We featured gravanity dolls last year and the year before. It's a concept that continues to spin off businesses, as witnessed by our most recent spotting from Sweden.
TinyPocketPeople produces made to order dolls, based on digital photographs that customers upload to the website. The company was founded by two parents whose youngest daughter was starting day-care. To help make her feel safe and secure, they created mini versions of themselves that she could take with her. The concept spread by word of mouth, and it turned out the dolls weren't just popular with children. Grandparents order pocket versions of their grandchildren and long distance couples order mini-me-and-yous.
The dolls come in two sizes: small (21 cm / 8 inches, USD 48) and large (14 cm / 5 inches, USD 44). They're made of 100% cotton, with a polyester stuffing. Washed sand is added for weight. TPP digitally prints photographs on fabric, and everything from shoe colour to clothes can be customized. After the customer's photos and selected clothing are printed, the dolls are assembled by hand. Business opportunities? Start something similar, picking your own niche and gravanity targets: how about Mii dolls? Or pocket-sized pets? Or work with a major clothing brand, letting customers create a mini-me wearing pieces from the brand's latest collection. Tiny Converse sneakers, mini Levi's jeans, minute Threadless t-shirts... We're sure you can come up with a fun and mutually beneficial partnership :-)
Website: www.tinypocketpeople.com
Contact: www.tinypocketpeople.com/contact_us.php
Spotted by: David M.
I think this is again one good example of real niche market with not really much to offer in a long run. Or maybe I just don't get it. I think that in this site there is too many business ideas like this. I mean too strange to live very long time or offer remarkble business.
I would like to see more ideas in "general level". Something like for example video renting stores were decades ago or so. I mean big changes in a way customers are served. I just can't find this kind of niche ideas interesting. Am I the only one??
Most often good and profitable business ideas are very simple like staff leasing companies. And those are multi billion businesses offering possibilities to huge amount of entrepreneurs. However it is not easy to get those right after they are invented. This kind of web site could offer a place to spread a word about these large changes. Not just making some dolls even if the idea might be funny.
Springwise is about discovering innovating trends, and I don't think "video renting" and "staff leasing" are really so exciting. Unless there's a innovating twist in it.