Take It And Run!
Think your idea is already spoken for? Maybe not . . .
Mark Terao, 38, and a friend were brainstorming business ideaswhen they thought of making college football calendars--an ideathey concluded was so great, someone else must surely be doing it.But rather than just forget it, Terao, of Seattle, decided to do alittle research. Checking with both the University of Washington inSeattle and Washington State University in Pullman, he found outthat not only was no one making football calendars, but the schoolswere hungry for such a product. "That opened the door,"he says.
Terao formed Pure Image Inc. in 1997 (of which his friend owns asmall part), producing a 16-month wall calendar for bothuniversities, including a photo of the stadiums, pictures of formerplayers, statistics and a game schedule. The next year, he expandedto 10 schools. "This year, we're doing 23 schools,"Terao says. "Next year, we're set to do 30 to 35." Inaddition to football, he also does basketball calendars for someschools.
Cyber Monday Subscription Sale - Unlock this subscriber exclusive article and more for 50% off.
Access all Entrepreneur content with no ads, unlock discounts, and get exclusive advice only available to our subscribers. Plus, our magazine delivered straight to your door.
Get 50% off an annual subscription today. Just use code SAVE50 at checkout.
Entrepreneur Editors' Picks
-
How an Encounter With the 'Armpit of Destiny' Helped the Founder of Grubhub Take His Business From His Apartment to a $2 Billion IPO
-
You Can Train Your Brain to React to Stressful Situations Better. Here's the 3-Step Process.
-
How to Stay Organized and Productive While Working From Different Locations
-
A Disastrous Valentine's Day Inspired This Founder to Launch Her Own Floral Brand. It Became a Celebrity Magnet With Retail Revenue Up 450% Since 2019.
-
What Is Your Dream Job? Ask Yourself These 4 Questions to Find Out.
-
This Is the Crazy Process This Juice Franchise Went Through to Get USDA-Certified Organic. But It Sure Has Paid Off.
-
No One Would Rent Me a Café in Trendy NYC Neighborhoods, So I Tried Something Risky. Now I Have 3 Coffee Shops.
