Do you want to start your business but you haven't yet found THE right idea? Finding an original idea is not easy, but it is a sine qua non condition for creating your company and why not having success in an astonishing sector. What do you know how to do? What are your sources of inspiration? What concepts work abroad and which you could adapt to the French market?



We offers you an overview of unusual businesses that might seem far-fetched, but which are a hit!

1. The box for dogs and cats

In 2012, two young French entrepreneurs launched an unusual online business: Woufbox (literally: “the box for dogs”). The concept is simple: you subscribe online and each month you receive a box bringing together a selection of products for your dog . Treats, toys or accessories... everything goes for the well-being of your pet! And if you have a cat, discover Miaoubox.

Even better ! In the USA, the food truck for dogs has just seen the light of day with Woofbowl . Their objective ? Delight dogs by offering them a culinary experience that is as pleasant and authentic as possible!

2. A short film of your vacation

Who has never dreamed of having a real film of their vacation? To meet demand, Epic my trip, a Belgian company, has developed an original service: making a real film of your vacation . By indicating in advance your destination, the number of people participating in the stay and the genre of film desired, the company provides you with all the necessary logistical elements. Equipped with cameras, costumes, script, etc. you will shoot a short film in just two days.
This is an original and fun concept that allows you to keep an unforgettable memory!

3. Unusual business idea: selling wishbones

In the United States, during the Thanksgiving holiday, there is a popular tradition: two people pull on the wishbone (fork-shaped chicken bone) and the person who manages to remove the longest part can make a wish come true! This tradition being reserved for the youngest, an entrepreneur from Seattle therefore had the idea of ​​mass-producing wishbones in order to be able to sell them to as many people as possible, and thus allow the number of wishes to be multiplied! The Lucky Break Wishbone company still sells nearly 30,000 wishbones per month.

4. Rent animals

Animals are in the spotlight! Here are two examples of original businesses:

  • Renting chickens from the company Rent-a-chicken  : in a new way of life turned towards nature, individuals can rent a chicken for a given period, and benefit from all the equipment necessary to take care of it. animal (before deciding whether to keep it or not).
  • Exotic animal rental with the French firm Crealys  : crocodiles, elephants and even felines are available to you accompanied by their supervisors. Here's an idea to impress your loved ones during event evenings!

5. Mow your lawn with goats

No more electric mower! Have an environmental conscience and thus allow the emergence of a quite surprising business. Take for example the American company  Rent a Ruminant  : it offers goats for rent to mow lawns . This idea has arrived in France since certain French breeders already offer the services of their animals to individuals or companies.

6. Open a cat bar to de-stress

Neko cafe is the Japanese term for a cat bar . For around ten years, there have been cafes in Japan (and Taiwan) where you can have a drink in the company of domestic cats. Very popular with the Japanese, the Neko cafe allows people to reduce their stress by contemplating, caressing, or even playing with different feline breeds over a coffee.

7. The unusual hair business

What do you do with your hair when you cut it? Nothing. This is the observation from which an American business leader launched the site TheHairTrader.com . Individuals can in fact sell their cut hair, and professionals can make wigs and dolls from it. A useful and intelligent business that could be developed on European soil.

8. Become the godfather of an olive tree

In Italy, the company Nudo , specialized in the manufacture of olive oil, offers its customers the opportunity to  become a sponsor of an olive tree . If to succeed you have to be clever, then this company has it all! Concretely, it allows its customers to choose the olive tree to adopt (supporting certificate) and to receive the full production of the tree each year (which is equivalent to approximately two to three liters of olive oil) .

9. Renting loved ones: a particularly original business

In Japan, everything is rented! Indeed, the Hagemashi Tai company offers its clients actors who can play the role of parents or friends. So, you can hire a man to accompany you to a wedding, a partner to go to dinner with friends, or a little cousin to host your children's birthday party. Lying (within a contract) has never been so human!

10. Talking in the ears of horses

The French company HorseCom imagined an innovative concept: in 2015, it launched the first Bluetooth headset specially designed for horses . Thanks to the headphones placed in a specific cap, the animal can hear your voice or simply music. Designed to significantly reduce animal stress , it can be used to facilitate care or to reassure an animal during long journeys. 

11. Take a nap at a bar

Another original business idea: eat and rest in no time thanks to  the company ZZZ Zen which offers nap bars throughout France . If it is essential to take a mid-day break, it is now possible to take short naps in hammocks, massage chairs, or simply beds. You will come out refreshed, ready to return to work!

12. Start a travel agency for visually impaired people

Everyone dreams of traveling. Also, to make this dream accessible to everyone, the English company Traveleyes founded the first travel agency in the world intended for visually impaired people. With its adapted services, the company facilitates the organization of stays for its clients suffering from blindness. Many destinations are available on all continents to allow blind people to travel independently.

13. Eating with connected cutlery

In China, in the field of health, the company Baidu has designed connected chopsticks  : equipped with sensors, they analyze the quality of food, its freshness, the number of calories, the temperature and the PH (hydrogen potential) of food. At the slightest danger, a light will flash on your chopsticks. French entrepreneurs, when will connected cutlery for a better balanced diet?

14. Protect yourself with a second skin

Do you like walking barefoot but are afraid of getting hurt? Don't panic, Nakefit has invented adhesive pads that stick directly to the soles of the feet! So, no longer fear injury or the heat of the ground, you can move around in complete safety. Made of hypoallergenic, resistant, anti-cut, non-slip and waterproof materials, these disposable insoles have a lifespan of approximately 24 hours, depending on their use. 

15. DrnkPay: an unusual business

Alcohol abuse is dangerous for health. The company DrnkPay has understood this well by developing an application to prevent you from drinking “one glass too many” . For each new expense, the app connects your debit and credit card usage to breathalyzers and biosensors. If the sensors are bad, you can no longer consume. However, it remains up to the user to set their own limit.

You understand, in terms of unusual business, there are no limits. It is often said that there is a target for everything, and these original ideas confirm it. Especially since many are very successful. So, as soon as you find THE right idea, don’t hesitate to get started!