I just saw a news segment featuring some unusual jobs and investment opportunities.
One example: a dog waste cleanup business. More and more Americans are too busy to clean up after their own pets, and I’m starting to see this trend in Taiwan too — people are willing to pay a little to have others handle cleaning tasks. While routine cleaning is still done at home, annual deep cleans are increasingly being outsourced.
This kind of business — dog waste cleanup — has actually grown to the point of opening multiple franchises, generating tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue. The owner said it himself: “To get rich doing what you love is a dead end. To get rich doing what others refuse to do — that’s the real path.” As the author of The Next Millionaire Will Be You writes, wealthy people tend to run humble, unglamorous businesses — not the glamorous industries of polished suits or country clubs. They deal in scrap metal, run dry cleaners, raise chickens, or manage plumbing services.
Beyond the “do what others won’t” approach, there’s innovation. One I just came across: investing in prisons. American prisons are overcrowded, and privatized prison companies are emerging — with annual returns reportedly as high as 20%. Remarkable.
So why bother with the 18% returns from public sector retirement funds? The government could just invest in private prisons…
Overcrowded prisons — I’m not sure if that’s a good sign or a bad one. At least it seems like the number of people willing to commit crimes is rising.
In any case, the ability to calmly pursue what others refuse to do — or to bring genuine creativity to your work — just might be the opportunity to create something truly your own.
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