If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur but are struggling with deciding what exactly you want to do, the key is to identify underserved markets. That’s exactly what one young entrepreneur from Manhattan did before launching her business venture – and just a year later, business is booming.
Kate Arian spent a significant amount of time in the hospital after a double lung transplant at age 22, which resulted from cystic fibrosis. During her lengthy stay, one of the things that bothered her most was never feeling like herself without her usual beauty and maintenance routines.
It was then that Arian decided she was going to do something about it. She launched a website that promoted a soon-to-come manicure business, called ManiCare, that would cater to people like herself. In the spring of 2014 when she looked in ManiCare’s inbox and saw more than 100 inquiries – including one from Lindsay Lohan’s personal assistant – she knew the time was right.
One year after launch, ManiCare, a Manhattan-based mobile nail service that caters to people who are hospitalized or homebound, has $30,000 in sales and generates close to $5,000 per month.
Not bad at all, considering her total expenses to date are just $8,000, which includes a $1,200 a year insurance policy and the hiring of a search engine optimization expert to help keep ManiCare high up in Google searches.
A manicure or pedicure from ManiCare not only helps a friend or loved one, but it gives back to the community as well. ManiCare donates 10% of all its profits to charity.
