Business ideas to get you thinking

A special edition of Trendwatching.com's Trend Briefing lists 41 new business ideas, aimed to stimulate the imagination of entrepreneurial types.

We've picked some of those that caught our eye, and could be popular in South Africa.

Crowd Clout

One trend that Trendwatching.com has reported on is the rising power of crowds. It gives the example of a new, San Francisco-based site called Carrotmob which used the clout of crowds (thus the trend is known as crowd clout) to reward companies that do good. The group wants to create a broad network of consumers and form partnerships with larger advocacy groups.

Mobilising these consumers, Carrotmob will approach companies in a particular industry with suggestions, and invite them to make the changes they have identified. It will then choose one company in that industry to implement the suggestions. If it does so, Carrotmob's members will reward the company with "an unprecedented kind of shopping spree" to boost short-term company profits, as well as proclaim the company the most responsible in its industry.

Carrotmob's first campaign took place in March when Carrotmob members physically turned up at San Francisco's K&D Market. All receipts were collected to keep track of the total gross revenue that the mob brought to the store. As agreed on prior to the event, K&D Market took 22% of that amount and spent it on upgrades to make their store more environmentally friendly and energy efficient. At least 300 people turned up, spending US$9,276.50 (including a Yahoo! donation of US$1,000).

It would be great to see South African consumers get involved in these kind of initiatives and take back the power from major retailers.

The Me-factor

Trendwatching.com has come up with the term MECONOMY to refer to popularity of all things "Me, myself and I"

One self-centred trend it focuses on is 5starbaby.com which offers personalised birth announcements fashioned after movie posters. Each movie poster is tailor-made for the new arrival, complete with the critical stats about the baby's birth and the names of loved ones as "supporting cast." Parents are listed as "producers," the doctor is named as "director" and the hospital is listed as the "filmed in" setting, for example.

And another one for proud parents: Japanese Yosimiya sells bags of rice printed with a newborn's photo, name and date of birth. The bags are shaped to resemble a swaddled baby. But the key feature is that the bags contain the baby's exact weight in rice. Holding the bag will therefore feel like holding the baby.

Take back the power from Eskom

London-based Green Homes Concierge's inspectors visit customers' homes where they use heat-detecting cameras and other devices to evaluate energy leaks, wall insulation and appliances. Inspectors recommend ways the home's owner can reduce CO2 emissions, and hopefully save some money in the process.

For a full year the firm will act as a helpful concierge. Should customers wish to make the inspection's recommended improvements, GHC will help them locate contractors and suppliers able to do the work or tell them where to buy low-energy light bulbs and other environmentally friendly items. The companies' real income could come from commissions earned through contractor referrals as well as project management fees.

Fight the rising petrol price

South Africans need to urgently tackle the matter of public transport, or getting away from their reliance on cars and petrol. So encouraging cycling could be a start.

Other countries are seeing the introduction of urban bike stations. One of these is in Auckland, New Zealand. BikeCentral, located in the Britomart (a public transport hub), offers bicycling enthusiasts and commuters a welcoming place to park their bikes and transition into the next part of their day.

In addition to safe, secure bicycle parking, BikeCentral members have access to private lockers, showers and changing areas. Coffee, fresh food and free wireless internet are also available, as are rental bicycles and an on-site repair service for minor repairs.

*To read about other business ideas, visit trendwatching.com. Trendwatching.com is an independent and opinionated consumer trends firm, relying on a global network of 8,000 spotters.