Business Ideas from the London Olympics 2012

olympic business ideas
Image from Guardian.co.uk
The London Olympics which were held last month were the cynosure of all eyes for obvious reasons…sportsmanship, records made and broken and the spirit of coming together. The sports fiesta celebrated the human spirit of endurance and drive and gave me a few business ideas. Small business ideas and promotional tactics which are simple to launch and low on investment too…

1. Nail Art

Women athletes at the London Olympics sported the most amazing nail art. Perfectly manicured nails flashing national pride, favorite colors and fun stuff made waves as much as the ladies did when they set the tracks on fire or made a splash in the pool and scaled heights on the floor.

Nail art is a simple business that can fetch you a good deal of money, even if you don’t run a nail salon or spa. Those ideas are probably a step ahead and you could try them if you are willing to. All you need to start on nail art as a business is some bottles of nail paint, a manicure set and loads of imagination with an eye on trends.

2. Hair Styling

Another trend at the Olympics was hair styles in general and hair braids in particular. Sporting braids, buns and ponytails, women athletes inspired many a woman to braid it or knot it up for style or to deal with a bad hair day.

The opportunity lies in offering lessons to help people recreate the look at home or offering a service that helps them get the hairstyle they want. For the guys there are always haircuts to imitate.

3. Get the Look

Appearances matter…be it the red carpet or the racing track, which is why helping people get the look which their favorite sports personality wears on and off the court is an image consultancy opportunity just waiting to be discovered.

Alternatively turning personal shopper for the sporty types is another option.

4. Other Niches

Designing wristbands, hair accessories, swim suits and funky footwear and foot accessories are other niches worth exploring.

Let us now talk about some simple promotional tactics based on the Olympics which you can use the next time a sporting event happens…be it Wimbledon, the FIFA world cup or Formula One racing….

Discount Offers:

A 5-10% discount for every gold medal won by your country. This can be adapted to a discount for every goal scored, match one or record broken by your country or a particular player.

Cash Back:

Offer cash back on products sold for every medal one. Adapt as above.

Sell Theme Based Products:

Depending on what you sell or deal in this could turn out to be…

  • Food: Milkshakes, cupcakes, cakes etc based on the Olympics
  • Beauty: A package deal on a manicure and pedicure, hair cut, spa treatments, etc
  • Clothing: T-shirts, sporty stuff based on your national sport or Olympic champs