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I've been thinking about what kind of business have the potential to succeed in secluded areas and/or small towns. I make a trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas about once a month. Driving through the empty desert and passing through small towns such as Barstow and Baker (going north on I-15), it seems as though there is hardly any businesses in these towns. It just seems like there is alot of opportunities to be taken advantage of. So I have a few questions...
What kind of businesses would appeal to tourists passing from LA to Vegas? What kind of original/unique idea would be a good investment to appeal to tourists (other than fast food of course)? A gas station perhaps? A unique food-truck?
And who owns the desert in between cities? Who owns all the desert located between LA and Vegas?
How hard would it be to start-up a radio station out there? Would getting reception even be possible from people who have tuned-in?
I have a lot of questions, but I'll just keep it short for now. All I'm really looking for is some business ideas...just looking for food 4 thought.
PS- Please excuse any obvious ignorance on my part. I'm young and don't have a whole lot of real-world experience/knowledge/common-sense/wisodm...especially in business or investment.
A lot of that land is owned by the government both state and federal but there are a few spots available from what I remember. Don't sell yourself short, you are thinking very creatively!
I like the gourmet lunch truck idea; those are very popular right now. Getting the word out about locations would be key. Having some kind of giveaway by having digital coupons or things that would cause people to want to find you would help.
Plus serving food and snacks that the travel crowd would want to stop for is key also. Hmmmm.
Our family drove cross-country last summer from Chicago to CA and we were always on the look-out for:
unique, road-side diners that had a real local flavor with great soup/sandwiches. These places were always packed.
gas stations. There never seemed to be enough gas stations and we were always worried we'd run out of gas and be stranded in the high desert. Though maybe we should have planned better.
Take it from a small town resident, making a living in small community, especially in the West, can be very difficult. The big box retailers have really hammered small town retail businesses, as has internet retailing. A buddy of mine jokes that the best private sector job to have in a small town is as a UPS driver, because they deliver all the stuff that used to be bought locally.
The dirty little secret in most small towns, again especially in the West, is that the best-paying, largest, and most stable employers are federal, state, and local government. A close second to that is the medical field, but incomes are generally lower for that than in metro areas.
A couple of things mentioned:
Gas stations--independent gas stations are going the way of the dodo bird. Various chains, often convenience store or grocery chains, control nearly all of the gas stations in small towns these days. They compete savagely against any independent stations that are left and frequently put them out of business.
Radio stations. Indenpendent radio stations have nearly disappeared. Most all are now corporate-owned and even those are having a hard time competing against satellite radio and internet radio. A dying industry.
Food service. A horribly rough business in which to succeed over the long-term. One has to be ready to spend long hours, 7-days a week to make it in that business. A few make it, but most don't.
These days about the best businesses for a small town are those that provide essential services to the public. But, one has to be quite good at whatever the business is, and not necessarily expect to make a big income. A good friend of mine, for example, is a third generation independent auto mechanic in my town. Even in today's rotten economy, he is turning away work. But, he does first-class work, does not overcharge, works 60-70 hour weeks, and is as honest as the day is long. He isn't getting rich, by any means, but he can afford to live in the community, which, these days, many other people no longer can.
By the way, I've lived in smaller communities most of my adult life and have owned and managed small businesses, as well as worked in the public sector. I could have made way more money in just about any metro area you could name, but that is the tradeoff for being able to live in small community. That is why, either by choice or necessity, most young people who grow up in small towns wind up relocating to metro areas in order to make a living.
Take it from a small town resident, making a living in small community, especially in the West, can be very difficult. The big box retailers have really hammered small town retail businesses, as has internet retailing. A buddy of mine jokes that the best private sector job to have in a small town is as a UPS driver, because they deliver all the stuff that used to be bought locally.
The dirty little secret in most small towns, again especially in the West, is that the best-paying, largest, and most stable employers are federal, state, and local government. A close second to that is the medical field, but incomes are generally lower for that than in metro areas.
A couple of things mentioned:
Gas stations--independent gas stations are going the way of the dodo bird. Various chains, often convenience store or grocery chains, control nearly all of the gas stations in small towns these days. They compete savagely against any independent stations that are left and frequently put them out of business.
Radio stations. Indenpendent radio stations have nearly disappeared. Most all are now corporate-owned and even those are having a hard time competing against satellite radio and internet radio. A dying industry.
Food service. A horribly rough business in which to succeed over the long-term. One has to be ready to spend long hours, 7-days a week to make it in that business. A few make it, but most don't.
These days about the best businesses for a small town are those that provide essential services to the public. But, one has to be quite good at whatever the business is, and not necessarily expect to make a big income. A good friend of mine, for example, is a third generation independent auto mechanic in my town. Even in today's rotten economy, he is turning away work. But, he does first-class work, does not overcharge, works 60-70 hour weeks, and is as honest as the day is long. He isn't getting rich, by any means, but he can afford to live in the community, which, these days, many other people no longer can.
By the way, I've lived in smaller communities most of my adult life and have owned and managed small businesses, as well as worked in the public sector. I could have made way more money in just about any metro area you could name, but that is the tradeoff for being able to live in small community. That is why, either by choice or necessity, most young people who grow up in small towns wind up relocating to metro areas in order to make a living.
I agree with everything you say. I think the OP is trying to (to use an annoying phrase) look outside the box. I think he wants to think of something that is a niche that traveling people will want to stop and check out. I would consider the Alien Jerky shop in Baker a larger scale version of this.
Starting a business that caters to tourists can be very seasonal with additional risks. Though I do know a couple who own a very well-known restaurant in a summer resort area. Each year, they move to the resort town and hire a crew to put together their prefabricated building with a beautiful outdoor seating/bar area on the sandy beach. This temporary restaurant/bar seats hundreds and is always packed. They breakdown the building in August and store it until next season. They work their butts off May through August and make a boatload of money. They then take the rest of the year off.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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people heading to destinations less than a few hrs apart are not keen on pulling off.
Transportation is more dependable, thus repair shops fewer (+ cars are 'modular / throw away)
Economical cars mean fewer stops.
There used to be a lot of fun 'tourist' traps / diners, but they are all falling down ghost businesses today. (regulation costs, permits, taxes, expenses, fewer 'drop-ins'. )
I am starting a small garden(naturally grown.aka organic) to grow for farmer's markets and hopefully a roadside stand. It is a seasonal business, but it is very much a growing trend. Throw up a hoophouse and you can grow all year round and use raised beds with your own soil to work around the dry conditions. If you love gardening and the outdoors, it could be for you.
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