Anyone who’s ever been to a wedding will have seen young children getting bored or fractious as the day goes on. I just read about an interesting business called Safe And Sound Event Childcare run by a lady called Stephanie Wallis.  The business offers mobile childcare facilities at weddings and other events so that adults can enjoy the day without worrying what their children are up to.

I’m sure some people would hate the idea of separating off the children at a wedding or event, but there’s no doubt there’s a market for this, with the company handling 150 bookings per year.

Is this something that could be copied in your area? For the right person,  with the right childcare experience and qualifications, I’m sure that its is.

Trainers and sneakers have something of a cult following, and a number of businesses have sprung up to cater for the needs of enthusiasts who will often pay a fortune for their favourite pair. Jason Markk who retail a range of cleaning products have set up the world’s first drop off and pick up sneaker cleaning service in their Los Angeles store.

This probably isn’t a business that could survive without the retail side, but I wonder whether this could be a success in, say, Central London. I had a quick look and couldn’t find any trainer cleaning services, or indeed any significant business specialising in cleaning products for this ubiquitous footwear.

http://jasonmarkk.com/flagship/los-angeles/

One of the worst aspects of owning a dog is picking up its poo. Well now a new invention aims to put a stop to it.

The Piqapoo clips onto the base of a dog’s tail and contains collection bags that can then be dropped directly into a  bin. Owners never have to touch the bag. Piqapoos can be ordered in different sizes for different breeds of dog and are soft and lightweight.

The developers, who have just raised over £40,000 on Kickstarter to go into production, claim the design has been tested on more than 100 dogs. Each Piqapoo should last for at least a year.

I don’t know whether this will be a success , but the money raised suggest that it strikes a chord with dog owners. The developers are dog owners, and this is a classic case of  developing a business idea by solving a problem you’re experiencing yourself.

Website: www.piqapoo.com

Like a lot of men, I don’t like shopping and so I was interested to read about an idea to make it more bearable.

When Shanghai’s new Vanke Mall opened, it included a Husband Nursery. Women are able to leave their husbands relaxing with newspapers, magazines, games, cold drinks and a massage chair. Women who don’t particularly enjoy shopping have already been enquiring about the possibility of the mall opening a similar room for them.

This sounds like an idea which could be rolled out to other locations. Thinking more widely, where else might a sales process be helped by keeping family members occupied who have little or no interest in what’s being purchased?

Luggage firm, Samsonite recently came up with an innovative way to get their company name in the public eye.  The company opened a one-day Samsowrap stall in Spain’s Palma airport. For passengers traveling with any suitcase other than a Samsonite, the company offered to wrap their luggage for free. The catch was that each suitcase had to display a large sign declaring “I Wish I Had A Samsonite.”

Luggage wrapping protects the case and strengthens it by encasing it in protective plastic. Samsonite estimates that the stall wrapped more than 1,200 pieces in one day, with the luggage going to more than 120 different destinations.

Is this an idea you could copy, or adapt to your product? The underlying principle is to give people something visible for free which carries a promotion for your company, and  will provide a benefit. And if it covers up a competitors product, so much the better!