Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
There are two basic markets to which you can sell: consumers and businesses. The divisions are quite evident. For example, if you are selling women’s clothing in a retail store, your market is consumers.
Now, if you sell office supplies, your target market is business (known as B2B sales, business to business ). Meet some models that have been successful selling to other companies.
1. Healthy food in offices or home office
Visual fatigue, back pain, gastrointestinal discomfort, obesity, exhaustion, chronic fatigue syndrome and stress are the main health problems that affect Mexicans at work, in addition to the most frequent causes of low labor productivity, according to the Survey of Aon’s Health 2016 . It helps combat overweight and sedentary problems in the workplace by offering an alternative to a poor diet with a cart selling healthy foods and morning snacks. Look for quarterly alliances in the corporations and analyze how your consumers respond to renew the agreements.
2. Outdoor advertising
An effective way that companies can publicize their products and services is by advertising on billboards, illuminated signs, stands, buses and awnings on public roads. The outdoor advertising industry generated $ 7 billion in the country in 2015, according to companies that belong to it. Set up an agency specialized in this type of advertising and offer your clients new ideas made by designers and marketing experts who can work remotely. Offer your services on an attractive website and focus on small and medium-sized companies (240,000 according to Inegi), which are looking for alternatives to position themselves.
3. Cardboard furniture
One concern of consumers today is responsible consumption; So they try to acquire products made with renewable materials that do not affect the environment. The cardboard is ecological, recyclable and highly resistant. In addition, it allows to design and manufacture furniture of all kinds. Become a distributor of furniture made from this material and focus on the corporate market, which every day incorporates more social responsibility actions in its operations. Set up a website as an online catalog and schedule your schedule to visit your clients in the morning.
4. Travel agency for congresses
In 2015, Mexico was placed as the second favorite destination to organize events in Latin America, and the fourth in the continent, with the holding of 184 congresses, according to the Council for Tourism Promotion of Mexico (CPTM). Coordinate these types of trips for specialized niches such as medical or direct sales. You will have more opportunities if you join a recognized brand with extensive experience in the business and that has strategic allies and volume discounts. Your job will be to train and supervise your staff to ensure that they provide exceptional customer and visitor service.
5. Online tutorials for SMEs
One in five adults in Latin America is starting a business or owns one with about three years in operation, notes the LinkedIn company, video2brain. Entrepreneurs require training in skills focused on marketing, sales, finance, e-mailing , social media and Office, among others. Use your experience in these subjects, or create an alliance with a platform that shares this type of content, and create digital courses aimed at this segment. Design them in your spare time and set aside the weekends to record them and upload them to your website.
6. Coaching to speak in public
Being able to stand in front of an audience and make a successful presentation can be the difference between closing a sale or not. But according to a study from the University of California, 75% of people are afraid of speaking in public. This fear occupies the first place in the ranking of fears, above the fear of death, flying or spiders, points out this institution. If you are knowledgeable about the subject, offer public speaking coaching to executives and salespeople. Set aside the afternoons to serve your customers; Consider being flexible to accommodate their schedules.
7. Ghostwriter
Bad writing leads to miscommunication and negatively impacts the business world. It offers the services of research, writing and editing of professional texts under the figure of a ghostwriter (that is, the credit and rights are owned by the brand or company to which you provide the service). Make specialized content for niche markets, such as foodies , metrosexuals or runners , among others, through blogs, special reports and articles of interest. The key to having more customers is generating quality, unique content and respecting the terms under which the content is marketed.
8. Accounting office
In Mexico there are 52.7 million taxpayers; 5.6 million submitted their electronic return as of May this year, according to the Tax Administration Service (SAT). Manage your accounting by undertaking a firm that also calculates and manages payroll, and provides tax, administrative and financial advice. Set up an office with certified accountants who, although they will work from Monday to Friday, only require your supervision to ensure that all clients receive timely monitoring of their needs. In addition to this work, he has a pre-established schedule in the mornings to prospect clients.
9. Vehicle tracking via GPS
Around 65,700 robberies to carriers are registered annually within the Mexican highway network, indicates the Transportation Commission of the Chamber of Deputies . This theft constitutes one of the most serious threats in the supply chain. Become a distributor of a solution for the GPS satellite tracking of vehicles, people and goods, with which your clients can monitor and improve the movement of their employees and delivery men. Your market: 125,000 cargo trucking companies, with a fleet that exceeds 310,000 units, according to the Ministry of Communications and Transportation (SCT).
10. Cleaning of computer equipment
A study carried out by the British agency Which? , a consumer rights specialist, points out that the computer keyboard can harbor even more germs than a toilet bowl. And as keeping it clean also prevents diseases, cleaning electronics is an ideal service to offer to offices and corporations. Purchase equipment such as screwdrivers, mini vacuums, brushes, antistatic gloves, and lint-free cloths. Do the services yourself, and as demand increases, train and supervise workers. Tip: run cleaning awareness campaigns to win more customers.
11. Mobile spa
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), two million people die each year from work-related illnesses, while 160 million have non-fatal conditions, such as stress, caused by their work activity. Improve the performance and mood of employees in offices by offering express massages of 10 to 15 minutes. Buy portable beds and hire a pair
of therapists to serve as many people as possible. Your job will be to supervise that the business operations go 100%. It offers quarterly packages and promotions to companies to have recurring customers.
12. Web hosting service
Mexico already has 65 million Internet users, that is, 59% of the population, according to the Mexican Internet Association (Amipci). And if a company wants to position itself among consumers, it is imperative that it have a website. It offers the design and Web hosting service for newly created companies. Join a company with a network of hosting resellers that provides you with customer and account management software so you don’t have to bear the cost of servers. Also partner with a business incubator to get more customers.
13. Transport optimization
Half of the trips that freight carriers make in the country do not carry merchandise, figures from the Mexican Institute of Transportation (IMT) reveal. Incorporate these drivers into an online solution that allows them to better optimize their routes. The platform will indicate to end users which route is available and the characteristics of the vehicle (capacity, whether or not they have a cold room and the type of merchandise they can transport). Your task will be to contact the owners of these trucks and convince them of the benefits of joining these types of solutions.
14. Business coaching
Seven out of 10 companies do not survive the first year of life, according to data from Inegi. Become the figure that helps entrepreneurs achieve their goals, motivates them and keeps them focused on their objectives so as not to be part of the negative statistics, offering them coaching for their businesses. If you have knowledge in the matter, you can make visits three times a week, establishing specific tasks with your client and following up on time. Although it does not hurt to join a brand with international support that can certify your knowledge.
15. Sale of remanufactured cartridges
A toner cartridge requires nearly a gallon of crude oil to make, and takes up to 450 years to break down. In addition, 80% of the (used) printers worldwide end up as toxic waste, warns the NGO Fundación que Transforma. It helps to reduce the environmental damage of these components with the commercialization of remanufactured cartridges that, in turn, are cheaper. Become a franchisee of a recognized brand and include printers and computer equipment among your offer.