Looking for outside-the-box inspiration?

Entrepreneurship has become an increasingly important option for many Kenyans.

This reality, however, has made it increasingly difficult to come up with a business idea that someone isn’t already doing, and doing well.

There’s a solution, though, and it’s in thinking beyond the obvious. The following successful business products should give you the extra push you may need to expand the boundaries of ideas that are filtering into your mind.

Boyfriend Body Pillow

Boyfriend Body Pillow

Nights can be an especially tricky time if you’re lonely. That’s when the misery hits you hardest. The Boyfriend Body Pillow was created in an attempt to spare people the sadness. While the pillow may be a poor substitute for the real thing, it still offers some comfort. And neck support.

The Boyfriend Body Pillow is an insulated pillow in the shape of a half-torso, with a shoulder, arm and fingers. It also comes with soft insulation that warms up the longer you hold on to it. You can also spray some fragrance on it that reminds you of a special someone. The pillow retails at between Sh1,300 and Sh1,800.

Glow-in-the-dark toilet paper

Glow-in-the-dark toilet paper

Going to the loo in the middle of the night can be scary for some people, so one entrepreneur decided to do something about this by designing glow-in-the-dark toilet paper.

A roll retails at about Sh900, and while it’s drawn in customers looking to make night-time bathroom visits more interesting or looking for gag gifts, some brands have been dismissed for being stiff, dry and having a less-than-impressive glow.

Chocolate flavoured shoes.

Edible shoes

Edible shoes are a thing. While most companies that make edible shoes are also in the business of producing more conventional fare, edible shoes are a large enough market that a quick Google search produces millions of results.

Most of these tasty treats are life-size and made of fondant or chocolate, which means it’s not a smart idea to try to wear them.

Edible shoes cost anything between Sh1,500 for booties and Sh2,500 for women’s heels and men’s boots.

Potato Parcel.

Potato Parcel

If you’re a fan of The Lord of the Rings, you’ll remember the hobbit, Samwise Gamgee, waxing lyrical about the versatility of potatoes that can be boiled, mashed, stewed and fried. But I bet he didn’t imagine you could also write on them and post them to friends and family.

Potato Parcel was set up to take the world’s fascination with potatoes to a whole new and unexpected level. The business writes custom messages on potatoes and delivers them to whomever you’d like.

TheBeerbelly

 

TheBeerbelly

When most entrepreneurs think of alcohol, they think about how to sell it to more people. Few people think about how to make it easier to drink almost anywhere.

This is where TheBeerbelly comes in. The firm sells products that help people creatively hide alcoholic beverages.

Its range of products include a flask disguised as a hairbrush, a pouch for holding liquor that goes around your torso and looks like a beer belly, a flask that looks like a bottle of sunscreen, and a sports bra (aptly called ‘the wine rack’) with beverage pouch inserts and a straw.

Looking for a very specific body scent?

The Japanese are famed for a lot of things, and one of them is having the capacity to invent almost anything. This, of course, has sometimes taken a turn into the bizarre.

For instance, one Japanese adult toys company caters to peculiar fetishes through its line of ‘eccentric fragrances’. Some of their scents include ‘High School Girl Armpit’, ‘Working Woman Leg’ and ‘School Shoes’.

It’s advised that these scents stay with you indoors as they’re probably not everybody’s cup of tea, but we can applaud the company for its dedication to the unusual. A bottle of its scents retails online from Sh3,000.

Cuddle Party

There are times life just throws so much at you that all you want is a good hug.

Cuddle parties were started for this reason – as well as to teach people skills on making connections and creating boundaries.

The social event has nothing to do with sexual overtures; it’s intended to help with meeting new people, practising saying ‘no’ to what makes you uncomfortable and enjoying the healing power of touch.

Virtual Dating Assistants

If you’re fed up with the dating scene, you can now outsource a lot of the work.

Virtual Dating Assistants (ViDAs) create online dating profiles for you, have conversations with potential dates on your behalf, and even plan dates you’d enjoy. All you have to do is show up and enjoy yourself.

ViDAs just go to show you can outsource nearly anything in today’s world, so don’t let reality limit the business idea you eventually settle on.

The animal universe

Wildlife is a big deal to many people, so it makes sense that you could earn a living from it outside of organising safaris. You could share information on an animal that’s especially close to your heart, and even come up with a make-believe universe where the animal runs things.

You can base your inspiration on the Squirrel Census Organisation, which tells stories of the grey squirrels in Inman Park, USA, their fight for freedom from human suburbia, their jobs and their family lives.

The organisation also sells T-shirts, beanies and other merchandise online, and has a petition going to get squirrels represented in emojis.