Post: #51

(07-08-2012 11:53 PM)cherico88 Wrote:  Basil:

I receive a lot of value and enjoyment from this site. It's easily my favorite on the web. It's about time I started giving back and hope that it helps some of you cats.

This is for anyone of any age that is starting off on a "shoe string" budget. My young nephew (24) and his buddy buy goods wholesale and retail them on the Venice Boardwalk, Rose Bowl swap meet and other events and festivals.

Go to independentretailer.com and look at their online catalog. My nephew buys from here and from the industry trade shows in Las Vegas and LA. Look at the reading glasses in the catalog. They go for $1.40 or so each. I was just in Walgreens today and reading glasses were selling for $14!!!! My nephew sells the glasses in flea markets for $5.

He and his buddy sell "band" t-shirts on the Boardwalk. You know, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, Led Zep - all the biggies. Buys them for $4 and sells them for $10-14. He gets the best deals at the trade shows. You can find the trade show list at the above website.

He also has a website where he sells survival/gun type gear. He knows nothing about web design. He went to Go Daddy and built his website in an hour. Let me tell you about my nephew. His only skills are playing guitar in an alt rock band and surfing. He has a degree in art! He and his buddy Jake work the 6 warm months here in SoCal and then make enough to spend the other 6 months in Hawaii, mainly on the north shore. Waves break monster in the winter on the north shore. They also surf Bali, Fiji, Philippines, and Baja.

They meet hordes of women on the boardwalk and other festivals. There are thousands of women walking past him every day - and he's at the beach.

He's also the guy that sends young hot girls into clubs selling flashing led type bracelets, glow in the dark things. You can find some in the above catalog. I think he pays $.25-.50 for the things and sells them for $5. He splits the money with the girls.

All of the above are low risk ventures. Maybe you won't make Donald Trump dollars, but you definitely can make enough to fund an exciting lifestyle like my nephew and his buddy.

If anyone has questions about this business, let me know and I'll ask my nephew.

This is some good shit. I haven't read the whole thread. I only read your post so far since it's the latest one. I might look into that one day. I use to always think about wholesale shit. I knew a dude in high school who would sell candy like that. I never asked him where he got it from though; but I knew it was off some wholesale shit. What your nephew is doing pretty cool; especially for some side money to go on trips on or just to save in general.

Post: #52

Is there a thread similar to this but for jobs rather than businesses? Best Lifestyle Jobs? I love the kind of shit elmech threw out about working at a liquor store -- never would have thought of that.

Post: #53

(07-08-2012 07:19 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  Basil get a part time job at a convenience/liquor store. You'll be able to spit game at more girls in a few hours than you could in the bars in clubs in six months. The first day I moved to Florida I stopped at one on my sportbike and the dude working there had one and asked me to ride with him. We stopped at girls houses one after the next smoked weed and drank with them nightly and banged of course. The shit was never ending.

For me this kind of falls under the Yogurt thing.

This is cool if you are young, but really isn't that smooth.

This could be anything like working at a pizza joint at the beach. Sure girls roll by, but you are still the pizza guy.

High end wine shop is smooth though.

Post: #54

"This could be anything like working at a pizza joint at the beach. Sure girls roll by, but you are still the pizza guy."

You would think that matters but it doesn't as long as you're not the typical pizza dude or quick mart dude. The girls will be perplexed why you're there so it doesn't matter what it is as long as the traffic is there. I'm a mechanic but not your typical one wearing the Nascar hat etc. I've been pulling the top talent that rolls trough the doors since I was 16. Other guys have actually quit because of jealousy working around me many times

Post: #55

(07-09-2012 08:55 AM)el mechanico Wrote:  "This could be anything like working at a pizza joint at the beach. Sure girls roll by, but you are still the pizza guy."

You would think that matters but it doesn't as long as you're not the typical pizza dude or quick mart dude. The girls will be perplexed why you're there so it doesn't matter what it is as long as the traffic is there. I'm a mechanic but not your typical one wearing the Nascar hat etc. I've been pulling the top talent that rolls trough the doors since I was 16. Other guys have actually quit because of jealousy working around me many times

Bad move. They should just pick up your scraps lol.

Post: #56

(07-04-2012 12:55 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Share any insights beyond the obvious?

(07-04-2012 02:32 PM)basilransom Wrote:  lays from his fascination with women's high end shoes

Yup high end women's shoes. 1) This is the female market G wants access to, 2) a growing number of women basically freebase high-end handbags and shoes, 3) the business is local, yet international.

Since G is looking at San Diego, Miami, Punta Del Este, etc maybe be focus is on high end, warm weather shoes. G knows Italian fashion pretty well, so maybe check out the latest womens stuff from warm weather places like Naples, Sicily (Palermo and Taormina especially), Sardinia, and to a lesser extent, Rome/Valencia/Israel. i.e. introduce new stuff and create a niche.

One thing I always stress to homies about innovation and new business ideas is to think like Thomas Edison. He was a genius obviously, but what he really did well was to combine two non-obvious ideas. Today its about combining one familiar idea with one "interesting" one (kind of like the Laundromat idea in the other thread). So maybe G could combine womens shoes, with an environment he knows well... say some sort of lounge concept? Just an idea, but now he could push the boundaries of how shoes are sold (and how women attention-whore). Don't know how it will work out, but you get the idea.

And then, the biggest Brick and mortar idea is... a city....New Orleans. No one remembers Vegas in the 80's or Cartagena in the 80's or South Beach in the 80's...New Orleans is similar. The place is poised for a hell of a Renaissance. Places like New Orleans, Havana, Cartagena, Rio- they ain't growing on trees. Half the area between Canal and Poydras, across the street from G's Ritz Carlton is basically empty...waiting. The place has arguably the best food, music, and culture in the world- its an undervalued asset in a time where food and culture are becoming financial commodities. Post-Katrina has seen an influx of creative professionals (under the radar), and the film biz is booming. The place is waiting for a couple of Bugsy Siegels. Personally I'd like to see G open the world's most notorious valet training school, but whatever.

Post: #57

(07-09-2012 08:55 AM)el mechanico Wrote:  "This could be anything like working at a pizza joint at the beach. Sure girls roll by, but you are still the pizza guy."

You would think that matters but it doesn't as long as you're not the typical pizza dude or quick mart dude. The girls will be perplexed why you're there so it doesn't matter what it is as long as the traffic is there. I'm a mechanic but not your typical one wearing the Nascar hat etc. I've been pulling the top talent that rolls trough the doors since I was 16. Other guys have actually quit because of jealousy working around me many times

I'm inclined to think this is right.

If you're doing something incongruent, the girl wonders what your story is. Are you a writer or on some sort of adventure?

I've been thinking about driving a cab for a few shifts. You'd never see a guy like me driving a cab, so girls will have to wonder what's up.

Post: #58

(07-09-2012 01:07 PM)46. Wrote:  

(07-04-2012 12:55 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Share any insights beyond the obvious?

(07-04-2012 02:32 PM)basilransom Wrote:  lays from his fascination with women's high end shoes

Yup high end women's shoes. 1) This is the female market G wants access to, 2) a growing number of women basically freebase high-end handbags and shoes, 3) the business is local, yet international.

Since G is looking at San Diego, Miami, Punta Del Este, etc maybe be focus is on high end, warm weather shoes. G knows Italian fashion pretty well, so maybe check out the latest womens stuff from warm weather places like Naples, Sicily (Palermo and Taormina especially), Sardinia, and to a lesser extent, Rome/Valencia/Israel. i.e. introduce new stuff and create a niche.

One thing I always stress to homies about innovation and new business ideas is to think like Thomas Edison. He was a genius obviously, but what he really did well was to combine two non-obvious ideas. Today its about combining one familiar idea with one "interesting" one (kind of like the Laundromat idea in the other thread). So maybe G could combine womens shoes, with an environment he knows well... say some sort of lounge concept? Just an idea, but now he could push the boundaries of how shoes are sold (and how women attention-whore). Don't know how it will work out, but you get the idea.

And then, the biggest Brick and mortar idea is... a city....New Orleans. No one remembers Vegas in the 80's or Cartagena in the 80's or South Beach in the 80's...New Orleans is similar. The place is poised for a hell of a Renaissance. Places like New Orleans, Havana, Cartagena, Rio- they ain't growing on trees. Half the area between Canal and Poydras, across the street from G's Ritz Carlton is basically empty...waiting. The place has arguably the best food, music, and culture in the world- its an undervalued asset in a time where food and culture are becoming financial commodities. Post-Katrina has seen an influx of creative professionals (under the radar), and the film biz is booming. The place is waiting for a couple of Bugsy Siegels. Personally I'd like to see G open the world's most notorious valet training school, but whatever.

I really like your thinking here.

Shoes could be dope.

Plus, I could have an influence on girls wearing high heels.

So I would be making the world a better place for all.

I really need to go back to New Orleans soon. I love that place. It is truly special. Hopefully by the end of the year.

Quote:Places like New Orleans, Havana, Cartagena, Rio- they ain't growing on trees.

Agreed. Add Miami to that list as well.

You have any more data on what your are saying about New Orleans?

Any more anecdotes?

Quote:Half the area between Canal and Poydras, across the street from G's Ritz Carlton is basically empty...waiting.

I have always wondered about that area?

What is up with it?

Restaurant August is there.

So is Mother's (never been believe it or not).

But not much else, right?

Post: #59

I wouldn't t dive into physical female clothing products. I guess if your dealing with high-end you can screen and target a specific market but females are notorious for going bootleg and cheap. Especially with shoes females just go of looks a 15$ Chinatown pump looks the same to a female as a 1,000 Italian pump. They would probably by both but they are so oblivious to quality and style IMO. Men seem to seek out the real deal in quality more-so then women. Services for women like hair, fitness IMO would be a more stable bet. You have a committed stream of clients and hair and fitness never goes out of style.

Post: #60

(07-09-2012 01:07 PM)46. Wrote:  

(07-04-2012 12:55 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  Share any insights beyond the obvious?

(07-04-2012 02:32 PM)basilransom Wrote:  lays from his fascination with women's high end shoes

Yup high end women's shoes. 1) This is the female market G wants access to, 2) a growing number of women basically freebase high-end handbags and shoes, 3) the business is local, yet international.

Since G is looking at San Diego, Miami, Punta Del Este, etc maybe be focus is on high end, warm weather shoes. G knows Italian fashion pretty well, so maybe check out the latest womens stuff from warm weather places like Naples, Sicily (Palermo and Taormina especially), Sardinia, and to a lesser extent, Rome/Valencia/Israel. i.e. introduce new stuff and create a niche.

One thing I always stress to homies about innovation and new business ideas is to think like Thomas Edison. He was a genius obviously, but what he really did well was to combine two non-obvious ideas. Today its about combining one familiar idea with one "interesting" one (kind of like the Laundromat idea in the other thread). So maybe G could combine womens shoes, with an environment he knows well... say some sort of lounge concept? Just an idea, but now he could push the boundaries of how shoes are sold (and how women attention-whore). Don't know how it will work out, but you get the idea.

And then, the biggest Brick and mortar idea is... a city....New Orleans. No one remembers Vegas in the 80's or Cartagena in the 80's or South Beach in the 80's...New Orleans is similar. The place is poised for a hell of a Renaissance. Places like New Orleans, Havana, Cartagena, Rio- they ain't growing on trees. Half the area between Canal and Poydras, across the street from G's Ritz Carlton is basically empty...waiting. The place has arguably the best food, music, and culture in the world- its an undervalued asset in a time where food and culture are becoming financial commodities. Post-Katrina has seen an influx of creative professionals (under the radar), and the film biz is booming. The place is waiting for a couple of Bugsy Siegels. Personally I'd like to see G open the world's most notorious valet training school, but whatever.

My sister justed moved to New Orleans. Shit is crazy expensive though due to the rebuilding. But you are right. Being a single black male in the NO isn't a good look though. I use to live there pre Katrina when we were the murder captial of the US. Usually as long as you aren't in the drug game you should be good but they kill for stupid reason out there. I think the rate is almost one a day or about 300 a year. I know a few guys from school that got popped. I would always want to visit but never live there.

I might have to do a little recon visit someday and see what it is out there. Scared money dont make money.

Post: #61

G in New Orleans haha.

Post: #62

(07-09-2012 03:32 PM)TexasMade Wrote:  G in New Orleans haha.

Funny shit!

Post: #63

I'm a total newb so could someone please explain this to me. Let's say you own a hostel, waxing salon, yoga studio, etc and lots of hot young girls come in to your business. How exactly do you transition into banging them ? Are you working the cash register and striking up conversations with girls ? Do you just start walking around the store and telling them you're the owner ? I really don't get it

Post: #64

What about a Bikini Barista Stand? I'm not sure where you are located but they are still pretty popular up here in the pacific northwest.

You can have 4-6 girls on rotation at your stand working morning/night and weekday/weekend shifts.

About 4-5 years back when they were just getting really popular up here and I was telling my buddy about it who lives in pleasanton, ca and he said he hadn't seen any down there. So we had this big plan to start one down there but we were too young and broke to be able to pull it off.

Post: #65

What about a being the owner/captain of a yacht or party boat? You could accept only bachelorette and women's birthday parties for overnight cruises. Start up costs would be high but I suppose you could rent. It's certainly something "classy". There's a lot of great suggestions on here but i think a number of them are geared towards the 20-40 year old guy while the OP seems to be asking about a classy lifestyle suitable for the 40-90 part of his life.

See also:

Post: #66

I just watched a Documantory about a Guy from Sweden buying Villas in ST Tropez and Renting them out fore Party's. Whe had a great Lifestyle since whe was Invited to all the hot party's plus actualy made Money beeing there.

You might need a bit more Money buy up places People actualy want to Party in, but you don't need that much experience organizing event's since you just Provide the Venue.

From a Business Perspective this is cool aswell since you don't need to care if people actualy show up ore not you still get you're Money so that is Winnning.

Another cool option is owning the best Night Club in a Small Student Town. Someone I know actualy does that he hase two club's own in my hometown where there is almost no competition on his Level and on in a Town nearby where he actualy does not Personaly go to the other town is bigger and hase more competition.

He is a cool guy but is quiet fat and dressed slobby but he owns the best club in Town so he hase no shortage of Girls.

Unfurtunatley he got a bit greedy Now and he hase kind of ruiend the place by letting more and more people especially dudes in so it used to be 70 Girls and 30% Boy's now it is like 65% Boy's + So i don't go there anymore had my first kiss there with a girl I just met It was my second home

But if you do that right have the experience and keep it exclusive you could attract the bautiful Girls simply because you're the only Option if you do that in a more small college town not 1 ore 2 tier city being excotic might help aswell in that case. http://www.como-club.com/

Post: #67

This is a great thread.

Waxing salons sound very interesting but you need knowledge of the industry first if you are going to succeed

Post: #68

One to take Stateside...?

http://www.stripwaxbar.com/franchise-why-join-strip

Post: #69

I've seen an open air restaurant/guesthouse that looked worth emulating.

Their rooms were behind the restaurant - you had to walk through it to get to them, and were on three floors built in a square to face an inner courtyard which held a pool and water fountain.

A guy could build himself a sweet pad there, and hang out in the open air street facing restaurant all day.

The one I saw was french owened and in a touristy part of Jogjakarta. I ate there almost every day as their chef was skilled.

And I suppose you could add a little photography studio room to it.

Post: #70

You'd be surprised how easy it is to create a reality TV show and slang it to cheap filth networks like E and Bravo. I read a short article in forbes about some 19 old kid who did his first one for very little money.

You can get college kids to intern ( cough cough do everything) for free or class credit and you don't need much in the way of production budget.

Coming up with an interesting idea though, that's another story.

Not exactly brick and mortar, but its a lifestyle. Plus you can say you're a producer, which has been known to generate tingles.

Post: #71

Had a good friend who ran a very high end Italian women's clothing boutique biz on Newbury Street in Boston and then retired - a friend of his bought 4 floors in his building for his hip men's and ladies upscale Italian designer fashions stores - they only feature Milano Designers and nothing else and have a huge Euro (Designers) Student and Professionals clientele. Both straight as an arrow and work the Lady magnet aspect in a low key way not to interfere with cash flows. Both now multi millionaires just on real estate income property values alone.

Get to take two trips a year to designer showcase weeks in Milan, bought several high end income properties, put his daughter (he was divorced) thorough Law School and had some of the highest end lady professionals as clientele - all wanted to go with him to Milan but he always refused - did not want to teach nosy Beez the secrets (contacts) of his biz - even one Billionairess heiress in his shop working him for years - he had model like ladies on steady rotation but did not let it interfere with Biz - in the shop it was all biz and then after is when he swooped like a vampire!

He settled down with a sexy school teacher that likes to travel during all the school vacations and is now a wholesale buyer for the networks of boutiques he used resell to across the USA - folks he met at various USA fashion and industry events. Works about 2 days a week now and still makes over a quarter million a year and of course all travel expenses are deductible!

Even the Russian EE Beez love shopping in Milano and all of Italia - throw in some wine and cheese wholesale buyer trips and you have the Ultimate LifeStyle venture with maximum high end Lady magnet potential - and in this case your new found Grey Hair will be seen as a sign of wisdom and you can work some Mentor Protege game while you are at it - but with solid signed NDAs/Non Compete agreements only!

Don't want any ambitious busy buzzy Beez going around your back - Old Italian proverb: success is secrecy and secrecy is success!

Post: #72

(07-09-2012 08:47 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(07-08-2012 07:19 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  Basil get a part time job at a convenience/liquor store. You'll be able to spit game at more girls in a few hours than you could in the bars in clubs in six months. The first day I moved to Florida I stopped at one on my sportbike and the dude working there had one and asked me to ride with him. We stopped at girls houses one after the next smoked weed and drank with them nightly and banged of course. The shit was never ending.

For me this kind of falls under the Yogurt thing.

This is cool if you are young, but really isn't that smooth.

This could be anything like working at a pizza joint at the beach. Sure girls roll by, but you are still the pizza guy.

High end wine shop is smooth though.

G - if you like the high end wine shop biz I got the ultimate biz model if you can raise the Geez$$$ - but NO baby sitting a damned cash register or watching security cams making sure the high end boosters don't walk off with the profits - one boosted bottle of $3,000+ high end Wine or Champagne and there goes a half days profits - wrote several biz plans on it a while back for an overseas client that was looking for some USA exim opps.

Since a strong RE Component Can flip the entire thing to NYC/DC/LA/SF/CHI rat race refugees looking for a more location independent lifestyle with plenty of intl travel and then rinse and repeat.

Post: #73

(03-15-2013 03:22 PM)Deepdiver Wrote:  

(07-09-2012 08:47 AM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

(07-08-2012 07:19 PM)el mechanico Wrote:  Basil get a part time job at a convenience/liquor store. You'll be able to spit game at more girls in a few hours than you could in the bars in clubs in six months. The first day I moved to Florida I stopped at one on my sportbike and the dude working there had one and asked me to ride with him. We stopped at girls houses one after the next smoked weed and drank with them nightly and banged of course. The shit was never ending.

For me this kind of falls under the Yogurt thing.

This is cool if you are young, but really isn't that smooth.

This could be anything like working at a pizza joint at the beach. Sure girls roll by, but you are still the pizza guy.

High end wine shop is smooth though.

G - if you like the high end wine shop biz I got the ultimate biz model if you can raise the Geez$$$ - but NO baby sitting a damned cash register or watching security cams making sure the high end boosters don't walk off with the profits - one boosted bottle of $3,000+ high end Wine or Champagne and there goes a half days profits - wrote several biz plans on it a while back for an overseas client that was looking for some USA exim opps.

Since a strong RE Component Can flip the entire thing to NYC/DC/LA/SF/CHI rat race refugees looking for a more location independent lifestyle with plenty of intl travel and then rinse and repeat.

Tell me more.

Post: #74

If you don't already have a 2nd passport (and want 1), that's part of this lifestyle equation for many depending on how much $$ you can invest and the passport desired.

Post: #75

My father owned both restaurants and motels/hotels. The restaurants were vastly, vastly more work and trouble.
As soon as you buy it food is spoiling and getting stolen or burnt and wasted.

On the other hand, the lodging business, people are paying you basically to leave them alone.
You need to decorate and clean, but nothing like the problems of serving food.

However, it might lack the social setting you want to meet your customers.

So I suggest starting a small lounge in a boutique hotel that is NOT extravagantly expensive, get some smart decorator to make it cool looking, I'm imagining it in LA for some reason.

Then you have a sweet stylish lounge to relax in and meet customers.

I think Kona mentioned a hostel didn't make money, maybe because the prices are too low?
I am interested in hearing his story as well.

You could have some gimmick too as the above poster mentioned, some kind of photo studio where they
could take photos of themselves or have them taken, hey-- how about being the first hotel with a Pilates gym then you can combine ALL the ideas hahaha.