There was an article in the Wall Street Journal this week called The iPod as Fitness Coach. It began:
“Your personal trainer can have a place in your MP3 playlist, thanks to new services that sell downloadable audio and video workouts…The proliferation of iPods and other MP3 players is driving the creation of fitness podcast service…iAmplify.com, iTrain.com and Podfitness.com are among them.”
Fitness seems to be the latest industry to grow in new directions as a result of the iPod. There are manufacturers who produce protective cases for iPods, training service providers who deliver training via iPod technology, teleseminar providers and motivational speakers who provide content via iPods and podcasters, just to name a few others.
I will be joining the ranks of podcasters soon. My new book Star Power: Common Sense Ideas for Career and Life Success will be out this summer, and I am planning on doing a series of companion podcasts.
The point I want to make about all of this is simple – and not even related to the iPod. There are all sorts of business opportunities available in today’s world. Would be entrepreneurs need only to pay attention to identify them.
New technology, like the iPod, is one place to look. If the technology is cool enough, people can find ways to apply it in different ways than it was originally intended. Who would have ever thought that a service like iTunes – originally designed to sell songs via download – would become a marketplace for motivational speakers? Yet it is – just go to the business section of iTunes, and you’ll be amazed at what you can buy there.
Even if you’re a technophobe, you can still benefit from paying attention to what’s happening in the world. I know a guy who watched the NASCAR explosion and ended up in a business selling NASCAR merchandise to gas stations and convenience stores. He has been so successful, he has franchised the concept.
Bicycling has become an increasingly popular form of exercise. Not too long ago, I came across a couple who loves to bicycle and who loves Penn State (my undergraduate alma mater). They run bike tours for people with varying skill levels in and around State College, PA. Penn State alums can enjoy an exercise focused vacation and recall their youth by stopping in for a beer at the Rathskeller of Phyrst in the evenings.
Other entrepreneurs have paired people’s increasing desire to give back, by selling vacation packages in which participants provide some sort of community service. These range from Habitat for Humanity projects, to trips to exotic locales to help with archeological digs or eco system preservation.
More and more people are increasingly busy. This has created profitable opportunities for observant, entrepreneurial types. Lots of people are making a good living being personal organizers, virtual assistants and personal shoppers these days.
The common sense point here is simple – if you want to start a business, but don’t know what, look around. Pay attention to what’s happening around you and in your world. You’ll probably find more ideas than you need. Paying attention is the first step to creating a profitable business.
That’s it for today. Thanks for reading. Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense. Check out my other blog: www.SuccessCommonSense.com for common sense advice on becoming the life and career star you are meant to be.
I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.
Bud
PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open. Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.
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