how ordinary businesses make money

the whole table

78 so far, page 5 of 7

April 2026

A car key on a plain ring, a small black torch, a black fuel cap, a plain clipboard with a blank sheet and a blank deposit slip on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a car rental company and get my deposit back

Take photos at pickup. Future you will want them.

A door key on a plain ring, a rolled white towel, a blank white access card, a plain wooden hanger and a blank booking receipt on a deep green paper board

How a homestay pays for itself between school holidays

Some nights pay the loan. Others just pay the cleaner.

A folded grey microfibre cloth, a plain white unmarked spray bottle, a black rubber squeegee, a wooden scrubbing brush and a blank invoice on a soft pink paper board

How I'd choose a cleaning company to leave my keys with

Ask what the cleaner actually gets out of that hour.

A plain grey document folder, a black pen, a stack of blank sheets with a paper clip, a plain grey lanyard without a card and a blank invoice on a deep green paper board

How a recruitment agency gets paid, and by whom

You're the product or the customer, depending on the day.

A coil of orange extension cable, a bare LED bulb, a plain grey metal cash tin, a folded clear plastic sheet and a blank fee slip on a soft pink paper board

What a pasar malam stall pays before it sells a single satay

The stall fee depends on who you're paying it to.

March 2026

A pair of plain black glasses frames with clear lenses, a soft grey lens cloth, a tiny steel screwdriver, a plain black hard glasses case and a till receipt on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose an optician and who I'd want checking my eyes

A shop can sell glasses. Who's holding the practising certificate?

A grey fabric swatch, a steel hex key, a plain wooden chair leg, a yellow tape measure with plain tick marks and no numerals and a blank price tag on a soft pink paper board

How a furniture shop can afford to be on sale all year

If it's always 70% off, what's the real price?

A plain black lens cap, a soft grey lens cloth, a blank black memory card, a coiled black sync cable and a blank quotation on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose a photographer who lets me keep the photos

Who owns the photos? Ask before the shutter, not after.

A plain white unmarked hand sprayer, a black rubber glove, a small black torch, a plain black bait station and a blank service slip on a soft pink paper board

How a pest control firm turns one cockroach into a yearly contract

You called about one cockroach. You signed for twelve months.

A car key on a plain ring, a small orange traffic cone, a small plain dull rear-view mirror, a plain clipboard with a blank sheet and a blank lesson receipt on a deep green paper board

How I'd choose a driving school beyond the cheapest one

A suspiciously cheap course has to earn it back somewhere.

A folded white disposable towel, a small empty glass vial without a label, a plain grey hand mirror lying face down, a pack of plain white cotton pads and a blank invoice on a soft pink paper board

What an aesthetic clinic is selling between the needles

One visit is a treatment. The package is the business.

A whole small durian with a dull brown-yellow husk, a pair of thick grey work gloves, a short-bladed knife, a coil of plain tan raffia rope and a blank price tag on a deep green paper board

How a durian stall makes money on a fruit that won't wait

Every unsold kilo gets louder by the hour.

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