, and even that you normally need legal documents for this, is can be done under the radar. So here are a list of examples of what you could do:

Things that can be started in less than 24 hours are:

Hairdresser (if you are experiencedin that profession) Niche on some type, example: Hairextensions, and make friends in social groups that use that kind of services regularly. This work can be done in your flat.

Taxidriver. Contact expat hostels and offer a expat "taxi" service that will not overcharge, or try to screw the guests in any way. A trusty, expat driver could probably make some "ok" money. This can also be done under the radar, as you are a social guy and just hanging with other expats :)

Surfteacher. Catch the tourists at the beach and take them surfing. - Who can prove you are just not friends?

Ticketguy. Buy and sell tickets for popular shows that tourist most likely would like to visit.

Utility guy: Doing timeconsuming services for other expat enterprises. (banking things / gov. handling / whatever) My guess is that many expats would be glad to pay a sum to get out of the slow byrocratic system. And also needs a guy who have no intrest in screwing them.

Wash and Ironing service. You could do this as a service for other hostels and for travelers. Straight out of your pad this to.

Food catering: If you are good at cooking traditional american food, you could prepare daytime and cook / send food to expat that longing for "real" food.

Actually all the kind of service that people use "back home" can be sold overseas.
It's done all over the world (asia / africa / southamerica / centralamerica) where expats gladly pay a little bit more to get a trustworthy service, from another expat.

This is a way of making your weakness (beeing the expat) to a strenght by selling "to your own people".

This have sucessfully been made by chinese, indian, and many other groups all over the world for several hundread years, so - yes it STILL works!

Please come with your inputs, we are all here to share / - Salsero -

By -Salsero- on Sep 15, 2008, 07:04 in Friendly Talkzone.

pavo says on Sep 15, 2008, 07:09:

Expat taxi driver is actually a reocurring nightmare I have.

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rocinante says on Sep 15, 2008, 07:27:

The taxi drivers who do know the roads here are a nigtmare - imagine an expat trying to drive around. I think I'll take the bus.

"World economic indicators point to a democrat winning 2008. It will surely be Obama. Not that the US president actually runs the US." Feb 5, 2008

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miamimike says on Sep 15, 2008, 07:30:

Some of these Ideas have been done years back in the ex Pat Mecca of Guadalajara, Mexico but then, there in Guadalajara there are 70,000 North Americans retired and more arriving daily. Doubtful at this time there exists the number of American Expats(couples) in Colombia to support some of these ideas, even as good as they are. A Couple of Guadalajara expats also started up english newspaper and offer seminars weekly to new arrivals to acclimate them to life, business, real estate, banking and other pitfalls to avoid when moving to a new country. I recently saw ads in this paper advertising for American English speaking Real estate Agents and Nurses to service this Huge Ex pat Community in Greater Guadalajara.

On Sept 17, 2008: Senator John McCain said, as he had many times before, that he believed the fundamentals of the economy were "strong."Hours later he backpedaled, explaining that he had meant that American workers were Strong.

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paisa710 says on Sep 15, 2008, 08:40:

sicario!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

tengo un filo que si me agacho me corto!!!!

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vicshere says on Sep 15, 2008, 09:24:

why would an expat pay an expat to do some of these services when they could have some flunky do it for next to nothing...would the expat be happy with 15,000 a day for ironing...dont think so

listo

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-Salsero- says on Sep 15, 2008, 10:02:

Basicly, this comes down to 2 types of personality:
The "this will never work" type, and the "I can do this" type.
A more modern word for them are haters and achivers.

They exist in all countries of the world, and they are both right in their oppinion.

The "this will never work" type prove they are rigth, by never succed in anything.
The "I can do this" type usually fail a couple of times before they also prove they are right by succed in something they love to do.

Michael Fred Phelps had many haters telling him it was not possible. Did he listen? No.
He continued doing what he loved to do, and then after years of batteling, he proved they where all wrong.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26194188/

Whatever action you take in your life, the foundation of sucess is in your mind.

Live your life with a half-empty glass, or a half full. The choice is yours. Only yours.

Good luck to all of you :-)

If it's right, It's smooth and nice.

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vicshere says on Sep 15, 2008, 10:08:

there are some obvious thing in life that dont work period...just use commen sense

listo

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Cheers Terry says on Sep 15, 2008, 21:22:

I still like your hotdog idea...

Cheers,
Terry

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lampltr says on Sep 16, 2008, 01:32:

Coke processing, no licenses, no taxes, multiple harvest per year, residual income...

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morphus says on Sep 16, 2008, 02:03:

Great if you don't get caught or killed.

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vladimiro says on Sep 16, 2008, 06:51:

You could buy one of those air castles, put out it on the street in an estrato 3 barrio, and rent it out 1mil pesos an hour. It will always be full of kids :)

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Sep 16, 2008, 07:40:

How would you keep track of the time spent in the air castle? A bar code on the forehead? Color coded wristbands?

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gringoloid says on Sep 16, 2008, 08:29:

these air castles are pretty good easy money makers...............you have to have an adult inside supervising anyway.......... so he/she keeps track and they could be off by a few minutes.............we complained about short time once and they let the boy return.

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tomass says on Sep 16, 2008, 12:22:

Excuse the aside on this thread.
Byron - the taxi friend - I suppose thats 6 days a week. Rent as well. Family and food.
What does he expect his gross to be per day and to clear per day to pay off the taxi in 5 years? i have a taxi friend who i loaned some money to but besides that im interested in your friends budget. Does he see economic slowdown

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