Starting a business is a challenging prospect. If I were to start a business, I would need to have a certain amount of personal investment in the product or service I would be providing. Thankfully for this class, I have a very large interest in cutting edge technology, so I'd like to start some kind of tech business.
The first business idea I have is a virtual reality arcade. Virtual reality as it exists now is difficult to get your hands on. It either requires a powerful computer or a modern games console that represents a large upfront personal investment before any virtual reality equipment is purchased. Additionally, for a compelling experience, a large area to move around in is required, something that many people do not have readily available. My virtual reality arcade would allow anyone interested in trying VR in a large enough space.
My next business concept is a ramen vending machine. I know that this technology is common in Japan, but I have yet to see something like this in America aside from traditional ones that serve packaged snacks and coffee. This ramen 'bar' would allow customers to customize their order by adding things like eggs, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, hoisen sauce, and generally pick from various recipes. The machine could pair with a smartphone app that saves favorite recipes and shows the location of other vending machines. I would place these machines in food courts in malls or any kind of cafeteria at a hospital or airport. In concept, they would be inexpensive because they do not require a server. The only people I would need to employ would be in repair and manufacturing.
My final business idea is a tabletop RPG content website. I would assemble a group of writers and testers to create content for tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons, Numenera, Pathfinder, and so on. I would sell this content in an online store where it would be purchasable by PDF, or eventually print. Selling this content as PDFs would be inexpensive, the only issue I can see is piracy potentially undercutting my profits.
