Gone Entrepreneurial: Three Business Ideas that Come Cheap and Start Cheap

What better time to go into business than now? For years, you've been the dutiful worker ant, trudging off to work before nine, clocking out of the office an hour past five, filling out the same forms you've been doing for years. You can change all that by becoming your own boss. Put that briefcase down, and pack your business suit away! Where you're going, you won't need them. What you do need are truckloads of business cards and a silver business card case - the color silver for luck, a silver business card case to stash your cards in, and business cards for getting the word out that there's a new entrepreneur in town, and he means serious business.

If there's one thing people never stop doing, it's eat. There's money in food, and this money is steady. But wait! Don't open that fast food or have Mr. Big Mac engraved onto your silver business card case just yet. Take a page out of European cookbooks, and start your own European-inspired project. There are major food-related venture trends overseas that are slowly gaining a foothold in the U.S. Why not incorporate these ideas into your newest brainchild?

1. Gastronomic treats + beer Good food and good beer - what combination could be better than that? For years, customers have flocked to pubs that serve cheap cold beer, never mind that these joints serve food that taste little better than slop. If beer alone could kindle such loyalty, imagine what good food and good beer could inspire.

Gastropub is a name that combines "gastronomy" and "pub." It differs from the regular pub in that at a gastropub, the food is just as - if not more - important than beer. The wine list shares equal footing on the menu, too. Given the versatility of the gastropub, it's one place truckers and executives alike can go to for their pick of meals ranging from regular pub fare such as Scotch eggs and fries to upgraded versions of these dishes - Scotch quail eggs served with duck fat fries in truffle aioli, for instance.

You know what makes the gastropub concept such a financially sound one? You don't need to build an upscale establishment at all! You could simply buy a small pub that's gone to seed and inject the gastropub influence through sumptuous beer-and-food pairings. Yes, having "gastropubeur" engraved onto your silver business card case isn't a bad idea at all - not bad at all.

2. Molecular mixology Think chemistry experiment gone booze and gone well. Like molecular biology, molecular biology has its foundations in science. Molecular mixology refers to the process of combining alcohol and mixers to create new drinks. Think pearls, gumdrops, beads, foams, mists, and blobs.

As globalization makes next-door neighbors of Asia and Europe, diners become more and more adventurous in their choices. Today, all you have to do is stroll around New York to find both pubs and upscale restaurants alike tapping into booze's limitless possibilities.

You, too, can go a'molecular-mixing, and even better, you don't have to buy a bar at all. You can create your own mixes at home, and sell these to friends, family members, and neighbors. Just be sure to put labels onto your bottle of Flaming Sangria or Dancing 350 and a huge stack of cards in your silver business card case so your clients will know who to look for once they need a refill.

3. Olive oil by the tap "Gastropubeur" is certainly a catchy name to engrave onto your silver business card case, and so is "The Olive Man." Just think about it. How many entrepreneurs have "The Olive Man" etched onto their silver business card cases? Instead of going the way of the beer, you could go the way of the almighty oil instead and serve it up by the bottle. Entice more buyers by going the extra mile with fustinos. Fustinos - also called fustis - are steel tanks olive oil can be poured onto and dispensed from. Customers can taste olive oil by the tap from these fustis. This will help them decide which oil to buy.

The good thing about selling olive oil is that you won't need to build a restaurant at all. Simply pay for a booth at the mall or for a section at the local grocery.

It's classy to go European, food-wise anyway. It's cheap, too, and so much trendier on business card cases. With these three business ideas, you can bring a sliver of Europe into the county without having to break the bank.