These Business Ideas Suck: Find Out Why Inside

What’s up everyone,

There’s no way to sugarcoat it. Some business ideas are no good. That doesn’t mean you can’t make money with them. It does mean there are inherent issues that put you behind the eight ball from the start.

Below, I give you three business ideas to avoid. But first, a few resources.

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Take a Pass On These Business ideas

Not all businesses are worth owning (examples of good and bad here). Some offer all the downside of risk with none of the upside of scale.

The margins are thin. The labor is brutal. And the so-called opportunity is often just a dressed-up job.

I’ve seen operators pour time, energy, and money into businesses that never had a real chance to grow. And in every case, it came down to one of three things: bad margins, bad models, or a ceiling so low you couldn’t stand up straight.

Here’s what I’d stay far away from:

1. Window Cleaning Franchises

They look simple. But they’re a headache in disguise.

The labor pool is hard to manage, the pay is low, and turnover is constant. Add franchise fees on top, and you’re suddenly running a business where every dollar feels like a grind.

Most of these franchises sell the dream of ownership without any real upside. You’re just paying to be self-employed with rules. And if your brand gimmick is a guy in a kilt on a ladder? That’s not differentiation. That’s desperation.

If the whole business is just labor plus marketing, you better make sure the margins are worth it. These aren’t.

2. Low-Profit Franchises That Replace a W2

There’s a whole category of franchises where the average profit is $50,000 to $80,000 a year.

That sounds okay, until you remember you just bought yourself a full-time job with financial risk, payroll pressure, and marketing costs.

If you can make the same (or more) money as a W2 tech without putting your house on the line, why wouldn’t you? There’s no equity upside. No scale. Just risk without reward.

A business should create time, money, or freedom. These give you none.

3. Aging in Place Services

This industry sounds promising. Until you dig in.

Yes, the population is aging. But most of the demand already got scooped up by retirement communities, and the rest can be handled by handymen, plumbers, or general contractors.

On top of that, this model feels more like construction than service. Jobs are one-off. Sales cycles are long. And you’re selling to a demographic that’s already locked into care or aging out of upgrades.

By the time you build a brand in this space, the demand curve might already be on the way down.

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I’m not a huge fan of these business ideas, but my mind can be changed. Respond with your thoughts.

👊 John

Disclosure: This newsletter includes sponsored content. However, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

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