Quoted from : Unusual Business Ideas
When Marty Metro and his wife added up the number of times each of them had moved over the years, it came out to an astounding 29 times. Metro, 34, knew they weren't alone in using massive amounts of cardboard boxes and was convinced he could help movers, businesses and the environment by creating a solution to the cardboard quandary.
With a decade of experience working and consulting on large-scale business technology, Metro made it his goal to build an online marketplace that would allow big companies to get rid of their used boxes and scraps in an earth-friendly way, as well as offer companies and individuals the opportunity to buy used cardboard boxes at roughly half the price of new ones.
Currently covering the area between Los Angeles and San Diego, the company plans to expand by franchising in the top 50 cities in the United States in the next three to five years. For now, BoomerangBoxes.com offers an online exchange for those outside the delivery area to link up and exchange boxes with others for a nominal fee. With annual sales projections exceeding $750,000, the company boasts 75 percent-plus gross margins. "It makes me feel great," says Metro. "We have created a win-win environment."
This is one of those ideas that make you think to yourself "Whoa... that's such a simple idea and this guy is making money from it?".
Find a need, fill that need and the world will beat a path to your doorstep. Marty has created a business where it's a win-win situation all round :
- people can get rid of boxes they don't need.
- people who need boxes of any size know where to go to get them at a much lower price.
- the lifespan of boxes extended so that means less trees get cut down and the world gets to breathe easier.
So the next time you're breathing in a lungful of fresh air, spare a thought for Marty and his Boomerang Boxes and how it affects the world around us. I'd say Marty deserves money by the boxloads don't you think?
