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Ask HN: investing to create employment

2 points by compilergeek 17y ago

While waiting on my never ending immigration process to complete (or even make progress), I'm thinking of starting a business to help create employment in my local area. I can start and invest in the business but can not work for it. I'm currently looking for the right people to run it. A couple of my friends are possibilities. I specifically don't want to start a web or software company. I'm not looking to make a ton of cash off of this either. I'd like the business to run at a profit so we can have money available to reinvest in growing and helping more people. Any insights or suggestions for suitable types of business to investigate? Off the cuff, it seems like something labor intensive would be good. I'd rather have people building things than in a service oriented industry. Halp?

linuxconvert 17y ago
That's a worthy goal. Hopefully it can be rewarding in many ways (including financial return on your investment in addition to a sense of satisfaction). I'd encourage you to aim for something that can 'go big' in terms of employing many many people. One that can potentially attract assistance (be it public or private), and something that leverages local skills. Try to find some arbitrage. Example: perhaps investigate whether there is an in-sourcing opportunity by hiring Californian IT people and running American call centers with the best of silicon valley answering the phones. It's unpatriotic not to use them. Ok, silly idea. Most jobs seem to have been lost in retail, construction, manufacturing etc. Perhaps start with the people you want to help most?
- compilergeek 17y ago
  Yes, I'd like to go as big as possible. Perhaps this is not "sexy" enough in being a vapid web 2.0 inanity to get people on HN excited, but I'd like it to be a startup that solves a problem for people. Just turned on its head a little by solving the problem of productively, ie. not dead wood, employing as many as possible. edit: of course I need people to run this for me - my visa allows only passive investment.

2 points by compilergeek 17y ago

linuxconvert 17y ago

That's a worthy goal. Hopefully it can be rewarding in many ways (including financial return on your investment in addition to a sense of satisfaction). I'd encourage you to aim for something that can 'go big' in terms of employing many many people. One that can potentially attract assistance (be it public or private), and something that leverages local skills. Try to find some arbitrage. Example: perhaps investigate whether there is an in-sourcing opportunity by hiring Californian IT people and running American call centers with the best of silicon valley answering the phones. It's unpatriotic not to use them. Ok, silly idea. Most jobs seem to have been lost in retail, construction, manufacturing etc. Perhaps start with the people you want to help most?

compilergeek 17y ago
Yes, I'd like to go as big as possible. Perhaps this is not "sexy" enough in being a vapid web 2.0 inanity to get people on HN excited, but I'd like it to be a startup that solves a problem for people. Just turned on its head a little by solving the problem of productively, ie. not dead wood, employing as many as possible. edit: of course I need people to run this for me - my visa allows only passive investment.