What's new
  • Please note members who been with us for more than 10 years have been upgraded to "Veteran" status and will receive exclusive benefits. If you wish to find out more about this or support IcMag and get same benefits, check this thread here.
  • Important notice: ICMag's T.O.U. has been updated. Please review it here. For your convenience, it is also available in the main forum menu, under 'Quick Links"!

What are some cool businesses to set up?!?

resinryder

Rubbing my glands together
Veteran
Got cha. Takes some dedication, and a strong back to do that type of detailing work. People here out for the quick buck. No telling how many cars they wash through in a days time.
 

jm420

Active member
Veteran
i've been working as a self employed tile setter/remodeler for years.
lots of write offs.

as a side business, i buy and sell high end musical equipment.
not at all uncommon to spend or make $5k+ on pro quality studio monitors or vintage gibson les pauls.

selling stuff on ebay requires no store front, and $$$ is handled thru paypal, then transferred to my bank acct.
tile sucks ,was a huge money maker when slick willy was in office though
 

They

Member
I've thought about the air conditioning business as being pretty "cool". May come in handy for people who want discrete repairs or consultations from "cool" people.
 
First off I completely agree with the post that said better to start a business that has a chance of bringing in real revenue in addition to money you want to “add” to it. Gives you a head start on turning legit.


In fact if you have or get a job on the side pay your car, rent, utilities with that and use your cash for food, fun, etc. you can avoid a few possible felonies down the road and skip the fake business.


That said you can create a real business that you would run at least part time or do a no show in a semi-safe manner. Putting monies into any business (no show or not) that did not come from that business is a no no. A no show is no more illegal or risky imo just takes some common sense.

First off how much do you plan on “making”. You need a business that would take in cash in denominations that you are currently receiving from doing whatever it is that you do. For instance if you get paid in 50s and 100s it would be hard to do a laundramat because people usually use the change machine ($1,$5,$10) or their own quarters. Depending on how your bank does transactions this could be a problem. Some banks or automated tellers list the denominations and number of bills in deposits. Boa for example.

Unless you live in a sales tax free state you want it to be a strictly service business or else you will have to add sales tax to all your “imaginary” transactions. Depending your location this could be substantial and unnecessary loss. It will increase your bookkeeping requirements.


Also service business have less if not zero inventory records that could possibly trip you up. It is not easy to prove fake inventory because you do not have receipts. Without receipts you can’t get the tax benefits.

I like the idea of computer repair. Low start up costs. Ability to write off a bad ass computer and some cool gear. Most computer repairs are not so expensive that cash would not be a common source of payment.
Unless you sell parts too there would be no inventory to keep track of.

Mobile detailing would allow you to write off some of your vehicle as you said you wanted to do. If audited you would have to show that receipts for cleaning supplies that matched the number of cars needed to have been washed for the revenue you are claiming. If you are transporting water to the sites you could get tripped up by water records not matching. You could always buy a ton of chemicals and sell them on ebay or craigslist for a little loss, pocket the cash, to cover yourself here.

A laundry would be an ok idea especially if it is taking in money. Problem with a laundry besides the expense is that they do not usually take in large bills which could be a problem. Also water and power records can be obtained to easily show revenue does not match the water and power consumption that would have been used. Now if you have a grow op in the back you would be all set. Also laundry locations all sell detergent, etc. so again you would have to buy it and sell it and pocket the cash.

Poker (gambling) is a possibility but really you need to live in an area where you could spread your gaming around. Hard if not in vegas or ac. Basically you buy chips at different tables repeatedly and then cash out after playing a little. Ask for a check or electronic transfer to your bank. Claim profit + pay taxes. This one does throw up a lot of red flags imo.

Private car service (set rate not fare rate) is probably my favorite especially if you want the Denali or Yukon. Depending on requirements where you live it could be hard to get into and insurance is a factor. Good cash business and as long as you fill up your tank enough to match your trips your all set. Your mileage usage will have to be in correct ratio with gas and trips made. Maybe you have to gas your friends cars to get the receipts to make it look kosher. Has a good deal of benefits especially if you want to write off a vehicle.
No real way for them to prove otherwise.

Used furniture antiques etc. can be a good idea but only in a sales tax free location and really could not be a no show. You would have to sell and buy inventory and after the sale inflate the sales price to match revenue. Unless you love antiques and want to begin a collection and you just buy them from yourself.

Campground is a good idea but not low start up by any means.


I love the greenhouse, tree farm type idea if you have some land and again live in an no sales tax state. It would be easy to fudge inventory and receipts because you are growing things yourself. You could even claim you make all your own compost and avoid chemical costs. Write off some grow related gear on top of it.


Imo keep to a service business that requires the least amount of inventory if any and the least amount of bookkeeping. Especially if you live in a sales tax state. The more lies you tell and books you cook the harder it gets to keep things from unraveling.
 

vertigo0007

Member
Best way to be legit for the taxman is to form an LLC or other corporation. After a couple years, a very small one-person business will attract attention. Look up "hobby vs. business"- they want to avoid people claiming a hobby as a business and getting deductions. Incorporating and showing revenue are good ways to cross this hurdle. Only costs a couple hundred to do an LLC.

I do consulting work and have a custom clothing company. I fit in the niche of making t-shirts and other apparel at lower cost than embroidery, and without the minimums of screen printing. Very easy to set up, and I'm actually busier than I'd like to be with it. I only do outside sales, so I can claim mileage when I visit clients. I also claim one room in my house and a few other things. I set up at events with my table and make custom shirts on the spot. Mostly cash, I do take CC's with the phone though- handy for dealing with businesses too.

See a need, fill a need! Even if you only do it for "play", do it well.


And there you have it. Consulting, llc
 

scruffy

Member
Consulting is great because you can charge a pretty high rate, especially if you're saving the client a ton of money. I usually shoot for 25% of the annual savings as a fee. I have a poster on my office wall that says "Consulting: If you're not part of the solution, there's good money to be made in prolonging the problem". Lots of stuff to deduct if you're smart about it.

Also, you'd best have some notoriety in the field and know your stuff cold, or your consulting career will be very short. I really only do it because I enjoy it, I'm really picky about taking on new clients.
 

BlackNight

New member
theroadwarrior;5691170 [B said:
Campground[/B] is a good idea but not low start up by any means.
If this is not a terribly ignorant query, would you expand on this a little?

sincere thanks
 

Double F

Member
love the ideas. mobile detailing sounds interesting too, most customers would probably pay in 50s or 100s.

key for me is NO INVENTORY and NO BOOK KEEPING. something like mobile detailing works perfect for that.

i really like the limo idea because i already drive a shitload of miles and spend thousands on gas, it would let me deduct some huge expenses like the car payment, insurance, and gas. really want to do this except the licensing fees for california TCP runs 1-3k a year not including the crazy insurance you have to pay for, cant just put liability when you gotta ferry other people around. and i have criminal record and bad license so they wouldnt approve, really sucks i cant pursue this idea.

laundrymat = gotta pay rent, equipment, maintenance, im cool.

i would be depositing mostly 20s, 50s, and 100s, not 1s or 5s.
 

Easy7

Active member
Veteran
I like the idea of farming. Tobacco is still a good cash crop. Ginseng farming can raise some dough, over many many years. There are virtually countless medicinal plants. Tinctures sell for a high dollar. Mushroom farming is becoming popular as well. Sadly, it takes money to earn money. There are also some unregulated plant derivitives, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars a key!
 

BlackNight

New member
I like the idea of farming. Tobacco is still a good cash crop. Ginseng farming can raise some dough, over many many years. There are virtually countless medicinal plants. Tinctures sell for a high dollar. Mushroom farming is becoming popular as well. Sadly, it takes money to earn money. There are also some unregulated plant derivitives, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars a key!
Easy7 is spot on. Aside from niche markets you could have regular harvests of plants like salad greens(hundreds of varieties), tomatoes, herbs and the like. Many restaurants are interested in "Farm-To-Table" deals with farmers (because it appeals to the growing scene of consumers looking for organic/local). Simple as: (1)after your first harvest, approach restaurants to show your product, (2)once you find a buyer: work out what species are agreeable for your land and also for the restaurant, (4)sow accordingly to yield requested poundage, (5) deliver the produce upon harvest, (6) get paid.

Now whatever you harvest is all that you can sell: this is understood by the restaurant. The quotas are not specific, but general.. because you could not accurately predict the poundage of produce when you sow the seed, the farmer would simply sell whatever was produced.

I have researched this idea, but not to the degree where I would say I am 100% confident conveying the idea in its entirety without any kinks, so ask if anything is unclear and I will do my best to clarify.
 

Terroir

Member
Nice thread

What say you guys re music lessons, private tutoring for physics/ statistics.

Just saying caus i ran in to my old guitar teacher hes charging like 80 an hour now. $40 for half an hour. A friend of mine has also started doing night tutoring . Hes like close to $200 an hour cash.

Some that i have come up with are hypnotherapist for quitting smoking. Pros its a loosely organized field of folks who can, and folks who con. The local quit smoking dude to me is $500 an hour for a guaranteed for life quit tobacco treatment. He is quite busy, young and has a nice house. Who qualifies him, tests him etc i dont know, however it seems the system is rife for abuse. Sure a shit load of folks may pay on credit but there is ways around this that make your business better.

However good espresso bars make major cash. the local cafe by me us just lost me and my girl as loyal customers. For purely economic reasons we cannot keep paying almost $10 every morning for 2 large cups of coffee. The cafe owner is loosing 3500 per year in revenue by just loosing us. He has hundreds of customers. Loosing us will hurt the bottom line if he cant replace us. His shop is full from 6 am to 3.30 pm coffee to go $4.50. He would easily bank 10-20k per week cash. Sure he has cup purchases and coffee and milk plus rent etc but if you were just slipping some in it wouldn't be noticed unless you were real dumb. When a place has the hum it makes money, looks like it makes money and actually makes money all in one.
 

FlowerFarmer

Active member
Veteran
Art!

Preferably scrap/recycled art. No real inventory per se except for stuff you collect from the local junk yards or trash curbs.

Can sell for several dollars, or thousands depending on the piece.
No real telling what you've got into it and what somebody is willing to pay for it.


Make a website, but also attend local craft shows, home shows. Can be sold privately, garage sales, craigslist, the local fair.

I'm particularly interested in metal art, but the sky is the limit.


Stuff like this. Small pieces like this might bring in $10 - $100 depending on the area and person wanting such a unique piece. Larger pieces can easily be sold for thousands and I imagine many art acquirers are cash buyers.

picture.php


Pretty sure with a creative mind and a few select tools anyone can do something like the above.
Write off a few expenses such as a small welder, torch, etc and get to making some cool shit.... everything else is of re-used materials. Build up a "gallery" of inventory.

I visited a Home & Garden expo once and there was a guy there selling this "garden art". Pretty sure these metal flowers made out of spoon ends were selling like hot cakes ~$ 40-50!!!

picture.php
 
The perfect business is some kind of service that will make people more lazy. Currently I'm running a side business called Moe's (Mobile Oil Exchange). Basically a mobile lube tech. So far I have about 20 customers with the potential to go huge.

Another fail safe business is a cigarette/cigar store. These places make good money. Think about it how many of these shops have u ever seen go out of business? None!

The easiest of all time a Lawn Care Service Company.

And if you have a lot of money to start up, open up a wrecking yard. These places are gold mines. You would be surprised how much money a wrecking yard/junk yard/specialty recycle automobile yard generates.
 

Can420

Member
Coin op vending machine, toys pop and what ever else. You just have to find a spot to put it and then keep it stocked up.

A friend of mine has tow or three pop machines. He buys pop when its on sell where ever and loads up the machines. He makes a fairly good profit from what ive bin told. You can write of gas and some other car/truck expenses as well.

Ive bin thinking a small car wash would be the best. Two to four stalls and have a bit higher end soaps and waxes for the richer crowds, if that is possible.
 
Top