{"id":4389,"date":"2023-10-16T21:00:39","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T21:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/?p=4389"},"modified":"2026-01-02T00:15:42","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T00:15:42","slug":"the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/","title":{"rendered":"The 10 Absolute Worst Businesses To Start"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Looking to step into a money suck that will eat your time and leave you exhausted and penniless? Here\u2019s how. These business ideas all look like short cuts or at least, like winners anyone can ride to the finish line. In reality, there\u2019s no such thing. Every one of these business ideas requires more know-how (and, yes, often more up-front money) than you\u2019d think at first glance. Let\u2019s look a little closer.<!--more--> <\/p>\n<h2>1. A Franchise<\/h2>\n<p>It\u2019s a well-oiled machine, right? All you have to do is step in and start reaping the profits.<\/p>\n<p>The trouble with this is, it\u2019s a well-oiled machine that makes money for the entity that grants the franchise. The franchisor is getting paid whatever happens. For the franchisee, it\u2019s a much riskier proposition.<\/p>\n<p>You might be stepping into a business that barely makes a profit, and the opportunity for expansion might not really be there. If there\u2019s no market in the area, your franchise can\u2019t grow. That leaves you on the hook for making an unworkable thing work. You can end up having a very difficult job, with all the downsides of business ownership and none of the opportunities for success.<\/p>\n<p>(This video is specific to McDonald&#8217;s, but many businesses have similar requirements.)<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iSQGSYvDp1U?si=tv-yGcIElYVRI1IH\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t buy a franchise if:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You need your new business to pay out next month, this is the wrong choice for you.<\/li>\n<li>Your spouse isn\u2019t on board. Getting a franchise off the ground will require a team effort.<\/li>\n<li>It\u2019s your first business. Making franchises pay requires well-rounded business skills.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>2. A Restaurant<\/h2>\n<p>Everyone eats. A restaurant should be a guaranteed moneymaker. And there\u2019s more opportunity than you\u2019d think. Around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/785282\/number-of-food-services-smbs-by-naics-category-us\/\">one <\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oberlo.com\/blog\/small-business-statistics#:~:text=1.-,How%20Many%20Small%20Businesses%20Are%20There%20in%20the%20US%3F,businesses%20(SBA%2C%202022).\">American small business<\/a> in 77 is a restaurant, and about <a href=\"https:\/\/amtrustfinancial.com\/blog\/loss-control\/the-restaurant-industry-a-closer-look\">70% of them are single-unit operations<\/a>, not chains. So it\u2019s not a totally saturated market.<\/p>\n<p>You can succeed in the restaurant business. But you have to know both sides \u2014 the restaurant side and the business side. And starting up a new restaurant is tough: you have rock-bottom-price fast food chains, food trucks and lower-priced ethnic cuisines to compete with, as well as your potential customers\u2019 already-established tastes. Tempting them away from their usual haunts might take a while. Don\u2019t start a restaurant unless you can afford to wait while you build your customer base.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t start or buy a restaurant if:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You love food or love to cook, but have no business experience. Restaurants run on tight profit margins and require business knowledge.<\/li>\n<li>You don\u2019t fully understand why it\u2019s for sale. Make sure you see the paperwork and get a real handle on the tax and legal situation, not just profit and loss.<\/li>\n<li>Location and reputation. Where a restaurant is can have nearly as much effect as what it is.<\/li>\n<li>What you\u2019re buying. If you get the premises but not the menu or the chef, is it still worth it?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>3. A  Commoditized Business<\/h2>\n<p>Products and services start out as one-of-a-kind and end up as interchangeable units, shaped by the competing pressures of user needs and producer priorities until they all work more or less exactly the same. (Notice how cars all look alike now\u2026) If you\u2019re in a business where what you offer is specialist and can\u2019t be replicated easily, customers will often happily pay higher prices. But by the time what you sell has become fully commoditized, you\u2019ll face serious difficulties selling it for a good price.  <\/p>\n<p>When mobile phones were a new phenomenon, companies would charge you by call time and per text message. (That\u2019s where the \u2018r u l8?\u2019 text-speak evolved from: trying to cram everything into one text message so you didn\u2019t have to pay for another.) But now, calls and texts are free with your monthly plan. They\u2019re fully commoditized. One power company doesn\u2019t have better electricity than another, it\u2019s all the same. For most purposes, the same is true of electronics supplies, batteries, nails and millions of other items. So what do you shop for? Availability, reputation, reliability, customer service, and price. <\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re just getting started, which of those can you offer? A commoditized business is up against behemoths in the space, strong price pressure, logistical challenges and major overheads. <\/p>\n<p>This is a great video about differentiation in commoditized businesses : <\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ZpNYtq0IZIY?si=1OtQVIXF8ulYN1Pf\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Before you enter a commoditized business, ask:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How can you differentiate? Can you add value through making what you offer more personalized or a better user experience?<\/li>\n<li>Are you OK with operating a business with high volume and low margins, with little scope for improvement?<\/li>\n<li>Can you move sufficient volume to reap the benefits of low-cost marketing and sales that typically go with commoditized products at scale? If not, you could face being outcompeted a cent at a time by larger companies that can access those benefits.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>4. A Shrinking Sector<\/h2>\n<p>There will always be a market for physically printed posters. Even super-antiquated businesses live on \u2014 you can still get camera film developed, still buy metal type for printing presses, and art shops still sell vellum and quill pens. There\u2019s a market for VHS tapes. Nothing ever actually dies. <\/p>\n<p>But  some older business models sure do bottleneck down a bit. Established businesses might survive, or they might simply be too big and cumbersome to fit into their new niche. But new businesses will have a tough time fighting against going concerns that already have a rep, relationships, and an order book. Think about which way your business sector is trending before you jump in. Even a business that can initially show growth might face troubles down the line as the market shrinks, leaving too many enterprises scrabbling for remaining customers. Better to start in a sector with solid growth potential.<\/p>\n<p>Before you enter a shrinking business sector, ask:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Can you innovate or pivot? Can you offer a \u2018better mousetrap\u2019 or are you stuck competing against incumbents for fewer and fewer customers?<\/li>\n<li>Is there a niche within the industry that you can make your own and thrive in?<\/li>\n<li>Do you have the skills, the network, and\/or the hustle to compete on marketing, sales and elbow grease alone?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>5. A Specialist Business\u2026 That\u2019s Not Specialist Enough<\/h2>\n<p>You can make a specialist business into a money printer if it\u2019s the right kind of product or service. Niches become virtual monopolies automatically, so even if the market is small, if you\u2019re the only game in town, you get all of it. Think of old-fashioned watch repair shops. They never seem to get bigger \u2014 or smaller. There\u2019s not much business, but the Venn diagram of people who want their watch fixed and people who go there to have it done is a perfect circle. <\/p>\n<p>You can also make a decent go of a business that\u2019s all things to all people. All you gotta do is sell it cheaper, nicer, or easier. Walmart will sell you a whole house of furniture and a house to put it in. To set up opposite a Walmart you need to beat them on nice, price, or easy, by a significant margin.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s the rub. <\/p>\n<p>A truly specialized business sells something they don\u2019t have at Walmart. Walmart will sell you a kitchen knife, but not a hand-made, watered-steel Japanese kitchen knife. That\u2019s a niche product. Selling dairy products over the road from a general store? They better be unique somehow, and you better know people want them before you put money down on plant and premises. <\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t step into a specialized business niche unless:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>You know the specific niche inside and out. If you\u2019re selling specialist equipment, tools, foods or anything else, your customers will be enthusiasts with deep, broad knowledge. Be ready to match it.<\/li>\n<li>You believe there is enough of a market to support your business \u2014 enough people who are interested in spending money, not just interested.<\/li>\n<li>You have a way to grow your market if what you sell is one-off or each customer will only buy a few times.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>6. Anything With AI, Blockchain, Or Wi-Fi In It<\/h2>\n<p>\u2026not that there\u2019s necessarily anything wrong with these technologies. But every time a new technology comes out, it goes through a period where the name of the technology just means \u2018cool, new, and magic.\u2019 During that time, people will try out businesses that make no sense at all, so long as they can sneak in the magic cool thing somewhere. If it\u2019s \u2018like [already established business] but [cool tech],\u2019 it\u2019s worth asking: Does the world really want to pay for a wifi-enabled coffee machine? Does this AI-enabled toaster have a market, or just a buzzword attached? Is this\u2026 a JPEG?<\/p>\n<p>Every time one of these tech hype cycles comes around, two things are certain: one is that some businesses based on it will survive and become normalized, and the other is that a ton of people will lose their shirts while the world figures out what the technology is really for. Don\u2019t be one of them. <\/p>\n<p>Before you put your money down, ask:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How long has this been around, and has anyone in your position made repeatable, predictable profits from it?<\/li>\n<li>How exactly does it work? Don\u2019t be swayed by phony tech talk, keep digging until you get a clear explanation.<\/li>\n<li>Would it work just as well without the special-sauce technology? <\/li>\n<li>How does your potential market view this type of product?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>7. Real Estate<\/h2>\n<p>\u2026if you\u2019re not a broker or an agent. Real estate investment is always being sold as a moneymaker \u2014 everyone needs somewhere to live, so real estate means money in the bank. But you\u2019re not a bank. Buying and renting out homes can strangle you in red tape and drown you in financial obligations, because every time something goes wrong, fixing it is your responsibility. <\/p>\n<p>Tenants can\u2019t pay or won\u2019t pay. Locations rise and fall in value. Property decays and is subject to damage. And that\u2019s before you consider the property and the business environment. Buying and selling houses, whether you\u2019re renting, flipping or what, is a business skill in itself. <\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have significant financial resources and you don\u2019t have the skills, tools, time and energy to do a significant amount of the work yourself, don\u2019t fall for the idea that real estate investment is an easy path to wealth. It can be a viable one \u2014 check out this video for a relatively deep, but very informative dive into the nitty-gritty of real estate investment in 2023 and beyond:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Tklm0NokMV8?si=EuSYZ86lDBRkFYOU\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re thinking of making a real estate investment, hold off a while until you have good answers to these questions:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Can you work on your investment property to add value before rental or resale? <\/li>\n<li>If you\u2019re buying directly, do you have the information you need? It\u2019s a good idea to get your own surveying done, for instance.<\/li>\n<li>If you\u2019re buying through a management company or other structure, do you have enough insight into them and their business to know they\u2019re trustworthy?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>8. Fad Products<\/h2>\n<p>Fidget spinners.<\/p>\n<p>If you remember those, you remember how they came, conquered \u2014 and disappeared without trace. In the intervening time, a lot of people made bank on the fad. But quite a few other people stepped on board just a moment too late and wound up holding a garage, warehouse, or storage unit full of unsaleable junk that no one was interested in and never would be again. <\/p>\n<p>The thing about fads is (and this will be familiar if you have kids): for a while, it\u2019s all anyone wants to talk about. Then, suddenly, just as quickly as it arrived and for no apparent reason, the fad is over. Superman wallpaper doesn\u2019t fade from favor: it goes from cool to cringe instantly. Hula hoops, yoyos, and other fads follow the same progression. It\u2019s not always loss of enthusiasm that kills a fad. This video does a great job of explaining what actually did kill off fidget spinners:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Reason Fidget Spinners Disappeared \ud83e\udd28 (EXPLAINED)\" width=\"557\" height=\"990\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LswAqGio5Is?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/judinc.com\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t start a business on the basis of other people\u2019s temporary enthusiasm. Look for something that will last. Key tip: think about what people need, not what they want.<\/p>\n<p>Before you stake your future on today\u2019s big thing, check:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who\u2019s buying them, and how much of their income goes to them. If teenagers are spending $1.99 on something they\u2019re not very heavily invested, suggesting a shortlived craze.<\/li>\n<li>Do they get a ton of mention in the press, even when the story isn\u2019t really about them? That could be journalists reaching for relevance with a recent fad.<\/li>\n<li>Google Trends! What does the graph look like? Compare it to known fads (yes, like fidget spinners) and look for similarities. Explosive booms in interest usually fade equally fast.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>9. MLM<\/h2>\n<p>Pyramid schemes. Ponzi schemes. Multi-level marketing. Anything where you\u2019re trying to get other people to buy into the business is a dubious proposition. You\u2019re promised the freedom to choose your own hours (and, it\u2019s strongly implied, your own income: the sky\u2019s the limit! We have people making [$$$]!). You\u2019ll be your own boss. You\u2019ll be a business person.  <\/p>\n<p>But a pyramid scheme works by robbing Peter to pay Paul. It\u2019s a house of cards. You\u2019re not really in charge, and you don\u2019t really have much of a chance to reach the promised income level, unless you do one thing: recruit others to the pyramid scheme. That\u2019s where the money is. So if someone approached you with wild promises and a request for up-front payment, tread warily. Chances are, you\u2019re the product.<\/p>\n<p>Think the business you\u2019re eyeing is an MLM? Can you:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Choose your own supplier? If your supplier chooses you, you don\u2019t have a lot of wiggle room. You\u2019re basically a salesperson, not a business owner<\/li>\n<li>See a clear path to profit using the actual business itself, <em>not <\/em>by recruiting others?<\/li>\n<li>Operate independently of the parent company? Or are you \u2018locked in\u2019?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>10. Anything Financial You Don&#8217;t Understand<\/h2>\n<p>The wheels of financial law enforcement grind slow, but very fine. Right now, a parade of fintech companies is trooping through court to explain to the SEC exactly how their tokens and altcoins aren\u2019t securities. As soon as you put a foot into the heavily regulated financial markets, you open yourself up to a world of red tape, with violations backed by criminal penalties in some cases. You don\u2019t want to wind up illegally trading securities or carrying out wire fraud by accident. If a business has a financial component (in the sense of exposure to the financial markets; you kinda hope there\u2019s going to be money involved at some point), be very careful. Seek qualified expert advice, and default to \u2018no thanks.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Before you get involved, ask:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Which agency regulates this? Be very wary if no one knows or the answer is \u2018none\u2019.<\/li>\n<li>Where does the profit come from? If it\u2019s \u2018financial magic\u2019 or it sounds like a Ponzi, it could well be.<\/li>\n<li>What happens to your capital if it all goes wrong?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>11. A Taxi Business<\/h2>\n<p>To the untrained eye, a cab company sells drivers and cars, a little piece at a time. If you have a car and can drive, and you know some others in a similar position, you\u2019d think it can\u2019t go wrong. But it can, because that\u2019s not the product. Availability and accuracy are the product. <\/p>\n<p>What people want from a cab company is to be able to call a car, step into it five minutes later, and wind up where they want to be, first time. It\u2019s a logistics and infrastructure business that\u2019s heavily reliant on behind-the-scenes staff, particularly skilled and experienced dispatchers, and on effective marketing. Even companies that have complex apps doing the crunching of numbers and routes behind the scenes need significant capital to get there.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not just a saturated market either. Big technology companies use a business model where they initially offer below-cost fares to establish market dominance, meaning you can\u2019t price-match them and break even, let alone make a profit. If you\u2019re in an urban area a cab business is going to be really, really tough.<\/p>\n<p>Before you try to make a go of a cab company, consider:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Does a rideshare app already have a presence in your town? What is the competition like?<\/li>\n<li>Do you have (or can you hire) expertise in dispatching, route planning, and logistics? (Even Google Maps can only do so much).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Great, so, what should you be doing?<\/p>\n<h2>Accounting. Really.<\/h2>\n<p>Yes, really. In fact, any professional service that other business people really can\u2019t do without. <em>Every<\/em> year, without fail, every business in America needs to do their taxes. Considering most small business owner\u2019s feet don\u2019t touch the floor from one year to the next, and considering that even in midsize firms there\u2019s often no one who can confidently do financial returns or figure out exemptions and deductions, accounting and financial services is a good choice.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not one that\u2019s available to just anyone for obvious reasons, but the principle holds true: find something other business people need and can\u2019t do themselves. Cleaning fits the bill. So does graphic design, marketing, coding and IT support. If it stops the business working when it breaks, start a business repairing it or keeping it working and you\u2019ll never want for clients.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019ve read this far, you\u2019ve probably noticed what all these business ideas have in common: no one really needs them, or there are already a ton of folks servicing the need that does exist (or both). That is, there\u2019s no addressable market.<\/p>\n<p>Figuring out whether your business idea has an addressable market is a <a href=\"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/whats-the-market-for-your-business-like-lets-find-out\/\">specialty of Judicious, Inc.<\/a> \u2014 along with the rest of a full suite of digital marketing for businesses. If you\u2019ve read this post, given up on your dream of being a cabbie, real-estate mogul, or used fidget spinner dealer, talk with us about the next step.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width:100%;margin: 0 auto;padding-bottom:20px;\">\n<h2>Get Smarter With Your Marketing \u2014 In Just 5 Minutes a Month<\/h2>\n<p>Join thousands of small business owners getting simple, actionable tactics they can use today to grow their brand.<\/p>\n<form style=\"display:flex;gap:8px;\">\n    <input type=\"email\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Enter your email\" required style=\"flex;1;padding:10px 12px;border: 1px solid #ccc;font-size:15px;border-radius:4px;\"><br \/>\n    <button type=\"submit\" style=\"padding: 10px 16px;background-color: #438ee1;border:none;border-radius:4px;font-size:15px;cursor:pointer;\">Subscribe<\/button><br \/>\n  <\/form>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Image Credits:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/DRzYMtae-vA\">Featured Image<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Share This Post:<\/h2>\n<p>Share on social media by clicking one of the buttons below. Use the + button to see more options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Looking to step into a money suck that will eat your time and leave you exhausted and penniless? Here\u2019s how. These business ideas all look like short cuts or at least, like winners anyone can ride to the finish line. In reality, there\u2019s no such thing. Every one of these business ideas requires more know-how &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The 10 Absolute Worst Businesses To Start<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4397,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-startups"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The 10 Absolute Worst Businesses To Start<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Looking to step into a money suck that will eat your time and leave you exhausted and penniless? Here\u2019s how.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The 10 Absolute Worst Businesses To Start\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Looking to step into a money suck that will eat your time and leave you exhausted and penniless? Here\u2019s how.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"We\u2019re Here To Help You Improve Your Online Presence\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-16T21:00:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-02T00:15:42+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/10-worst-businesses-to-start.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"933\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sean Work\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sean Work\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"14 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The 10 Absolute Worst Businesses To Start","description":"Looking to step into a money suck that will eat your time and leave you exhausted and penniless? Here\u2019s how.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The 10 Absolute Worst Businesses To Start","og_description":"Looking to step into a money suck that will eat your time and leave you exhausted and penniless? Here\u2019s how.","og_url":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/","og_site_name":"We\u2019re Here To Help You Improve Your Online Presence","article_published_time":"2023-10-16T21:00:39+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-02T00:15:42+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1400,"height":933,"url":"http:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/10-worst-businesses-to-start.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Sean Work","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sean Work","Est. reading time":"14 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/"},"author":{"name":"Sean Work","@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a478d76c4fea03fb05727732177eb87d"},"headline":"The 10 Absolute Worst Businesses To Start","datePublished":"2023-10-16T21:00:39+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-02T00:15:42+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/"},"wordCount":3117,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/10-worst-businesses-to-start.jpg","articleSection":["Startups"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/","url":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/","name":"The 10 Absolute Worst Businesses To Start","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/10-worst-businesses-to-start.jpg","datePublished":"2023-10-16T21:00:39+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-02T00:15:42+00:00","description":"Looking to step into a money suck that will eat your time and leave you exhausted and penniless? Here\u2019s how.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/10-worst-businesses-to-start.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/10-worst-businesses-to-start.jpg","width":1400,"height":933,"caption":"10 worst businesses to start"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/the-10-absolute-worst-businesses-to-start\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The 10 Absolute Worst Businesses To Start"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/","name":"We\u2019re Here To Help You Improve Your Online Presence","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Judicious, Inc.","url":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/judicious-inc-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/judicious-inc-logo.png","width":187,"height":179,"caption":"Judicious, Inc."},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a478d76c4fea03fb05727732177eb87d","name":"Sean Work","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9c89568acb72ce01a387cfa22d5fbec9c4853c8670343276c71fcd14d1dedb5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9c89568acb72ce01a387cfa22d5fbec9c4853c8670343276c71fcd14d1dedb5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c9c89568acb72ce01a387cfa22d5fbec9c4853c8670343276c71fcd14d1dedb5?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sean Work"},"url":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/author\/mangopop\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4389","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4389"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4389\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5474,"href":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4389\/revisions\/5474"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4389"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4389"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/judinc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4389"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}