Idea #5: Cookies for sell online

This concept is one of those, "we dont invent a lot of the things you buy, we make a lot of the things you buy better!"

Business Type: Online Cookie Store

Estimated Start Up: $2.5K. ( marketing, website, quality packaging)

Where: Online and Domestic

Cookies anyone? Ok I will admit that I have the world's sweetest tooth, because every time I eat something sweet, I think of a way to bring my sugar high to the masses! My friends call me the cookieman!

But for about two years now I have had this pipedream of selling cookies online. Although I do bake and cook rather well, the key to money making is taking yourself the furthest away from the product or service as possible. For instance, you wont catch Warren Buffet selling insurance or Steve Jobs at a crappy Apple Store "Genius Bar" repairing an iPOD battery.

Now here is the deal. Locate a fair size baker or bakery in your area, there cookies/sweets must be loved, like a local legend. Contract to purchase a variety of cookies from this person everyday. These cookies will have possibly an extra pinch of cinnamon or sweetened with a teaspoon of honey, something to make them a lil different. Now comes your part. Contract to have designer boxes and packaging created. Possibly gold foil and a red box like Tiffanys to differentiate yourself from the mom and pops outfits that are polluting the web.

Open up the "cookiestore.com" and beat the competition on service and presentation. Think JetBlue. Offer a money back guarantee on all cookies sold. Offer discounted shipping, offset by pricing strategy.

Pricing Strategy: $15 a dozen, $2 shipping - minus $4 wholesale dozen - minus 4 shipping and packaging - $2 Labor = $5 profit.

These cookies are to be sold and marketed as high end cookies to willing customers everywhere. The best part is the fact that you keep no inventory beyond boxes and packaging. Quick entry to market due to the fact that the production infrastructure is already in tact. Your business is winning customers over with presentation and service. If you think that $17 (shipped) is too much for a dozen, do a search for yourself for gourmet cookies.

Marketing the cookies: Too easy, offer affiliate programs, partner to offer giveaways with a company like Crate and Barrel, SEO, link exchange, add a baker's blog, sky is the limit for this cookieman.