Perfume vending!? 6 Budget Friendly Businesses to Start in 2026

Synopsis

Chris and Nik riff on six budget-friendly ideas: 'Known For,' an app to find hidden local gems; 'Off the Record,' an anonymous insider-stories podcast; a business-failure stories podcast; niche remote call centers (including home health and hospice answering services, with Ruby Receptionist as reference); perfume vending machines; and a pee-strength measuring machine.

Ideas in this episode

• Perfume vending machines

  The episode's niche call-center riff suggests productizing a vertical answering service for home health, hospice, or other local service businesses, with Ruby Receptionist used as the reference point.

• Neighborhood / hyperlocal social app

  The 'Known For' idea is a hidden-local-gems app, while the episode also points toward niche call centers and local-service verticals.

• After-hours call handling

  Chris and Nik suggest niche remote call centers, including home health and hospice answering services, as a budget-friendly business with Ruby Receptionist as a reference point.

• Niche podcast

  Chris and Nik's remote-call-center idea points to a vertical answering service for niches such as home health, hospice, and other appointment-heavy local services, with Ruby Receptionist as a reference point.