bizarre ideas that made millions, Unusual ways to make a buck If you’d like to make money, work for yourself and make the headlines (like this guy), put your thinking cap on and come up with a unique, unconventional idea. No matter how bizarre it might be, it could end up making you some serious cash (like this guy). Even controversial and somewhat scandalous ideas (such as this) can end up making millions.
Santa’s little helper
Byron Reese got a stocking full of cash after starting a business writing letters from Santa (check out the website). Parents can pay a small fee for Reese and his elves to send a letter to their child postmarked from the North Pole (where, exactly?). The idea proved a great success and the company expanded, selling letters for an occasion other than Christmas as well (what occasion?).
Doggie specs
Ken and Roni di Lullo hit the jackpot when they invented Doggles (see pics) — goggles for dogs. The eyewear is suitable for most dogs and offers UV protection with a snug fit. This popular product has also helped military dogs better perform their duties (how so?).
Celestial messages
Afterlife Telegrams, founded by Paul Kinsella, is a communications company, in a sense. For a small fee (how much?) the company will attempt to send a message to someone who has passed away. Read about the unusual method they use to deliver these telegrams.
A home run, to say the least
Cardinals fan Phil Ozersky was in the right place at the right time when the ball of this famous baseball player’s 70th home run of the season bounced into his hands. Officials from the St. Louis team (what was their record this season?) apparently tried to get Ozersky to trade the ball in for some signed gear, but he decided to auction off the ball instead and ended up profiting unbelievably from doing so.
A fragrance for dogs
There’s no longer a need to light a scented candle or spray an air freshener to cover the doggie smell in your home. British pet outfitters Mungo & Maud have marketed a designer perfume for dogs (what’s it called?). The sweet-smelling fragrance (what does it smell like?) can apparently also be used by humans.
A doggie butler
Scooping poop can be a very profitable business, as both Matthew Osborn and Matt “Red” Boswell proved. Osborn started his business (aptly named this) in Columbus, Ohio, in 1987 and watched his clientele grow to impressive numbers (how many regular customers?). Boswell founded a pooper-scooper franchise (named the same thing) that scoops poop across all of North America.
Lice removal service
Registered nurse Penny Warner has turned the unappealing task of removing lice into a profitable business. She owns and runs The Texas Lice Squad (where in Texas is it based?), which boasts the highest publicized lice removal success rate in the country (what is it?).
A simple stone
Gary Dahl took one of the simplest ideas and made a crazy amount of money from it. He bought gray stones (from where?), packaged them in a small box with straw and marketed them as live pets. The Pet Rock was popular for about six months, particularly around Christmas in 1975. What else was sold with the rock?
As luck would have it
Joan Ginther has been called the “luckiest woman in the world” after winning the lottery an astonishing four times (when were her wins?). However, her education (where did she study?) and professional background (what did she do?) have some people doubting it was just luck.
Gainful graffiti
Although he thought Facebook was “ridiculous” at the time, artist David Choe agreed to paint a mural in one of its earliest offices and get paid in company stock (what was his other payment option?). The Facebook IPO (what’s that?) earlier this year made Choe a multimillionaire.
A lucky break
Ken Ahroni got his lucky break when he created Lucky Break Wishbones (why’d he do it?), a company that sells synthetic wishbones. It’s no longer necessary to fight over the Thanksgiving turkey wishbone, as you can get a four pack for about $4 (how much is a pack of 400?). You might be surprised to find out how much Ahroni has made from this unique idea.
A spicy idea
Many people dream of making a living from writing a blog, and Nick Lindauer (what does he call himself?) has successfully done it. He turned his blog about hot sauces (check it out) into a serious money-making scheme. He even sells some sauces that require customers to sign a liability waiver before buying (which ones?).
Excuses, excuses
The Alibi Network will do your dirty work for you. For a fee (how much?), the company will provide you with an excuse or alibi to help get you out of the pickle you’ve gotten yourself in to (what are some common reasons people go to the Alibi Network?). Although the concept is quite controversial, the service has proved extremely popular. What did marketing chief Mike DeMarco say about the service?
Creative cash
PickyDomains.com is a company that has managed to take a unique concept, fitting in today’s world, and turn it into a success. Contributors to the site (how many are there currently?) suggest domain names and a client only pays (how much?) for a name if it decides to use it. The contributor, in turn, gets a percentage of the fee (what percent?) if its name is chosen.
Implants for dogs
Gregg Miller created testicular implants for neutered dogs and other animals (what prize did he get for doing so?). The hugely popular Neuticles were designed to help a pet look and feel the same after being neutered. How many pets have been “Neuticled” worldwide?
A million dollar idea
Alex Tew launched The Million Dollar Homepage, a web page consisting of one million pixels, in 2005 (what inspired him?). The website sold advertising space for $1 a pixel, but actually ended up earning Tew more than $1 million (how?).
A surprise package
Despite being laughed at by friends, Sami Bayrakci created SomethingStore.com in 2007 (what gave him the idea?). The website has many items, all sold for the same price (how much?), but the trick is you won’t know what you are getting until you receive it. What are some of the items in stock?
Personal music manager
Catherine Keane made some serious cash with her business, Hungrypod, a service that uploads music to people’s iPods for them (when did she start Hungrypod.com?). For an additional fee, she offered a service that recommended music to her clients based on their CD collections.
For a little something on the side
Noel Biderman started the controversial dating website Ashley Madison (how many members does it have?) in 2001. What’s so controversial? It’s a dating site geared toward married people who are looking for a relationship on the side.
Santa’s little helper
Byron Reese got a stocking full of cash after starting a business writing letters from Santa (check out the website). Parents can pay a small fee for Reese and his elves to send a letter to their child postmarked from the North Pole (where, exactly?). The idea proved a great success and the company expanded, selling letters for an occasion other than Christmas as well (what occasion?).
Doggie specs
Ken and Roni di Lullo hit the jackpot when they invented Doggles (see pics) — goggles for dogs. The eyewear is suitable for most dogs and offers UV protection with a snug fit. This popular product has also helped military dogs better perform their duties (how so?).
Celestial messages
Afterlife Telegrams, founded by Paul Kinsella, is a communications company, in a sense. For a small fee (how much?) the company will attempt to send a message to someone who has passed away. Read about the unusual method they use to deliver these telegrams.
A home run, to say the least
Cardinals fan Phil Ozersky was in the right place at the right time when the ball of this famous baseball player’s 70th home run of the season bounced into his hands. Officials from the St. Louis team (what was their record this season?) apparently tried to get Ozersky to trade the ball in for some signed gear, but he decided to auction off the ball instead and ended up profiting unbelievably from doing so.
A fragrance for dogs
There’s no longer a need to light a scented candle or spray an air freshener to cover the doggie smell in your home. British pet outfitters Mungo & Maud have marketed a designer perfume for dogs (what’s it called?). The sweet-smelling fragrance (what does it smell like?) can apparently also be used by humans.
A doggie butler
Scooping poop can be a very profitable business, as both Matthew Osborn and Matt “Red” Boswell proved. Osborn started his business (aptly named this) in Columbus, Ohio, in 1987 and watched his clientele grow to impressive numbers (how many regular customers?). Boswell founded a pooper-scooper franchise (named the same thing) that scoops poop across all of North America.
Lice removal service
Registered nurse Penny Warner has turned the unappealing task of removing lice into a profitable business. She owns and runs The Texas Lice Squad (where in Texas is it based?), which boasts the highest publicized lice removal success rate in the country (what is it?).
A simple stone
Gary Dahl took one of the simplest ideas and made a crazy amount of money from it. He bought gray stones (from where?), packaged them in a small box with straw and marketed them as live pets. The Pet Rock was popular for about six months, particularly around Christmas in 1975. What else was sold with the rock?
As luck would have it
Joan Ginther has been called the “luckiest woman in the world” after winning the lottery an astonishing four times (when were her wins?). However, her education (where did she study?) and professional background (what did she do?) have some people doubting it was just luck.
Gainful graffiti
Although he thought Facebook was “ridiculous” at the time, artist David Choe agreed to paint a mural in one of its earliest offices and get paid in company stock (what was his other payment option?). The Facebook IPO (what’s that?) earlier this year made Choe a multimillionaire.
A lucky break
Ken Ahroni got his lucky break when he created Lucky Break Wishbones (why’d he do it?), a company that sells synthetic wishbones. It’s no longer necessary to fight over the Thanksgiving turkey wishbone, as you can get a four pack for about $4 (how much is a pack of 400?). You might be surprised to find out how much Ahroni has made from this unique idea.
A spicy idea
Many people dream of making a living from writing a blog, and Nick Lindauer (what does he call himself?) has successfully done it. He turned his blog about hot sauces (check it out) into a serious money-making scheme. He even sells some sauces that require customers to sign a liability waiver before buying (which ones?).
Excuses, excuses
The Alibi Network will do your dirty work for you. For a fee (how much?), the company will provide you with an excuse or alibi to help get you out of the pickle you’ve gotten yourself in to (what are some common reasons people go to the Alibi Network?). Although the concept is quite controversial, the service has proved extremely popular. What did marketing chief Mike DeMarco say about the service?
Creative cash
PickyDomains.com is a company that has managed to take a unique concept, fitting in today’s world, and turn it into a success. Contributors to the site (how many are there currently?) suggest domain names and a client only pays (how much?) for a name if it decides to use it. The contributor, in turn, gets a percentage of the fee (what percent?) if its name is chosen.
Implants for dogs
Gregg Miller created testicular implants for neutered dogs and other animals (what prize did he get for doing so?). The hugely popular Neuticles were designed to help a pet look and feel the same after being neutered. How many pets have been “Neuticled” worldwide?
A million dollar idea
Alex Tew launched The Million Dollar Homepage, a web page consisting of one million pixels, in 2005 (what inspired him?). The website sold advertising space for $1 a pixel, but actually ended up earning Tew more than $1 million (how?).
A surprise package
Despite being laughed at by friends, Sami Bayrakci created SomethingStore.com in 2007 (what gave him the idea?). The website has many items, all sold for the same price (how much?), but the trick is you won’t know what you are getting until you receive it. What are some of the items in stock?
Personal music manager
Catherine Keane made some serious cash with her business, Hungrypod, a service that uploads music to people’s iPods for them (when did she start Hungrypod.com?). For an additional fee, she offered a service that recommended music to her clients based on their CD collections.
For a little something on the side
Noel Biderman started the controversial dating website Ashley Madison (how many members does it have?) in 2001. What’s so controversial? It’s a dating site geared toward married people who are looking for a relationship on the side.
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