Free Business Idea

My Kingdom for a . . . Winter Coat

As a native Minnesotan, I honestly don't know whether to attribute the phenomenon to retail "fashion-forwardness" (is that a word?), "mind over matter" denial, Scandinavian stoicism, or some other character/behavioral quirk.

What am I referring to?

My inability to find a winter-weight men's overcoat anywhere in the Twin Cities -- in early February!

Yes, it's now getting dark at 5:30 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m, and the average temperature is creeping up from the teen's(!) into the 20's.

But we've easily still got 2 months-plus of below-freezing weather to contend with locally.

So, here's the idea:

Open a clothing store that rents winter clothing.

Target audience: anyone relocating to Minnesota during the "second half" of winter from a warmer climate, or, out-of-towners coming in for a winter-time occasion (wedding? Christening? Bar mitzvah?) who don't want to freeze their rear-ends off.

Bonus advice: locate the business by the airport (Mall of America?), for extra convenience; and carry a nice line of gloves and mittens (also curiously missing from local stores beginning in mid-January).