Coconut Tender Water at Your Doorstep

Recently I had this experience while buying tender coconut water at Trivandrum. I walked to a road side tender coconut seller and asked if he could deliver tender coconut daily to my house. He bluntly barked a BIG NO. Then, I requested again saying that my mom is not keeping well and there’s no one to come to your stall. Again a firm NO.

So, what’s the opportunity here!
There are many sons, daughters who are away from their home, and would love to have some home delivery service. Can anyone come to pocket this opportunity? Get a boy to pedal and deliver stuff at places around your business. Also change a bit extra for your special service.

BTW, any such service could be valuable for people who are hospitalized. Just wondering, if there’s anyone who will delivery to a patient.

Wake up road side small businesses, you’re very close from making additional bucks.

As a reader what is your thought on this? Is it practicable business expansion or customer friendly plan? Do you have better ideas than this? I would love to hear your feedback, comments.

Home Stay at Varkala

From the laid back beaches, to backwaters and to dense tropical forests and cardamon hills and traditional Indian Ayurveda,  Kerala beckons visitors from different lands. All these inbound tourist brings in dollars, hard cash to all the biggies in travel and tourism related businesses.

Apart from these established tourist hotels, it’s an opportunity for YOU. Yes, with existing facility, you can host guest, or escort them to places where travel agencies possibly can’t.

My Holiday at Varkala Beach – Cliff view
Recently, at a monsoon holiday in Varkala beach, we stayed at cliff side lodging named Santaclaus. This place provided an excellent view of the Arabian sea, and had a small verandah to catch the abundant fresh breeze. The stay at Varkala was arranged by a local friend. While he came to meet  me I told him the plan to use a spare room in his house for home stay.

Home Stay at Varkala – Why you should Start
Initially he was cold on this idea of inviting strangers to stay in his house. Next he had doubts on how he can reach to potential customers. Moreover, he had other plans. His wife was preparing to appear for for PSC exam. So, practically this plan fell into no mans land.

If you’re living in Varkala, here’re ways to gain second income from tourism:

  • Rent a spare room to foreigners visiting Varkala
  • Provide exceptional service – A true Kerala hospitality
  • Escort them to local market, or to a coir factory, or fishing trip to backwaters trip
  • Take them to a rice field or to any vegetable field
  • Give then the taste of pure Toddy
  • Ask if they are interested to wear traditional dress ( Sari, Mundu)
  • Teach how to make puttu or make appam from appachatti, etc
  • and make them experience similar or even beautiful moments in your locality

    Well the list goes on. It’s left to you to showcase local places or cater a plan according to their interest. Finally, to reach them, you should either connect with existing travel agencies, or hotel or set a online channels like blog or Facebook or even free website to promote the business.

Apart from this, there are channels like AirB&B or similar portals to get people.

Related Links:

Register home-stay with Kerala Tourism – Click here
List of home stays in Kerala – Click here 

Kerala’s First Audio Book Library

 Remember this scene from ‘Ayalathe Adheham‘…Jagathy, owner of video renting library ( Chandy’s Videos) and his assistant Indrans.

During late 80’s VCR and VCP invaded almost every household in Kerala. Thanks to the hard working Malayali’s in Middle East. Every AirBus landing in Kerala also brought scores of ‘Two in Ones’ and the video cassette players. This also sprouted the video lending business in Kerala. During late 80’s and first half of 90’s, every junction in Kerala had a video cassette lending library.

But during the time of video revolution we didn’t have a video player. How I wished I had one?
I used to watch how my friends carried or exchanged movie cassettes and also once I rented a VCP for a day to play blue cassettes.( Blue – outdated word for porn movies)

And today, everything is online. We have books online, movies online, and ebooks online. Though people are used to reading ebooks, we don’t have a place to buy audio books.

I wonder if anyone can set up a store selling audio books. Just imagine the number of train or bus commuters who can listen to a fable or a classic while travelling from Ernakulam to Trivandrum. Why should people spend time on useless discussion on  local politics or the next increment or the D.A, when you can listen to any Malayalam classic while travelling.

For that we should have good number of books turned into audio books? I’m not sure if it’s available. If yes, you can try it out.

Maybe, you can try out an audio book store, Malayalam audio book arcade. 

Set a Private Museum in Kerala

Are you an art collector or a numismatic fan or a techno geek or an antique collector?

There are many in Kerala who are ardent collectors or hobbyists. Often these people are featured in malayalam news appearing in Asianet and Surya . I remember short features of different genre of collectors – from clocks to Gramophone records to old currencies to key chains to model planes or watches, pens, etc. And we malayalis are big time collectors. At one time I used to collect stamp, coin, then match box labels. With time, I lost track of the little joys in life.

So, what do these serious collectors do. They collect, and collect articles, goods, etc. But, how many get a chance to see their collection.

So, if you’re one of them, why don’t you share your collection to the public. Maybe, one day a week you can let public see your famed collection. Share you passion, your story, your journey of collection and I’m sure there are people who would love to here from you.

Links to news about different collectors

A coin and a horseshoe
Romancing the gramophone
Voice of Kerala draws them together
Beckoning memories with gramophone records

Just a thought!

Set up a Puncher Shop in Kerala

Where’s the nearest puncher shop?
Imagine stuck in some highway or road with a flat tire. How can you get help?

Rising number of four wheeler and two wheel vehicles, also means more flat tires. And it also means the opportunity to start a type repair and puncher shop. While there are already many puncher shops in and around our locality, it’s still in demand.

There’s always growth and opportunity for such shops who are open till late in the evening or those who does can go to the site and do the repair. Share your mobile number to your customers and give them extra good service at their doorstep.

Investment: Low
Skills: Medium

You can start your tire repair or puncher shop even in the basement of your house. Apart from a normal business, you can stand out in these ways;

  • Start a mobile tire puncher shop
  • Cater to request 24/7 ( feasible in Tvm, Cochin)
  • Sell tubeless tire puncher kit
  • Train/teach people to change car, scooter tire for a fee
    ( Important for ladies or new car owners)
  • Introduce nitrogen filling
  • Start one near to the highway 
  • Publicize your location by promoting it through petrol pumps

Start a Food Take Away Counter

I’m always fascinated by small eateries run by women, families. They have a unique charm – the ambiance, location, taste, or the personal connection.
Now, a question to you!
  1. Do you have passion for cooking? 
  2. Are you a good cook or people appreciate your cooking skills?
  3. You have a garage or you can hire a small road access space?

Food business is an ever growing, booming, and rewarding business in Kerala. But, most people abort such ideas for want of funds or facility. If you’re one of them, then here’s a suggestion. Start an evening take-away joint from your house or any good location.

I’ve seen few homemakers running take away counter in Trivandrum. There is one lady staying close to Air Force base, Akukam, and who runs an evening food counter from her garage. Also one big take away counter opposite to KSEB office Pattom.

Before you start, I suggest you to:

  1. Perfect your recipe ( whether it is Beek, pork, fish, mutton or Veg)
  2. Specialize in one unique dish ( your differentiation – people know you for it)
  3. Introduce a unique dish & a special dish 
  4. Don’t depend on others to cook. Do it all yourself. Hire only only assistants
  5. Smile at your customers and interact with them ( Build Personal connection)
  6. Provide 10 min home delivery  ( Service around your neighborhood)

And most importantly, get the approval from Govt agencies. Also keep the surroundings clean and let your customers know you for cleanliness.

To Love With Food,

Charles

Genesis of Small Biz Ideas Post

I love sharing biz plans, ideas and thoughts with strangers and friends. But none of ideas I’ve share has seen the daylight or in other words materialized. Can’t blame others, when I haven’t taken the initiative to implement it.

So, I’m creating a stand alone blog just for sharing all the freaky thoughts, business ideas. I’m sure you’ll find a lot of junk or unpractical or unreal plans in this blog, also you’ll find some trigger to set up a business plan.

You might ask, what’s in for me for sharing, writing and spreading these ideas and here’re my answers:

  • Like to see people explore their talents to set up own business
  • Long to see an emerging Kerala in the truest sense
  • Bring back Keralities working elsewhere to our green paradise
  • Share my online marketing skills to small biz owners ( for a price)

And In one Day you can…

What’s your typical day? Is it interesting, worth sharing to your  friend? Or is a boring routine – office cubicle, home and with your family. .

I bet there’re thousand who are leading such a life in a city like Bangalore. For most people, B’lore like is just living for salary and their lonely existence. We don’t have to live just to work. While income is an important fuel to run your life, there are other ways to make life interesting.

So, here’s the million dollar question – How can you make it more colourful, different, vibrant and interesting. And just imagine if someone ask you – what do you do on weekend? Do you have an interesting answer to tell?

While our life ebbs in Bangalore, there’re ways to make it lively and interesting. Here’re some crazy and unpopular ways to make your life meaningful in Bangalore. Tick this list or add more to this list.

  • Be generous and feed a hungry mouth
  • Shake hands with a stranger 
  • Smile at a complete stranger ( we hardly do)
  • Call someone whom you haven’t called for a long time
  • Memorize a poem you liked
  • Get a good full body massage
  • Give a relaxing massage to your friend or spouse
  • Read a book that you’ll otherwise never read
  • Hug a friend
  • Organize the closet and start a new beginning
  • Follow a recipe book or watch an Youtube video to make a new dish
  • Wake up early and go for a ride around Bangalore.
  • Take off on a weekday and watch how office-goers are hurrying to work, 
  • Give your neighbor a gift
  • Kiss a new lip with wild abandon  
  • Learn a new way of doing a repetitive task
  • Find a shortcut to do an existing job
  • Learn to byheart a passage
  • Read aloud 
  • Find the dictionary meaning of a word and byheart it
  • Gift a Cadbury to a stranger and see the sparkle ( I worked for me)
  • Make love at an odd time, and at a odd place
  • Devote an entire day for learning
  • Touch someone or give a hug
  • Visit a new restaurant or shop 
  • Try or discover a new route. ( Recently I took a different road to reach Koramangala)
  • Honk less or tell others to stop irritating honks
  • Try a new position in your lovemaking ( let go with your imagination) 
  • Think of a new fantasy – routine is boring
  • Discover a new shop, or try a new product
  • Visit a public garden in B’lore 
  • Donate your time to a charity
  • Visit an orphanage, or a public school and teach something new or unique
  • Switch off your cell phone and uplug from Internet avatars 

Avoid MBA like Plauge – Here’s Why?

  1. Planing to take admission for a MBA course? 
  2. Did you do the homework on the college and career potential?
  3. Have you thought of the value of a MBA holder?
  4. What value will a MBA certificate bring?

Gone are the days when MBA qualification in your resume opened doors, conversation, and made youstand out. But, today it has become like Bcom. It’s not a degree which brings the job on a platter, unless you’re from the IIM’s or other top end B school.

Have you given a thought on why it has lost its sheen.

Lack of Information or Misinformation 
It’s like the gold shops in Kerala. Many parents still buy gold thinking it will assure happiness to their daughters. On the same scale many are joining MBA in the hope of a secured future or a way to get fat salary. Unfortunately, times has changed. Today, more than the degree, you need real stuff – stuff to make you stand out. .

Here I’m presenting a different route, rouge route that might expose you to more learning, and opportunity in life. Just imagine, that you’re about to spend few lakhs on a course. At this point, you have other alternatives with the same money.

Here is my version of learning. Maybe, you can come with a better plan.

  1. Travel around India or to Europe on shoe string budget. Meet people, visit different companies, or learn things with an open heart
  2. Take membership in a library, borrow books management, sales, marketing, leadership, etc. 
  3. Start following and read blogs of management gurus like Seth Godin or Guy Kawasaki for one complete year
  4. Visit couple of companies, meet the HR about find the job opportunities, the profile, salary, job description, etc. After doing, couple of rounds, you’ll find kind of opportunities in various companies  it’s growth,etc. Then ask yourself, if this is the right one for you
  5. Find out what interest you. Are you a analytically inclined person, a left brainier or a right brainier  Do you excel in writing or designing or interpreting things? Based on these, try to figure out the best career for you.
  6. Create your profile in LinkedIn .connect with professionals, and ask questions on various opportunities. Find their job description, does it sound interesting, what’s the career growth, etc. Ask them on what it takes you to get a job in that company, in that post?
  7. Join as an intern in any company with or without pay. 
  8. Don’t just do what you’re told at the job. Before a person who goes an extra mile to do work, in short, burn the midnight oil.

Job in the Online Marketing Domain: 

  1. Link Building – It’s nascent stage in your journey in the SEO space
  2. PPC Campaign Specialist- Learn to strategize paid ads on search engines
  3. SEO Master – Become a leader in SEO strategy. Read SEO MoZ
  4. Content Writing – To those with flair in writing ( Take role in content marketing)
  5. Blog Writing ( B part of content marketing, where you write blogs)
  6. Social Media ( Are you good with social networking skills)
  7. Online Marketing strategy ( Large room for growth in online marketing)
  8. Designer – Not just any photoshop player, but be a specialist
  9. U I specialist 
  10. Landing Page Optimization expert ( Understand user behavior)
  11. Pitch writing ( Develop the art of copy writing)
  12. Mobile App Development ( New frontier in mobile space)
  13. Ad words specialist ( Again be good in Google Ad Words)
If you require personalized (one-on-one) counseling on job opportunities in Bangalore, then I can take a 2 hour discussion with you. In this two hour conversation, I’ll explain the top 12 opportunities for graduates and how you can equip the skills and knowledge to achieve it.  
This chargeable session will give you a clear, and detailed idea of current opening in digital marketing, content development, social media marketing. In the end of the session, you get a fair idea about what kind of market exist outside. 

Are you a Ordinary? Or Remarkable

It’s easy to spot remarkable men and women. Ordinary, no spark-people like me just melt into the background. Sometimes, it makes we wonder, how can I become more significant for my family, society, in my workplace…

Is it that difficult to become indispensable? Why can’t I?

  • Create something new – a new process, a shortcut, or eliminate a route
  • Start a tribe – become a initiator, focus group, etc
  • Bring the change – in my neighborhood, break the rules, be more awesome
  • Radiate with love, happiness
  • Become the magnet
  • Money  – create wealth and distribute it 
  • Cut a new course 
  • Bring an end to something
  • Become controversial