A Unique Business Idea - or Form of Therapy
I’m fascinated by entrepreneurs - the passion and the energy and especially the love they have for their creations. It’s great energy of hope and movement. It’s like being in an airport with people coming and going (especially before all the security). It’s fun to be a part of, even if you just watch it go.
So this business caught my eye - the Smash Shack. You pay to break things - like fine china plates - in soundproof rooms. You can even write a message on the plate and hurl it at a wall while you play music (like Nine Inch Nails). Crazy. Can they make money at it?? Next thing they need to do is introduce some form of voodoo dolls - or punching bags (right now it would be CEOs of Fannie Mae, AIG, etc as well as politicians).
In college I was particularly mad at someone and I remember that I grabbed a handful of rocks and threw them at the ground. And it helped. Now I prefer going to kickboxing class. Doing something physical is a great way to blow off steam! Our world is full of pressure and expectations so providing safe ways for people (including children) to express anger and frustration is important. I’m aware that this is why some people love sports.
This isn’t coming up with solutions or blaming people, it’s simply getting beyond the feelings to thinking. I can’t think logically about issues until some of that pressure is gone.
So my idea is this - zuchini baseball and fruit festivals where people can throw rotten tomotoes. Last night I picked cantelopes and watermelon in fields that were going to be plowed under. Most were rotten, but we found the good ones and threw the rotten ones. We lobbed watermelons and jumped on mushy cantelopes and all went home feeling happier.
In Spain they have a festival at the end of the growing season where they throw tomatoes at each other in the street and the entire road runs red and people get covered in tomato. I think you should could pitch them and hit them with a baseball bat (or an overgrown zuchinni). Perhaps some of this comes by being married to a neat freak. Our home is beautiful and I love it. But sometimes I want to mess things up a little (without stressing out my husband).
I think there needs to be an outlet for people who deal with “customer service” (what an oxymoron!) agents who either don’t provide it or they can’t because their business only cares about profits (which for me recently has been Criket and Qwest).
Businesses who care about profit over customers usually fail (Google seems to be the exception here - maybe because they make such amazingly useful and practical solutions that are self-serve and let someone else do the service. Or because there isn’t any decent competition for what they do).
Employees don’t like working at places where this is the case and long-term I think it harms our world. The pressure is so intense that people lie about profits or they get so greedy that they lie. There has be room for both but profits may not be as high.
I will be interested to see if Smash Shack can make a profit providing this service. I’m wondering if I could or want to organzie a festival with the farmers around town. I think both would be therapuetic and fun - just like this post.
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6 Responses to “A Unique Business Idea - or Form of Therapy”
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September 30th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Paying to smash things… I guess it would be good anger management therapy that spares the breakables in your own home. I’d pay to do it just once some days!
September 30th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Not sure if this is going to actually make money, but it sounds fun as hell! BTW, like the new theme!
September 30th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
I think the concept is good, but I want to smash things in the heat of the moment…. when I’m really pissed off at that driver that’s going freaking 25 MPH in 35MPH…grrrrr! I think by the time I got to the store, paid, put the gear on, turned my i-pod on, picked out my smashable items, etc,etc…I’d already be calmed down. but again, cool concept. I like the fruit idea, maybe it should be legal to throw fruit (soft fruit, mind you) at drivers who are pissing us off. fruit can’t hurt cars, can they?
October 1st, 2008 at 10:28 am
I like the idea.
I always thought it would be cool to have a food fight business as well. People pay to come in and throw and/or eat food at their own will and pleasure. “Mmmm this chicken is delic- *smack* HEY! You got mashed potatoes in my eye!”
October 1st, 2008 at 11:00 am
I’ve heard of companies keeping old computer equipment and once a year selling the ability to take a whack at it with a sledge hammer, with proceeds usually going to some fund raiser. Vent frustrations and help a good cause - what’s better?
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I do not think that throwing plates at a wall would help me out in getting rid of my stress. Now I love Basketball and when I play my mind is free of worry and concerns and I get some exercise too. It is like going to a movie. You just get to leave your stressful reality for a short period.