Catch The Craze Learning to take advantage of trends

You're painfully aware of the latest craze that'sengulfed the nation. Unnerved by its omnipresence and intrigued bysociety's fervent embrace of the trend, you find yourselfcowering in a corner, questioning your ability to predetermine itspopularity and pondering the various ways to profit from itsbounty.

Recognizing trends or, better yet, detecting emerging ones, isone of the biggest keys to success for most entrepreneurs, but noteveryone is able to extract opportunity from a trend, let aloneprofit from one. While certain trends don't cater to followers,like the innovative Pet Rocks, some do offer fertile ground forfollow-up businesses to make their mark.

Take Paul O'Brien and his Krispy Kreme delivery service.Until the demand for the delectable pastries begins to wane or thefranchise opens a store on every corner, O'Brien has a veryalluring business on his hands. Early-morning pick-ups at the VanNuys, California, location pack O'Brien's SUV with severaldozen donuts, which he then delivers to office buildings andresidents, charging double the in-store price.