Category — Business Strategy

So who were the big winners at the Oscars, the Grammys, and the Super Bowl? It may just have been the suits on Wall Street.

If you’re looking toward a career analyzing what makes Wall Street tick, you might want to look at a growing trend that links big annual TV events to making money on the Big Board. It’s a strange phenomenon, but researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire have found that there’s big money to be made by investing in the stocks of companies that advertise during the Super Bowl. The same trend seems to be taking hold for advertisers on other annual major TV events like the Academy Awards.

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A business student is someone that goes to business school, takes courses, graduates and looks for a job. An entrepreneurial student is someone that starts their own business while still in business school. If you lean to the latter, here are a number of low- to medium-capital businesses that you can start while still in business school, either singly or with partners.

Some people are natural entrepreneurs, even students. Numerous successful business powerhouses - such as Dell Computers, Microsoft, FedEx and Apple - got started in college. You don’t have to be a geek, but you do need some basic accounting, advertising, market research and business skills, and a specific salable skill (how you’ll earn your income). College is actually an ideal place to start a business because students tend to be bright-eyed, passionate and unjaded. As well, classmates tend not to mind other classmates promoting their business.

Here are a few businesses you can start in college for relatively low capital, then build on them as income comes in. Because you’re in charge, you can take as much or as little work as fits your study schedule.
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Less could be more in this business climate, and business schools are helping their students understand how to spot the smaller, but hot, niche markets.

Niche markets enable small companies to compete with the giants. Niche businesses can provide their customers with a variety of choices in a specific product or service area. Companies seeking to appeal to a targeted sector of customers are now focusing on a narrow line of products, like lotions and soaps, plus sizes, skin care, chocolate, sneakers, condiments, vitamins, organic food, surfboarding products, natural cosmetics, mature women’s clothing, and natural pet food. Combine the targeted products with quality service and you have a winning formula.

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