Has it been tough to market your business? Maybe you’re in accounting or wealth management, real estate or medical services. Perhaps you own a restaurant, hair salon or car dealership. Sometimes it’s tough to find the right message.

But what if you owned a service or product not most people never heard of, let alone used or even seen?  The following are examples of some real businesses that might make you grateful for the marketing challenges you face.

SNAKE MASSAGE

Muscles feeling a little tight? Yoga not doing it for you? Perhaps a little reptile rub will loosen you up. According to Brian Tracy on NBC news, “For about $70, clients at Ada Barak’s spa in northern Israel can add a wild twist to their treatment by having six non-venomous serpents slither and hiss a path across their aching muscles and stiff joints.” The owner claims that once people get over any initial misgivings, they find physical contact with the creatures to be soothing.

GOAT RENTALS

If you have a lot of grass-covered land, then you have to come up with a way to keep that lawn trimmed that doesn’t cost a fortune. Goats can be a really effective tool for that purpose and now there are goat rental services to help you handle that chore. According to its website, Southern Ohio Brush Goats rents goats by the week to clear your land staring at $350 a week for the first week and $100 weekly after that until customer is satisfied.

HANGOVER BUS

IV therapy for hangovers is not new. But if you wondered where to get it, (other than the Emergency Room) Las Vegas has the answer. The Hangover Heaven bus in Vegas offers hangover treatments along with resort style comfort.  Its slogan is “Feel like hell? Call Hangover Heaven.” The tourist on a binge may be a good source of business for the 45-minute treatment, but the functioning alcoholic might be their target market.

GLAMPING

Glamping is like glamorous camping. A 1.8 billion dollar industry, glamping has many more amenities than camping, including comfortable beds, big screen TVs and more. One of the many glamping resources you’ll find online is HipCamp.com, which promises to help you “Discover & book unique glamping near you in the United States. Find unforgettable glampsites in yurts, cabins, and treehouses in and near Ohio.” LindaOnTheRun.com lists the “18 Coolest Places To Go Glamping In Ohio.” You can also find glampsites at GlampingHub.com and AirBNB.

CHICKEN RENTALS

Are you thinking about farming but not ready to make the whole Green Acres commitment yet? Do you like fresh eggs but believe the brown eggs at the health food store are not close enough to the source? You may want to rent some chickens. Renting chickens and supplies is a great way to see if having a chicken coop in your backyard is really what you were expecting. And surprisingly, there are plenty of offerings nearby when you Google it up. What’s it cost? According to RentTheChicken.com, Homestead Stephen & Cindy in Lodi, Ohio offer a standard rental package for $535.  The package includes two egg-laying hens that should produce 8-14 eggs per week. And you get 100 lbs. of Non-GMO chicken feed is included.

FINAL THOUGHT

Take a fresh look at your product or service and ask yourself what other reason besides the obvious might people use it. Sometimes, when your market is jammed with competitors, you need to create a new market. ##