The Niche Beat

Campbell Soup

Soup’s Not On In the early 1900’s, the Campbell’s soup product line was first marketed to wealthy people, but they weren’t interested in the convenience of the product. They had servants who prepared their meals. Later, the working-class population was targeted as the consumers who would value the benefits of a quick-cooking meal. Today, some […]

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Turkey Soda & Spanx

Strange New Product Ideas When Peter van Stolk decided that he wanted to develop a line of sodas that tasted like holiday meals, the idea didn’t meet with a lot of enthusiasm from friends who thought the idea was nuts. Stolk proved skeptics wrong as he has expanded his specialty soda company into other amusing […]

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Music Production & Recording Arts

More Women Needed The music production industry has only a tiny percentage of women and many people know little about the field. These issues inspired the creation of a nonprofit organization that seeks to train more women to enter the specialized industry involved in media and pop culture. A reference book highly recommended by industry […]

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The World Needs More Pie

Beth Howard While working at a San Francisco computer company and earning a sizeable salary, Howard was unhappy and quit her job to bake pies in Malibu. “I needed something [work] more tactile, she explained recently on a San Francisco talk show. Howard’s passion for making pies began when she was 17. Howard has her […]

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Business Wise

Timeless Advice The single most important decision that will determine whether a business will survive is the choice of a product or service—Thomas Murphy. It’s an uncertain future… It is shortsighted for any college student, regardless of major, not to pursue a minimum of preparation for self-employment in the event of unpredictable economic conditions. —Clifford […]

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Money Matters

Learning from FedEx & Trader Joe Fred Smith, the package delivery company founder resorted to nontraditional tactics to raise much-needed cash to keep his company running. Strapped for cash and with the payroll coming due, Fred Smith used a financing strategy not taught in traditional business schools: he went to Las Vegas, played blackjack, and […]

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Solving A Food Problem

Different Niches According to Associated Press food editor, J.M. Hirsch, he started a blog called Lunch Box Blues to help tackle the challenge of preparing daily lunches for his young son, and then other parents began asking for advice. On the other hand, The Lunch Tray has a primary goal of reforming the food served […]

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Got Milk? You’d Better!

An Idea Consumers Could Not Refuse Rumor has it that gangster Al Capone created the idea of putting expiration dates on milk cartons.  Forget about it! However, during the Prohibition era, the mob did have their fingers (udders?) in the dairy industry, and organized crime developed the concept of date-stamping the liquid to alert customers […]

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TechShop San Francisco

Invention Workshop for Do-It-Yourselfers TechShop states that their program is for everyone, regardless of their skill level. I’m not so sure about that. If you’ve ever watched Tim Allen’s Home Improvement, or Bill Cosby’s character, Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, happily strap on a tool belt and create utter chaos, then you’ll know that some people should […]

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The Business of Humor

Many Niches in the Laughter Industry Whether it’s marketing comedy sketches via podcasts, manufacturing or retailing gag gifts, or writing novelty humor books, the industry has countless niches. For instance, some comedians use their standup skills beyond the world of entertainment. Consider Australian funnyman, Dave Flanagan, conducts Standup with Confidence workshops for groups of long-term […]

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