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44 Unique Start-Ups

Ideas to Ease Unemployment Woes and Inspire New Ideas

— January 9, 2009 — Top Lists
Out of a job? Depending on how you look at it, unemployment can actually be a blessing; it gives you an opportunity to look at your life in a new way and re-evaluate what matters. It gives you the chance to find that job or career that gives you deep satisfaction, that inspires you, that lets you feel proud of what you do.

The cluster below highlights some of the most unique start-ups and business ideas we’ve featured on Trend Hunter to demonstrate the unlimited possibilities of designing the idea job. Unemployment is often a factor that leads to the inspiration to start a new company, so let these micro trends inspire your innovation!
5.5
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness
42
Online Concert Ticket Haggling
Online Concert Ticket Haggling
Zigabid.com Negotiable Marketplace
<
41
Outsourcing Boring Parts of Being a Band
Outsourcing Boring Parts of Being a Band
‘Muck Work' Helps Promote Your Music Online
<
40
Ethnicity-Tailored Web Browsers
Ethnicity-Tailored Web Browsers
‘Blackbird' African-American Searches
<
39
Wardrobes as Sponsored Ads
Wardrobes as Sponsored Ads
‘I Wear Your Shirt' Turns Daily Fashion into Ad Space
<
38
Life Coaching for Intellectuals
Life Coaching for Intellectuals
The School of Life in London
<
37
Mood-Sensing Stock Predictions
Mood-Sensing Stock Predictions
StockMood.com
<
36
Microblogged Micropayments
Microblogged Micropayments
Twitpay Lets You Send Money Via Tweet
<
35
Cashing in On Amateur Phone Apps
Cashing in On Amateur Phone Apps
iPhone Trism Worth $250,000
<
34
Drug-Detecting Animals for Hire
Drug-Detecting Animals for Hire
'Sniff Dogs' for Suspicious Parents, Employers
<
33
Global Car Sharing Services
Global Car Sharing Services
'Connect by Hertz' Works in NYC, London, Paris
<
32
Get Paid to Search
Get Paid to Search
Scour Gives Points for Browsing
<
31
Obamabilia
Obamabilia
LA Times Front Page Tote Fashionably Immortalizes Obama
<
30
Gift Giving Consultants
Gift Giving Consultants
Giftgirl.com
<
29
Online Swapping
Online Swapping
MumSwap.com Lets Mothers Exchange Goods and Services
<
28
Crowdsourced Home Shopping Sites
Crowdsourced Home Shopping Sites
Honeyshed
<
27
"Designer" Craigslist
"Designer" Craigslist
Lushpad
<
26
Buying Ad Space on People
Buying Ad Space on People
Next Gen T-Shirt Marketing
<
25
Opening Snail Mail Online
Opening Snail Mail Online
Earth Class Mail
<
24
Exclusive Car Shopping For Women
Exclusive Car Shopping For Women
Fearless Auto Advice at CarsforGirls.com
<
23
Open-Source E-Commerce
Open-Source E-Commerce
Shopify
<
22
Virtual Gourmet Marketplaces
Virtual Gourmet Marketplaces
Foodzie is Edible Etsy
<
21
Talk Show Fashion Lines
Talk Show Fashion Lines
Oprah Online Store To Sell 'O Baby'
<
20
Bicycle Parts Vending Machines
Bicycle Parts Vending Machines
Trek Stop Tune Ups
<
19
Pre-Paid Social Networking Cards
Pre-Paid Social Networking Cards
FaceCard
<
18
Picture-Based Shoe Shopping
Picture-Based Shoe Shopping
Modista Helps Budget Fashionistas Score Similar Styles
<
17
Reality Chef Hotels
Reality Chef Hotels
Gordon Ramsay Opens ‘York and Albany' in London
<
16
Free T-Shirt Sites
Free T-Shirt Sites
Gitchers.com
<
15
Outsourcing Holiday Feasts
Outsourcing Holiday Feasts
Order Thanksgiving Dinner Online
<
14
Customized Power Suits
Customized Power Suits
Indochino.com
<
13
Toolkits for Women
Toolkits for Women
Fix your Car and Fight Breast Cancer
<
12
Giant iPhones for Discos
Giant iPhones for Discos
The Coin-Operated iBoxer For Drunken Amusement
<
11
$1 a Day Car Rentals
$1 a Day Car Rentals
CityFlitz in Toronto
<
10
Holiday-Themed Pop Up Stores
Holiday-Themed Pop Up Stores
Sears Goes Halloween Crazy
<
9
P2P Shipping Solutions
P2P Shipping Solutions
Citizenshipper.com
<
8
Zeppelin Wine Country Tours
Zeppelin Wine Country Tours
Airship Ventures' Innovative Aerial Sightseeing
<
7
5-Star Pet Hotels
5-Star Pet Hotels
The Canis Dog Resort is Only for Well-Heeled Patrons
<
6
Soup Kitchens for Pets
Soup Kitchens for Pets
The Animal Board
<
5
Second-Hand African Couture
Second-Hand African Couture
The Kilakitu Kenyan Cowboy Collection Uses 'Real' Models
<
4
Airport Micro Hotels
Airport Micro Hotels
Comfortable, Personal Napcabs at Munich Airport
<
3
Toilet Themed Dining (UPDATE)
Toilet Themed Dining (UPDATE)
Marton Restaurant Now a Chain
<
2
Adult Stars As Casino Dealers
Adult Stars As Casino Dealers
Penthouse Magazine Vies for Sin City Real Estate
<
1
Touchscreen Dining
Touchscreen Dining
Inamo Restaurant in London
<