Small business ideas for VeCo? (Oxnard, Port Hueneme: day care, home, to buy)

[HSP1161]

After a lot of consideration, it looks like we're going to make our home in Ventura.

Our long term goal is to start a small business (mom and pop). My wife and I are personable, educated, ambitious, highly technical, hard working and can scrape together a few bucks ($50k or so) for a little something.

We're wide open to ideas (well, excluding Multi-level Marketing) on a small business. We've thought about everything from car washes to flower shops to online ventures with no storefront and everything in between.

So we're open to ideas for a small business that ideally caters to the local population. Any input or feedback would be appreciated!

[Charles]

Originally Posted by OpenSky

After a lot of consideration, it looks like we're going to make our home in Ventura.

Our long term goal is to start a small business (mom and pop). My wife and I are personable, educated, ambitious, highly technical, hard working and can scrape together a few bucks ($50k or so) for a little something.

We're wide open to ideas (well, excluding Multi-level Marketing) on a small business. We've thought about everything from car washes to flower shops to online ventures with no storefront and everything in between.

So we're open to ideas for a small business that ideally caters to the local population. Any input or feedback would be appreciated!

Have you ever run a business before?

It seems like there are way too many of these, but they keep springing up. Doesn't every single mini mall have one of these? Why? And they never seem to go out of business.

Nail Salon
Mexican Restaurant
Dry Cleaners
Starbucks franchise
Postal service
UPS Store

Anything that can't be bought or done online.

Thai Massage
"Gentlemens Club" bar

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I would say that 15 years ago a flower shop was a good idea. I have seen many of them merge or go out of business during the past 10 years. Had a friend with a donut shop and that was a 7 day a week commitment. They sold the business after a 7 year go at it. We just bought a building that used to have a sun tan operation in it. Another business that is mom and pop oriented. They closed down because of lack of interest. I know of another one that is holding on solely because the owner has no other plans than to run the place. She has let her employees go though. With $50,000 as your base to start off with it is hard to direct you. Commercial rents can wipe that out in a jiffy. Do you have other resources to live on while the venture is gaining momentum?

Have you considered importing or exporting? Port of Hueneme is close by. International shipping? The good thing about living here is that boats come in full and leave empty. One of the reasons that HAAS builds their machines in Oxnard is the favorable shipping rates to leave the USA from Port Hueneme.

[HSP1161]

Great ideas guys, thanks.

Yes, I've run two businesses - one car detailing business eons ago and a successful software development company I sold about ten years back. Since then, it's been corporate.

Wife has a BS degree in child development but is reluctant to start a day care (I don't blame her).

As far as resources to live on, I'm still working and plan on having 6 months of reserves before we start. Right now that $50k is our reserves, so this is early planning stages.

I have zero plumbing expertise, but it seems like I can never get one when I need him, and they're always very expensive. I think plumbers make more per hour than the average IT guy - that says a lot.

Another idea was a tire franchise. Folks are holding on to their cars longer and Costco's service/process is frustrating.

Is it best to proceed toward something that there's a lack of or is that a statement of what isn't working?

Oftentimes it's positioning or a nuance - not necessarily the concept (like a tire store) but how it's positioned (high service, location, low cost, etc.) that makes or breaks a place.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

OpenSky,

You may even want to look into people that are selling an existing business. My former employer sold his business, Ventura Locksmith a couple of years ago. If I would have known I might have bought the place myself. I know of another place a gift shop that was bought by one of the employees. (They only had one employee at the time.) This was the new owners first job. She was able to buy the place a few years after graduating from high school and has owned it since then. That was 17 years ago. I wish I could tell you where to check. realtors? Not sure. It is a thought though.

[Cyanna]

You've done software development? You might consider going back into it as a home business. Specialize in one of the biggest sellers on and off line...Genealogy! Genealogist are always looking for something new and are willing to pay for it. I should know, I've been a genealogist for 29 years now, LOL!

On that note, if anyone out there wants some genealogical research done I've just re-opened my business.

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by OpenSky

After a lot of consideration, it looks like we're going to make our home in Ventura.

Our long term goal is to start a small business (mom and pop). My wife and I are personable, educated, ambitious, highly technical, hard working and can scrape together a few bucks ($50k or so) for a little something.

We're wide open to ideas (well, excluding Multi-level Marketing) on a small business. We've thought about everything from car washes to flower shops to online ventures with no storefront and everything in between.

So we're open to ideas for a small business that ideally caters to the local population. Any input or feedback would be appreciated!

What do you know about landscape architecture, creating native and low-water gardens? This has become popular over gardens that require water, loud lawnmowers and those dreaded, zero-sum stinky and polluting leaf blowers. You'll likely find some high-end clients in Ojai and other parts of the area.

Ventura County is also well suited for piecemeal computer work of most kinds. VC's economy has always been a little tough. Businesses need help, just not all the time. The area lends itself well to contract work of that kind. If you do a good job, word of mouth referrals go a long way, trust me. The area is still small enough to where "everyone knows everyone" in any given industry. Good luck to you.