
Ask HN: B2B Opportunities? - famfam
I had a thread a while back where I brain dumped all of my current ideas. I'm hoping good karma from that will come back around and help me out now :)<p>In my braindump, I had a few B2B ideas but for some reason my brain seems focused on B2C or just "content" plays.<p>I need to start thinking in a B2B direction, but I work from home, and between that, raising my son, staying in shape at the gym, I feel slightly removed from the business world right now and am having a hard time kick-starting the brainstorming juices.<p>So, I'll toss this out there - I guess I'll get ignored or downvoted - do you have any B2B ideas/opportunities you'd like to share?
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HeyLaughingBoy
Shift coverage for very small businesses: employee won't be in to work, sends
SMS or email to site that then sends out a notification to all other employees
to see if anyone wants to cover his shift. I've seen this for large chains,
but nothing for smaller businesses and I know they have problems with people
not showing up. My wife used to manage a bar and she thought it was a waste of
time, but I think it can be sold.

Easy online scheduling for plumbers, etc. Prospect emails/requests a visit
from site. Message sent to plumber's phone if he's in the area. He can refuse
the appointment or call the customer with an ETA. Selling point: on the go
scheduling without a receptionist.

Estimation software for carpet cleaners. Enter size, furniture, materials,
etc. And it calculates time & materials. You need domain knowledge, but there
is a ton of available material online about carpet cleaning. It is also one of
the fastest growing and most profitable janitorial services.

Just a few off the top of my head.

Oh, the one I fooled around with and then abandoned: Management software for
small rental properties. Webapp aimed at people renting out rooms or single
homes. Automate the process from applications through rent collection and
discharge. Collecting rent, especially, can be a pain in the ass if you don't
live near the property.

Have fun and best of luck. Hope this is a lively thread!! Contact me if you
want more detail.

~~~
trafficlight
With all of these ideas, I think you really need to talk to someone in the
business (preferably several people). You aren't a plumber or a carpet
cleaner, so your percieved problems may be nothing at all like the real
problems they face on a day-to-day basis.

I'd hate to see you spend a bunch of time and effort on a product that your
intended market won't use.

~~~
HeyLaughingBoy
I agree that you need domain knowledge, but I assumed that went without
saying.

None of the ideas I suggested are "perceived problems." They're all either
problems either I or someone I know has had.

We have to make the assumption that the reader is intelligent enough to do
sufficient research to understand the problem, the market, and to gauge his
own level of interest in the domain.

