Most entrepreneurs agree that it is much easier to start a business around something you are passionate about. But, what if your passions tend to gravitate to the darker side of life (or death)? In the spirit of Halloween, here are seven of the most creepiest business ideas that people have turned into real thriving businesses:
1. Ghost hunting. Ever since the popular Syfy series Ghost Hunters debuted ten years ago, ghost hunting has attracted the attention of a host of would be amateurs looking for a thrilling hobby, or at least a good scare. If this piques your interest, keep in mind that the life and work of a real ghost hunter isn’t always so exciting. Ghost hunters are actually specialized paranormal researchers or “parapsychologists” who focus on locating and discovering the reasons spirits or energies exist. Parapsychology in general is a real field of study that can even be found in some universities. It involves the investigation of a whole range of paranormal and psychic phenomena, such as telepathy, precognition, clairvoyance, psychokinesis, near-death experiences, reincarnation, and apparitional experiences.
2. Crime scene cleanup. Movies and tv shows tend to dramatize the blood and gore left after a fatal or near fatal crime. But some real life crime scenes can get pretty gruesome, and that brings up the question: who comes to clean up the mess? This is where the CTS (crime and trauma scene) Decontamination company comes in. A CTS Decon Technician has to gets to clean up the bio-hazards like splattered blood and body parts as well as any dangerous chemicals that are left at the scene of a crime. If regular exposure to blood and dead bodies floats your boat combined with the “excitement” of seeing various crime scenes, then this may be the business for you.
3. Funeral home. Speaking of dead bodies, why not start your own funeral home? This creepy business involves the care of the dead along with their living relatives every single day. Keep in mind that you’ll need to be a licensed funeral director and have to graduate from mortuary school (which is generally focused on math and science) in order to get into this line of work. While the funeral home business may be hard to break into, there is certainly space for some niche market ideas, like giving the whole funeral experience a modern, artsy make-over.
4. Internet screening company. Perhaps you feel your calling is dealing with the dark side of human nature. In that case, why not start an Internet screening company? Lately, demand for content moderators or “screeners” has been sky rocketing- particularly among web sites built around user submitted content. Your company’s job is to flag material that is obviously pornographic or violent, illegal in a certain country, or considered inappropriate by a specific web site or company. There is plenty of smut and downright disturbing content out there to keep you and your employees busy. Just make sure you also hire a good psychologist. Recently, the internet giant Google got some unflattering attention when it was revealed that they hire contractual workers in-house for one year to do the dirty work and don’t even provide them with counseling.
5. Creepy art. Have some real artistic ability? You can combine it with your penchant for creepiness and sell your works of art to other lovers of the dark and bizarre. For inspiration, here is a collection of creepy illustrations and sculptures. There is even a demand for creepy catering. You find some great and vivid examples here and here.
6. Pest control. Maybe you like dealing with creepy crawlers instead. As long as snakes, scorpions, rats, and all kinds of bugs exist, there will always be a demand for quality pest control. And, hey, you may get lucky and get called to handle a massive bat or spider infestation.
7. Mannequin repair and renovation. Mannequins are just plain creepy- second only to those museum wax figures. Let’s be honest. Have you ever looked at a mannequin in a store window and felt sure it would move and then just as sure that if it did move, you would totally lose it and run? If the thought of working with life size plastic body parts is your cup of tea, then why not start a mannequin repair and rennovation business?
Are you running a creepy business not mentioned on this list? Let us know your creepy business ideas in the comments below.