What’s great about working at Near Me is learning about who our customers are, the types of marketplaces they want to build and helping them go live. What’s also exciting is, like our customers, we are a growing startup that can relate to the obstacles entrepreneurs come across and pass our knowledge along.

One hiccup I hear about is making things more complicated than they need to be. When it comes to building a marketplace, whether it be renting out storage space or reselling engagement rings, simpler is often better. Ideas are floating around everywhere, so it’s just a question of catching the right one and making sure it fulfills your customer’s need. Here are some marketplace ideas that will bring in a steady flow of revenue, if you do your homework.

Leather Jackets and Goods

I remember owning a tan colored suede jacket back in college. I wore it a few times and realized that it was not the right fit. My disappointment was slightly abated when a friend of mine said he would like it and took it off my hands. He handed me $100, which was a third of what I had paid, but I was happy he could enjoy it and at least I received part of my money back.

I imagine many closets are filled with leather jackets that aren’t being worn for various reasons. You could find people willing to sell in your area and eventually grow to nationwide and even globally. Quality photographs are key to enhance the shopping experience, showcasing different colors and styles. You can pretty much sell anything on a marketplace, but luxury items, such as leather, will have a higher price point.

Musical Instruments

If you’ve ever watched Antiques Roadshow, it won’t be surprising to hear that a stradivarius can sell for upwards of $40,000. Although it is an exception, musical instruments are usually very costly. From keyboards to guitars to xylophones, if you already have knowledge about music and musical instruments your could leverage that and your own community of musicians to use your site.

Fine Art

Amazon has a section on its site dedicated to selling original paintings, remakes and prints. So why create a marketplace solely dedicated to fine art? A fine art marketplace could become a community for artists to showcase their work in a more niche style forum. Amazon is a big name with a large following, but if you already have expertise in art apprising, art history, or are an artist yourself, you could set yourself apart by customizing your marketplace as the one stop shop for buying and selling fine art. Personalize the experience with artists biographies, an about page and create a blog to update readers about what’s happening in the art world.

Exercise Gear and Equipment

How many yoga mats and dumbbells are lying idly in people’s closets? As Americans fight the battle with obesity and try to get in shape, I think that this is a marketplace that has huge potential for growth. And the growth goes beyond mere transactions to building an online community -- a marketplace of health-conscious individuals who support each other in forums and write reviews, gaining connections and a reputation.

Baby Carriages, Cribs or Clothes

“They grow up so fast” is a phrase we often hear from parents. Although this market seems less profitable in terms of the lower price point than fine art for instance, the profit would stem more from the quantity that would create a constant flow of transactions within a site.

Parents are also very discerning about purchasing items for their children, so creating trust is key. Enabling vendor and customer profiles and reviews would offer parents peace of mind and create a community. This is just a modern version of getting “hand me downs,” which is a sustainable and convenient way for parents to provide for children in these tough economic times.

As you can see, it doesn’t take a complex idea to be successful -- follow the KISS principle. It’s true that you need some money if you want to start a business, but the great thing about consignment types of businesses is that you don’t need much funding to start off. What you do need is vendors, people who are willing to resell their products or services on your site. A first step is reaching out to these potential partners to grow your business and get products listed on your marketplace. It’s always a good plan to approach individuals and companies (perhaps through social media or other forms of direct marketing) to maintain relationships with them. It starts with a few dozen, grows to hundreds and could expand to thousands of users, fueling your marketplace to succeed over time

If you like any of the aforementioned ideas or have an idea of your own, reach out to us to talk about it. We’d be happy to assist you in getting your marketplace off the ground!