Do you ever see an idea and think, “Wow, I wish I would have thought of that?” It seems like clever entrepreneurs can take a simple idea, market it just right, and find a niche in an untapped market. So when I read a story about a Kansas City entrepreneur, I thought I’d share her success story to help inspire those of you who might need it. It seems that this innovative thinker, Sharon Young, was already creating designs for political campaign buttons, which she sells on her website, PoliticalShop.com. Young also happens to own a pet, and she had a brainstorm that linked the two together, which resulted in a success story. The result? Patriotic PetsTM. With slogans such as "Bark Obama for President," "100% McCain9," "McCain for Top Dog," and a colorful Obama peace sign design, pets and their owners can now support their candidates in style with these novel 1-1/2" buttons. "I was putting a new tag on my dog, Wolfgang, when the idea came to me," said Young. She developed some prototypes, adding clips to the buttons instead of pins. She clipped one on Wolfie's collar and put it to the test. A few weeks later, Young included pet buttons in a merchandise selection she was taking to a campaign rally in St. Paul, Minnesota. They sold out immediately. When she returned, she noticed several pet button sales in her Internet orders. Shortly thereafter, someone called and ordered some Obama peace sign pet buttons. "When the caller mentioned that they were for her pet goats, I knew I was onto something," said Young. Cat buttons are in the works and she hopes to have them available by late July. Young began selling political merchandise in 1992 and developed the Internet's first shop featuring political buttons in 1996, renaming it PoliticalShop.com in 1999. "PoliticalShop.com has always specialized in unique and original products," said Young, "but now that the Internet has gotten so competitive, you have to be more creative to stay in the game." Young also recently developed "Button Bling," a line of political jewelry including earrings and necklaces made with small campaign buttons adorned with beads and charms. So let this be an inspiring tale. If you think your product or service is stale, maybe it’s time to think outside the box, spot an unmet need no matter how nutty it might seem, and seize the moment! |
