Content provided by Steve Phillips of UrbanShield
Laughter - The Best Medicine
Good humour is a solid tonic for mind and body, the best antidote for anxiety and depression. For some reason, in our home life we purposely choose to
be around people who make us laugh, yet when we put on our business hat, we fall off the humour cliff and view business as a ‘serious’ matter.
As a home-based business, we can easily fall into the intensity trap when
crossing that invisible line when we enter our dedicated workspace to change the world, one-day-at-a-time!
To lighten up your day, have a look at some crazy and humorous business ideas that actually worked:
Doogles
Back in 1997, and possibly only in America, and idea was hatched to take dog accessories to a new level – eyewear for your pet canine that reduces the
strain of UV light. The company went on to rake in in excess of $5m in sales per annum, go figure!
The Million Dollar Homepage
You may recall this one in the news a few years ago. A student desperate to raise money to fund his university study, came up with the idea that he could
sell off a 1000 x 1000 grid for $1 each, and the project attracted people like flies. This internet phenomenon ended up earning him $1,037,100 in a
matter of months.
Excused Absence Network
This website, whilst every employers nightmare, offered a service to recalcitrant employees or students wanting a creative excuse not to attend work or
study. The site monetised the service by charging $25 per note, and whilst it peaked at around 15,000 hits per month, was later abandoned due to the
moral standing of the service.
Pet Rocks
A creative director of an electronic advertising agency in the US was sitting listening to his friends complain about their various pets, and casually
joked that he had the perfect pet – a pet rock. This led to an idea of selling rocks to people as pets, complete with an instruction booklet full of
gags and puns. 6 Months and $15m later, Gary Dahl was the one laughing all the way to the bank.
The Yellow Smiley Face
No-one would have believed that a simple icon first drawn in 1963 by an agency for a Life Insurance client would gather so much popularity. Sadly, the
company never patented the iconic face, and two brothers who saw the unrealised potential of the smiley, made in excess of $50m over 18 months, later
selling their business for a whopping $500m.
Have an awesome day!
“Work is far too important to be taken seriously”
Oscar Wilde
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