Shoe Shines
There is an old saying "where there's muck there's brass" which means that you can usually earn some money by getting involve in the dirt and muck that others don't want to touch. Shoe shines fit nicely in this category as nobody wants to do it and yet we all appreciate a well shined pair of shoes.
You will not earn much money if you shine shoes yourself but you could easily add $5-$10K to your income by doing this part time on top of another job. Siting yourself at a shopping centre during evening shopping hours or at weekends should provide a steady flow of business even though many people now do not wear leather shoes with their casual clothes.
What if you want to make more from this? Using students and other forms of cheap labour you could set up either a number of outside sites, or even take on a cheap retail premises and fill it with professional shoe shine chairs. Having a number of people shining at once will create a buzz that an individual could not create on his/her own. You will only need part timers as you are looking for people on their way to or from work (when most will wear leather shoes) or in their free time. You need high customer traffic and a consistent presence to get the most from this business.
Remember that taking 10% from 10 people will double your earnings potential. If you open a shop or provide other facilities such as uniforms then this could increase to 15% or 20% to cover your overhead.
A flat rate for a shine is easiest; you will know what the market in your area will pay. In order to boost incomes then you may want to too add premium services such as a "high gloss" finish, or an additional layer of Scotchguard or other leather protector.
Many customers will tip. You should encourage this and allow your workers to keep the tips. You may want to charge an odd amount for the shine itself to encourage tipping behaviour, but be prepared to carry change for those who are not satisfied with the service.
There is little concern here you can buy at retail until you get big enough to look for discount suppliers.
If you plan to build a scale operation then consider making up tool kits using a tool box, brushes, cloths and different colour polishes.
Aprons, and hand cleaner would be a nice touch for your staff and may make the difference between you and fly by night copy cats.
You are likely to serve people you know. Don't be embarrassed if you do, as this is honest work and will bring in honest dollars. Also this attitude is what will ultimately stop many potential competitors.
Students and other temporary workers can be unreliable. Keep them on their toes by not always having quite enough equipment. First come, first served should ensure promptness and the tipping policy should make this worthwhile for them to turn up for.
If you do not open a store to do this from then you may need licenses to operate on the street. Look into this before you get yourself and your team in trouble.
If you site near to other service industries such as restaurants, or hair salons you may be able to do a deal with them to get customer referrals. Get your shoes cleaned whilst you have your hair cut.