Crazy business ideas that work

I RECENTLY came across a report on CNN about personal paparazzi you can hire for a day (or night). Yes, for about $1,500 a day, you can have a pack of paparazzi trailing you from your home to a restaurant to several clubs, snapping away every second and calling your name so you can look at the camera for yet another (expensive) click.

So far, the service is offered in the US and Britain, but who knows — this may click soon in Asia. Really now, if there are people dying to get to the society pages around here, then there’s a market for this service.

Clearly, the personal paparazzi business is one crazy business idea that has worked. And there are a lot more crazy business ideas that have brought in the cash for its owners.

In Tokyo, for instance, the pet columbary business is thriving. While on vacation there last year, we went to one such building housing about seven floors containing vaults bearing pets’ cremated ashes. There are even extra services offered: Before cremation is done, you can ask them to save a tooth for you and they can turn it into a pendant you can keep forever.

Also in Tokyo, there’s a hot spring resort for dogs right beside the ones for people. You bring your dog there, he gets to swim in a lap pool (with hot water), then gets the pampering of his life.

Then there are the topless flip-flops such as those made by Nude Sandals of the UK. The idea of wearing your tsinelas without the straps seems weird indeed — your feet stick to the slipper with some kind of glue. But the reviews have been great. In fact, a Filipino company is now bringing this in.

I also recently passed by Amazing Cones in New Manila, Quezon City, which serve pizza in a cone. How does pepperoni pizza sound like to you eaten from a cone? Cool, huh? Speaking of pizza, have you tried sisig pizza from Greenwich? Bloggers have been giving it the thumbs up.

So if you have a far out, super crazy business idea, don’t be afraid to explore it further. Fifty years ago, the idea of a computer that would fit in a brown envelope you can carry around was unthinkable. And look now, there’s MacBook Air.

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