Posted on 03/25/2011 1:57:51 PM PDT by Red Badger
Everyone has million dollar ideas, but people rarely act on them.
For entrepreneurs, one good idea can provide an extraordinary amount of hope. Even though the chances of success are minimal, these ideas give people something to aspire to greater than a boring cubicle and a nagging boss. Not to mention, these ideas make some people obscenely loaded.
If you're waiting to act on one of these ideas until you think of something brilliant, don't. In fact, you might want to dumb yourself down a notch. With the Icanhascheezburger.com's of the world getting acquired for $2MM, it doesn't take something uniquely awesome to rake in the dough.
Here are 8 Ridiculous Ideas That Made People Ridiculously Rich:
Pet Rock
Ridiculously Rich Person Behind It: Gary Dahl
Estimated Profit: $15M in just the first six months
The idea of selling a rock is about as ridiculous as it gets. But one man figured out how to sell them and make millions in just a few short months.
Dahl, a former advertising executive, sold his rocks for $3.95 on a bed of hay. Each sale earned him a profit of roughly $3.
He sold the rocks as "hassle-free" pets, complete with a pet training manual and a card board box fashioned after a pet carrier. The rocks were an instant hit and turned into one of the greatest fads of all time.
Yellow Smiley Faces
Ridiculously Rich People Behind It: Bernard and Murray Spain
Estimated Profit: $500MM
You order takeout and the deliveryman leaves you with a white plastic bag. On the exterior is a goofy yellow smiley face grinning back at you, encouraging you to "Have A Nice Day!"
(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...
#9 Hope and Change.
It has created millions in sales for the First Family from two ‘best selling’ books, future speaking fees and cozy board seats...and has enriched the pockets of millionaire bank CEOs, GE, and led billions to the pockets of union bosses, special interest organizations and politicians.
I have always dabbled with the idea of marketing the concept of the nude laundromat. With the conventional (i.e. clothed) laundromat, you can never get 100% of your clothes clean at the same time. Whatever you wear while your washing your clothes is dirty by the time you get home. If you can strip down while you’re doing your laundry, you can effectively wash 100% of your clothes!
#10 Rebecca Black - “Friday”
Yellow Smiley Faces
Ridiculously Rich People Behind It: Bernard and Murray Spain
This can’t be true. Forrest Gump is the one behind the Smiley Faces!
Just like a Democrat. It's not very useful but it does bring a smile to my face when pushed down a flight of stairs.
Please to have a quality assurance representative at the the door. Thank you.
Have you seen the people that typically go to laundromats?
Yes. They show up, and leave wearing dirty clothes, but they leave a whole lot of quarters behind ;-)
I saw a 1-hour Biography of Merv Griffen, ...think his son said that 40 second jingle song he wrote for Jeopardy brought him nearly $70 million in royalties over the years....
He said his dad just banged it out on the piano in about 30 minutes’ time one morning....
That’s probably a great idea and you could rent colorful hospital gowns with snaps for $3 each knowing that some will disappear and make even extra $$’s.
oppps hit reply too soon....for those who are a little more shy to get them in there.
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