Let me start by saying this is probably not the last blog post I'll ever write. It is, however, my final post on this blog.

Last February I set out to spend a year posting my best (and worst) business ideas, and here we are, one year, 17 business ideas and 25 kitten photos later.

Over the year you guys have left comments, tweets, emails, and Facebook messages about which ideas you've really liked. That's super amazing and encouraging, and I thought it was only right for me to end this thing by sharing with you which of these ideas have actually come to life.

...Unfortunately, most of the adaptations of my ideas that I found kinda, um, sucked.

Remember my "Find a college" idea? Well this site does that...really, really poorly. I entered my stats and preferences, and it returned a list of 4 schools: Emerson, Occidental (whaa?), Trinity and University of San Diego... Exactly.

Then there was my "Find a friend" idea. Rent-a-friend is gaining some popularity for people looking to hire a wingman or restaurant partner. But that's most certainly not what I had in mind. Also, it's creepy.

My idea for the NYC apartment hunters is kind of fulfilled by apartmentratings.com, in that it allows building dwellers to rate their apartments. Unfortunately, it doesn't allow people to post reviews on new rooms currently hitting the market, which is what I had in mind.

So you may be asking yourself right now, if these guys suck, why don't you do it better?

That's a question I've had to ask myself a lot over the course of the year. Mind you, I did help launch two startups during that time period, though admittedly none of the startup ideas listed here. The thing that I've realized is this: I don't want to be an entrepreneur for the sake of entrepreneurship. That may sound like an obvious thing to say, but the fact is, lots of people do want to be an entrepreneur at all costs. When I started this blog, I thought I was one of those people. 

Turns out, it matters a lot less to me that I start my own company, and a lot more to me that I start a company I genuinely care about, with a mission I truly I believe in. I can build a mobile app that allows people to rate the bar they're visiting, and maybe that app would make me a millionaire. But I don't wake up thinking about apps that allow people to rate their favorite bars. Here are some things I do wake up thinking about:

• The discouraging state of our current political environment, and the unproductivity it breeds
• Financial literacy - and the lack thereof - in the Black American community
• Finding better ways to collaborate with all of the extremely smart people I know
• The lack of intelligent cable programming featuring minorities
• The alarming (and ever-increasing) cost of higher education

I hope and believe a day will come when I am able to launch a company that is more than a "big idea" - I'm looking to launch one that's important, too. Important to me, and important to the communities I serve. I don't know what that company will look like, but I do know I am incredibly lucky to have so many friends and supporters in all of you. 

If you've stuck with me this long, maybe you think I'll be able to pull it off, too. For that,  I sincerely thank you. And since I kind of like this whole internet blogging thing, I'm pretty sure I'll find more things to talk about soon. Maybe even more business ideas...

Until then,
KJ

This idea is for the lawyers.

Yes, you read that correctly.

*DISCLAIMER*
I am not now, nor have I ever been, an attorney.

However, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the legal profession, and I think I'm qualified to write about this subject for a number of reasons:

1) I took the LSAT in 2010 and scored in the 95th percentile (I'm only allowed to brag about it because I don't plan on applying to law school).

2) I interned for 3 weeks at a small law firm in Columbus when I was 19, and

3) Like all rational and intelligent Americans, I am a HUGE fan of Law & Order. 

So, suffice it to say, I'm something of a legal expert.

So here's the thing. Lawyers are having a *really* rough time finding jobs right now.  Apparently the value of a law degree is plummeting, and lawyers are being forced to do menial labor! 

You would think that the decline in available jobs would mean the decline in demand for legal help, but this is simply not so.  Everyday people still need legal assistance for all manner of things, and often don't know where to turn.

Below are just a few examples of times when having a lawyer would really come in handy:

• Dealing with a non-responsive landlord 
• Dealing with a contractor/developer who's in breach of contract
• Understanding your rights when dealt unnecessary force by a police officer (black men know a little something about that...)
• Suing your neighbors' baby for crying every morning at 3:30 am on the dot*

The list goes on and on. Unfortunately, figuring out where to turn for help with these issues is just plain hard. Your options are to 

a) scan the internet for a lawyer (a Google search for lawyers in NYC returns 89 million results)
b) ask a lawyer friend for help (your lawyer friend does not want to help)
c) use a website like justanswer.com or freeadvice.com to get quick but extremely impersonal advice from a lawyer online
d) do nothing

I usually end up choosing option d, but only after a lot of fist-waving and door-slamming.

The truth is, none of these options are particularly awesome. The best option would be to have a lawyer on retainer, like all of the rich folks, so that any time you have an issue you can say, "You'll be speaking to my lawyer!" ...only this time it wouldn't be an empty threat. 

The problem with having a lawyer on retainer is that it's extremely expensive. I mean...those Armani suits don't pay for themselves. Which brings me to my next BIG idea:

LEGAL ASSISTANCE TIME SHARE

Here's how it would work:

1) Individual lawyers would offer up their time and services time-share style, and list them on our website. (Since lawyers typically bill by the hour, they'd list the number of annual hours that are available to be split.)
2) You'd peruse the site, find the lawyer who's skill, availability and price best match what you're looking for, and offer to pay for a portion of their available hours.
3) Once an agreement was reached, you'd be able to allocate those hours to whatever issues arise during the year. And like a timeshare, hours not used would be non-refundable.

The way I envision this working, most of the lawyers would be on the younger side. You know - all those guys who just graduated from law school and are currently working at Pizza Hut. I see this service being a stepping stone - a way for the young guys to get their feet wet working smaller cases, while still pursuing other, cushier jobs to pay for those Armani suits. I also envision the services being offered at well below the average retainer prices. Like I said, we're talking about the Pizza Hut waiters, not Johnny Cochran, so I'm thinking they'll be open to price negotiation. 

Obviously there'd be a few logistical issues to think about. For one, what's to stop these lawyers from ditching my site (and my retainer % fee) once they've got a client lined up? And who's to say that the legal issues normal people face are substantial enough to warrant having a lawyer on retainer? Maybe the sum total of all my potential grievances would yield an annual intake of $200...in which case paying anything more than that for a retainer would be silly.

These are obviously questions I'd have to think about. But let's not get bogged down with the nitty gritty details. If you're like me, you've been waiting for the chance to sic your lawyer on someone since you could TALK. And now's your chance.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments, friends. Til next time...

*This may or may not actually be a crime. I've got people looking into it.

So back to the idea. Allow me to give credit where it's due, and say that this idea was fully inspired by the lovely @Halle-lujahh's tweet:

             Ughhhh I wish my apt building had an email list...
             ...I want to borrow things without having to get to
             know anyone personally.

That tweet got me thinking.  Neighborhood-based email lists would be so incredibly helpful. I mean think of all the times you've needed to borrow something, or couldn't quite reach something, or were trapped in your room screaming at the top of your lungs because you saw a spider the size of your hand.  Wouldn't it have been awesome to shoot a quick email to your neighbors asking them to lend a hand?

I know what you're all thinking: an email list isn't a business idea, and even if it were, Google-Groups already cornered the market.

Well friends, that's where you're wrong. You see, the problem with making a google-group (or yahoo group if that's your thing...in which case 1999 called - it wants its email client back) is that someone has to go through the trouble of setting it up, then inviting people, then moderating the list, and so on and so forth. Speaking as the moderator of somewhere between 5 and 800 google-groups, let me assure you, this is extremely annoying.

Here's what I'm proposing instead:

A Craigslist-esque site with pre-built message boards by location. You log in, enter your address, and get assigned to your designated list. Then, the next time you run out of sugar, instead of going door-to-door all you have to do is shoot an email!

...So here's where I would usually launch into my "Here's how it would work" section. But I already told you (see above paragraph) - and it really is that simple.  And at the end of the day, aren't the best ideas always the simplest?

So there you go folks - my first big idea in 2 months, and it's not even mine.  But never mind that - what do you think of it?  Holler back.

I am. I know I know, what's new. I'm a 20-something woman struggling with her self-image, blah blah blah.

The thing is, the fact that I'm not alone in this struggle is actually easy to forget, because other than the occasional "I ate wayyy too much" groan at dinner parties, weight isn't something we often talk about. Not in detail, anyway. 

In fact, when you hear someone say "I really need to drop 20 pounds" don't you kind of want to end the conversation? Immediately? I mean there's no good way to continue. Either you lie and say "No you don't! You look great!", or you do the not-quite-disagreeing dismissal that can only be interpreted as agreement: "Psshh, girl, you crazy."

So, here's what I'm proposing:

A social network dedicated ENTIRELY to weight loss. 

Before you start kicking and screaming about the number of sites that already purport to do this, hear me out.

Most weight loss programs that have online components, (which is to say, every single diet program that exists), have these lamely executed "chat rooms" where strangers can log on and share recipe ideas, diet tips, and weight loss stories. The key word here is strangers. As a current member of WeightWatchers.com, I can tell you right now, I almost never use these boards. They just seem so impersonal. Nothing excites me less than hearing about how some rando from Idaho lost 20 pounds by eating low-fat cottage cheese and raspberries every day.

What I'm looking for is more like Facebook, but for those of us trying to shed a few pounds. 

Here's how it would work:

• You'd create a profile that includes all the personal info you want to share, PLUS where you're trying to be fitness-wise
• You'd find your friends, just like on Facebook, and add them to your network
• You'd use the space to share recipes, tips, exercise routines etc.
• You could also set up competitions among your friends, Biggest Loser style, or set up gym-meeting times (or virtual gym-meeting times where everyone goes to their respective gym at the same time!...am I the only one excited by that?)

The point is, instead of awkwardly bombarding your friends with constant complaints about your weight, you'd have a platform built specifically for you, that included people you know and like, all committed to the same goal. Studies show that having someone fighting the weight-loss fight with you helps a lot, but in our fast-paced world, coordinating with friends can be difficult. Enter: the internet. Our go-to space for quick and convenient support.

How would the site make money? My guess is ads from the 8 million weight-loss programs out there, though I'd want to be careful about bombarding the members with that sort of thing.

Anyway, I know this idea needs work, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Think it could be a hit?

So here's the thing. There's this site called Foursqure that a bunch of people use, that allows you to check in everywhere you go and announce to the world that you're there.

...I've never really seen the sense in joining that site, though I guess I understand its appeal. The reason I bring it up is because I think some of what they do serves the purpose I'm calling for in this next idea, which is...

REAL-TIME ANONYMOUS HOT SPOT CHECK-INS

Let me back up, because I know that's a mouthful.

Every time I'm getting ready to go out with friends, there's this long discussion about where to go: which place will have the best music, the right crowd size, good food, cheap drinks, nice lighting, soft carpets, blah blah blah.

Now, there are a number of sites, like Yelp and NYMag, that tell you what you can usually expect from certain venues. The problem is, these sites don't give you real time feedback for what's happening that minute, which is why we spend 30 minutes hypothesizing.

Solution:

A mobile check-in site that allows you to log in (anonymously), and give specific details about your location. None of these novel-length Yelp comments (I'm looking at you, Jia J.), just quick, concise, and constantly updated feeds about specific locations. I've taken the time to draw a mock up of the screen, so feel free to marvel at my powerpoint abilities.

Ok ok, so the mock-up looks a little...amatuerish. What do you expect?! I'm not Steve freaking Jobs! The point is, the app will be quick, simple, and extremely helpful to those of us wishing to make it to the club before the drink special ends. And as an added bonus, now we all get to find out what's going on where, without telling all the creepos where they can come find us. It's genius, really.

So, let me know your thoughts. (Hint: they should be something along the lines of "You're brilliant, may I bow at your feet, etcetera etcetera.")

Til next time,
KJ

You know what I really want to do? Take a month-long trip to Europe. I started thinking about how much fun that would be, and wondered who'd be willing to go with me.  Unable to come up with an answer, I Googled "travel buddy" and found lots of options (including this one).

Problem solved, right? But what if instead of a travel buddy, I wanted a hunting buddy? Another Google search turned up another set of options, which again, is great.

But what if instead of hunting, I wanted someone to practice my Spanish with?...I think you see where I'm going with this.

The fact is, sometimes, no matter how many friends you have, nobody wants to do the thing you want to do. And while a quick Google search brings up a quajillion [mathematical term] websites devoted to every activity under the sun, wouldn't it be great if there were a one-stop-shop kind of site where people could find other people to do the very cool things they want to do?

Let's call it, "DoItWithMe.com"... (Get your mind out of the gutter, sickos).

Here's how it would work:
1) You log onto our site and create a profile

2) On your profile, you list all of the awesome things you really want someone to do with you (clean, safe, family-friendly things, obvi).

3) You peruse other people's profiles, or browse by category, looking to find similarly-inclined future buddies.

4) You find a buddy, you meet up, and you knit!

It doesn't matter what you're doing - what matters is that you're doing it together.

And now, feel free to stare at the hugging cats for another 10 minutes. That's what I'll be doing.

xoxo,
KJ

Dear Readers,

Thankfully, that's over now (and I even managed to do well!), and so it is with great pleasure that I bring to you my

11TH BIG IDEA

Considering the fact that I spent the last several weeks shedding my blood, sweat and tears (lots and lots of tears) over the GMAT, it seems fitting that my next big idea is inspired the exam.

One of the more frustrating parts about studying for the GMAT was finding space to do it. My preferred location was usually Starbucks, because of the free wi-fi and the endless supply of coffee. Unfortunately, Starbucks seating in NYC is ridiculously hard to find, and I grew tired of elbowing old men in the ribs just to get a seat.

With Starbucks being so hit-or-miss, I next tried the library.  Now, the library is great for a number of reasons. It's free, there's lots of desk space, and there's usually free wi-fi available.  There are a number of problems with the library, however.

For one, you can't eat or drink in the stacks. Speaking as someone who has VERY strict dietary requirements that dictate food consumption every hour, on the hour, that's a big problem. There's really no inconspicuous way to consume my doctor-ordered bag of Doritos without drawing attention to myself.

Secondly, apparently America's broke, and can no longer afford to keep its libraries open. So finding a library open past 6pm (or finding one at all) can often be difficult, limiting the number of available hours for post-work studying.

The solution:

Work space available for rent by the hour.

Now I know what you're thinking. Why would someone pay to do work? And, I think it's a valid point. In order for the idea to work, I think there'd need to be some freebies thrown in to convince people of the value.

First, there'd definitely have to be free coffee. In Starbucks, you pay for the coffee and get the space for free; here, it'd be the opposite. And unlike Starbucks, the entire layout of the floor would be dedicated to giving people the best work conditions. Picture lots of desks, reading lamps, and no humongous coffee bar or huge line taking up space (the coffee area would be small, and serve only basic coffee).

Second, there would obviously need to be free wi-fi, lots and lots of outlets, and available computers for use.

Also, it'd be awesome if we could serve free snacks. Nothing too fancy, just simple, low-cost brain food like granola bars, nuts, and veggies. Maybe have certain hours throughout the day where it's brought out.

The crux of this business idea is the fee.  While I definitely think the idea could have traction, the question is how much would people be willing to pay for this sort of thing? In NYC, real estate is extremely pricey - would the hourly rate we'd need to charge to make a profit be reasonable enough for people to buy in?

....

......

............

Ok, so, no I do not know the answer to that question. I would obviously need to do some research. But instead of bugging my friends and family and asking them how much they'd be willing to pay, it'd be swell if you gave me your opinion. :-)

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Til next time (which I promise WILL be next week),
KJ

Recently, there's been a lot of buzz on the internet about the online resume-sharing network, LinkedIn. The buzz has centered mainly around the company's decision to go public, and the price its stock is trading for. It's all very complicated, apparently, and most of the articles you'll find about it are full of complex finance jargon.

The gist of it is this: LinkedIn's stock is trading for a LOT. Which means a lot of people seem to think the company's going to be way more profitable than it currently is. And that got me thinking....

If a network dedicated to connecting professionals is that popular, maybe there's a way for me to spin this off. But to whom?

...ARTISTS!

Now, before you dismiss the idea, think about it. If you're an  actor, singer, dancer, etc., chances are you spend a good deal of time collaborating with other actors, singers and dancers. In fact, most art can't be done without some sort of collaboration. Allow me to provide a few examples:

• Actors rely on writers, directors, and producers to put on their shows.
• Singers rely on songwriters, beat producers, and musicians to create their songs.
• Dancers rely on choreographers
• Writers rely on editors
• Painters rely on...paint suppliers.

You get the idea. The point is, the arts are necessarily collaborative, which means artists are probably in even greater need of a tool that aims to connect them efficiently. 

Now, I'm sure many of you are wondering: why can't artists just use LinkedIn? And, well, I suppose they could. But...have you ever looked at LinkedIn? I think it's fair to say that it has one of the most boring user-interfaces you'll find on a major website.

Artists can't be expected to share their work via bullet points! They need their songs playing in the background, and videos of their latest performances to be embedded, and backdrops that reflect their inner turmoil. To deny them these things would be unfathomable.

How it would work:

• Artists would log on and create a profile.
• The profile would include videos, songs, drawings, scripts, and whatever else they wanted to share
• Other artists would be able to peruse their profiles, finding people to link up with to produce the play, song, or performance they've been working on.

Now, while I do think LinkedIn's user-interface is a little boring, I have to give them credit for keeping their site clean. We would definitely have to find a way to keep this site from looking like some type of free-for-all, a la MySpace. Artists would have to keep their pages professionally organized, because at the end of the day, art is a profession.

But I can work out the kinks later. I just need to know - is it a good idea? Holler back.

Here's a little known fact about me: I HATE shopping.  Hate it, hate it, hate it.

I've never understood why so many people consider it to be a pleasurable past-time, when, typically, it goes down a little like this:

-You dig through several racks of clothes, trying to find your size
-You don't find your size, so you try a size smaller/bigger
-You wait in line for the fitting room for 5-10 minutes
-You try on the 6 things you've selected; only the most expensive thing fits
-You realize you don't have any shoes that go along with said expensive thing
-You put it back, and leave feeling discouraged.

Or maybe that's just me. I have a feeling, though, that I'm not alone.  Trying to find clothes that fit your body type, your style, and your price point is tedious and time-consuming, and I'm convinced there's gotta be a better way to do it.

Actually, I know there is. It's called a personal shopper. These amazing people do your shopping for you; they pick out clothes they think you'd like, bring them to your house so you can make those loud noises in private, and return the items you don't want. It's pretty much the best thing to ever happen to shopping-mall haters such as myself.

There's only one problem...it's expensive as BALLS.

And it kind of has to be. A personal shopper has to spend multiple hours combing through a number of stores to find you the looks that work best. Often times, they also have to build their reputations with the various stores, so that they don't get black-listed for returning so many products.

Up until yesterday, I figured the only way to get myself a personal shopper was to become filthy rich (which I'm working on, obviously).

But then I had an epiphany! Just because I need the help of a personal shopper doesn't mean I need a person to do it. Why not automate the whole process?

Here's how it would work:

1) You log onto our personal shopping website (I tried to think of a clever URL, but every combination of "shop/shopper/shopping" you can think of is already taken)

2) You enter your stats (gender, size, style preferences, favorite stores/brands, ideal price range)

3) You choose how often you want clothes to be sent to you, and place a credit card on file for the merchandise

4) For a small fee, we send you clothes that match your preferences at regularly scheduled intervals. You get charged for the clothes you keep, and return the ones you don't want in our pre-labeled return boxes.

Voila! Just like that, you have a personal shopper at a fraction of the cost.

You may be wondering how this website would have access to all of the clothes for our clients. Initially, the site would probably have to comb through the websites of various retailers looking for items to match clients' preferences. Once we establish our brand, however, we'd ideally have access to the retailers' inventory systems, and be able to make the selections and purchases directly.

Anyway, we can work out the details later. For now, let's all marvel in the fact that I've solved a MAJOR world problem in 5 paragraphs. If you'd like to join me on this sure-to-be-a-billion-dollar venture, holler back.

Apartment hunting in New York is the single worst thing that I've ever had to do, ever.

For those of you who have never had to apartment hunt in New York, allow me to take you on a journey. (The liklihood that you will enjoy this journey is 0%.)

Here's a run-down of the top 3 reasons looking for an apartment in New York will make your soul bleed:

1) No matter how much of a "deal" you think you've gotten, you can rest assured you are being robbed BLIND. A quick search of Craigslist confirms that for the $1500 a month you're paying for your tiny studio apartment, you could be living in a spacious 2 bedroom lakefront apartment in Chicago, a 3 bedroom house (you read that correctly) in New Jersey, or a 5 bedroom MANSION in Winston-Salem.

2) Every single person who is affiliated with the NYC housing market in any way is trying to screw you over.

Every. Last. One of them.

They tell you things like "it's a great 2 bedroom on the Upper West Side," when what they mean is "it's basically a studio in Harlem that you can turn into a 2 bedroom with some fancy drapes. Or a tall bookcase."

3) When you finally find the one apartment that's just un-terrible enough to be habitable, it gets taken from you by someone else who hit "Send" 1.8 seconds before you did.

I know New York City's size and population necessitate some of the hassle that comes along with apartment hunting, but I am convinced that 90% of the stress is completely unnecessary. How am I so sure? Because most people I know end up living in fairly nice places.  Which suggests that we're all bending over backwards and jumping through hoops for no real reason.

So, where do we start? Well, I can't make real-estate cheaper, or keep annoying iPad girl from getting your perfect place first, but I can do something about those pesky little real-estate people...

The solution?

A craigslist-esque website that allow users to give and access real feedback about NYC apartments.

Here's how it would work:

1) You go visit an apartment. It's not bad, but not what you were looking for.

2) You log onto my site, let's call it "ratemyapartment.com," and upload the pics you took, as well as your observations.

3) Others log on, see your reviews, and are able to make a more informed decision about whether to visit the apartment themselves.

Now let me address a few obvious points right off the bat:

First of all, it should be pretty clear that people will only want to post about apartments they're not interested in. It is highly unlikely anyone's going to post their dream place on the site for someone else to poach.

Given that, you may be wondering whether the posts will be good enough to warrant checking. I think the answer is yes.  People turn down apartments for a variety of reasons; maybe it's in the wrong location, or they found something cheaper, or it's out of their price range. So there's no reason to think all of the posts would be about horrible places.

Second, you may be wondering what incentive posters have to help other people find an apartment. To be clear, their desire to help would likely be entirely self-serving. It's like Yelp.  You post your reviews because you rely on others' reviews to guide you in the right direction. Ratemyapartment.com would be no different. By submitting your review, you contribute to the community of people trying to make New York apartment hunting much easier, and in return you're able to read other people's reviews to narrow down your own list of suitable places.

To be honest, I think a site like this would be useful just about anywhere. But I would most definitely start in New York, because Lord knows we desperately, desperately need it.

Let me know your thoughts.