Every supervillain needs some time off from developing death rays. This is primarily for two reasons (aside from prison): (1) Grand schemes take months or even years to fully develop, fund, and enact, and (2) Grand schemes have the potential for the burn out of funds, manpower, and, most importantly, the villainous mindset.
Why do so many villains take time off after completing a grand scheme (aside from prison)? Perhaps they are plotting their next scheme. Perhaps they are perfecting their radioactive serum. Perhaps they are lounging on COBRA Island, sipping lemonade and recuperating their strength for their next foray into supervillainy. But there is a problem in that (aside from prison) and that is that a supervillain can lose his/her edge after a period of inactivity. While some may be able to come back stronger than before, some only can succeed in concocting half-brained schemes - which never would have made it to the Post-It wall - as the "Master Plan."
In order to combat this, supervillains need to enact minor schemes which, though they may not result in global domination, will keep the supervillain at the top of his/her game until the next meteor with space bacteria passes through the solar system.
The Mosquito Farm
Why farm mosquitoes? Well, mosquitoes are ranked as the most lethal of all of Earth's animal life (until the genetic crossbreeds of African Honeybees, Brazilian Wandering Spiders, and migratory fowl hit the market next March). They are responsible for spreading death and disease in their wakes - diseases such as Malaria and West Nile Encephalitis. These diseases, while somewhat treatable with modern medicine have the ability to panic a population. Plus, mosquitoes are annoying. One bite and you'll itch for days. With a farm, you'll get to watch clouds of mosquitoes swarm the populace, draining blood with each and every itchy bite. And isn't that what really matters - an uncontrollable vampiric air corps?
Benefits: This is actually pretty simple to enact. Since mosquitoes need only standing, stagnant water to breed, all you need to build a farm is a plot of land and a lot of standing, stagnant water. Of course, you'll want to find the right mixture of mosquitoes (if possible), but you can just sit back and let nature take its course. No tilling or shepherding for you!
Drawbacks: There's no money to be made in farming mosquitoes. Unlike, cattle, sheep, or deadly pearls, mosquitoes have no net value. So, if you're venturing into this idea you do so only to annoy and possibly spread some infections. Plus, numerous countries have strict anti-mosquito plans in effect including spraying and government checks. This means that your entire crop could be ruined simply by a change in wind direction or an inquisitive census bureau worker.
How to make it better: Add radiation. Stir until blended.
The Pyramid Scheme
Pyramid schemes are among the oldest and most versatile types of schemes and have been upgraded in today's marketplace to "Multi-Level Marketing" programs. As a supervillain, you probably have a lot of junk in storage. Maybe your amphitheater has been used to store boxes of screws. Maybe your conservatory is filled with candlesticks leaving you no room for that rope. Maybe you just forgot how to turn off the cloning device. Whatever the reason, chances are that you can easily get some people to sell your old junk and have those people recruit more people to sell your junk as well, ad infinitum. What starts with one individual quickly spreads and becomes a powerful empire for wealth.
Benefits: You can make a lot of money in pyramid schemes so long as you put in the effort to place and keep yourself on top. As a supervillain, chances are that you already can do this. Once you get your first indoctrinated salesmen onboard you just need to wait and let the profits flood in - profits you can use to fund your next deathray. Plus, you can clear your lair out of all those useless items you hoarded in case your indestructible space station didn't destruct when the deathray misfired into the reactor.
Drawbacks: Starting a pyramid scheme can take a long, long time. In fact, you might put more effort into managing your scheme than perfecting your deathrays. If your scheme doesn't take off or you don't have a product line which consumers want (without brainwave adjustment techniques) you'll have a hard time moving inventory. Speaking of inventory, you need it. If you want your pyramid scheme to grow to where your employees are the source material for your impressive statistics, you'll need to maintain, manage and improve your inventory. Doing so might just allow you to clutter your dungeon with boxes of coins but you'll still have to deal with pyramid scheme related nonsense.
How to make it better: Use your pyramid scheme as indoctrination and training for your future underlings.
The Party Clown
People love clowns. Clowns are used to perform at birthday parties and other such events. But you're a supervillain so why should you dress in baggy pants and makeup, and perform for children? Simple, childhood trauma lasts forever (or until years of therapy). By becoming a clown you get to put on your own show and, by being a supervillain as well, engage in minor supervillain activities. All you need to do is lace the cake with mind control nanobots, scope the neighborhood out for prime deathray locations, or simply frighten children with a flamethrower/chainsaw hybrid and Slayer.
Benefits: By being a clown, you get to choose your own hours. This can allow you to, possibly, make some extra cash on the side while you're pursuing your career in villainy. Plus, you'll already be in disguise as a clown so you can leave your real supervillain costume at home. This undercover supervillainy can really get you into the correct supervillain mindset as you'll have to dodge the police, practice sneaking around, or, at the very least, replenish your lost bloodlust. And, who knows, you might just be able to enthrall an impressionable young lackey which you can then use to defeat the forces of justice.
Drawbacks: Clowns aren't ranked too highly on the entertainer food chain. As such, you'll need to compete with magicians, mimes and 80s hair-metal bands. As a supervillain with laser pistols you should have the advantage, but that can lead to you spending too much time protecting your territory and not enough time with supervillainy. The worse case scenario is if your secret identity is known to the world. If you think the press was unfavorable toward you after your mutated the world's chickens into scorpions, wait until they find you in a cell after being arrested as a party clown. Oh, and you might be mistaken for a common Juggalo. Take that how you will.
How to make it better: Become such a success at "entertaining" children that you become a children's television phenomenon and use your program as a means to plant pro-supervillain messages in children's malleable brains.
