Ideas for business ventures?

[eskimo]

So I'm about to wrap up my MBA and I'm at the point where I'm considering various post-MBA career options. I've got a tentative job offer to conduct criminal investigations for the IRS. Although there are many advantages with a federal govt career and the line of work would keep my inquisitive mind stimulated, I'm not sure if I have any real passion for the cause.

I'm also interested in marketing (product, brand mgmt) and would also be interested in applying my MBA focus and pursuing this career path with a local organization whose product/service offerings I'm interested in (e.g., Expedia, Starbucks, REI, Eddie Bauer, Nintendo).

But recently, I've also had the yen to start up my own business, which is something I'd never really thought about before. I've been working contract jobs the past few months while waiting for my orders from the IRS to come down and I've enjoyed the nature of this type of work - starting a new project, learning about the project/business needs, the organization and systems involved, and how my work adds value to the organization. I don't mind working for other people, but I tend to play roles in the positions I'm in and it seems to overburden my bosses because I expect them to lead but I get the sense they don't feel comfortable/confident leading me.

So I got to thinking that if I were the CEO, then I'd be able to satisfy my requirement of fulfilling a role while being able to focus and channel my energies to spearhead and drive the business.

I know where my passions and interests are but I wanted to get your input on what types or lines of business you all think will be lucrative in the near future. That is, what types of business or industries will the economy see an increased demand for in the next 5-10 years and will be fertile ground for a start-up?

Any and all ideas are appreciated...

Thx,

Steve

[silicon toad2000]

managing green compliance projects or consulting on environmental compliance.
environment I think will be, is, the expanding field.

[eskimo]

Thanks for this. Yeah, green compliance is kinda the consensus choice among those I've asked. Sustainable energy is another that's popping up quite often.

Any other thoughts out there for growth business ventures?

[ixmatus]

Renewable energy in general, the advances in photovoltaic technology specifically.

Nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is also driving a great deal of the advances in the above said fields - especially photovoltaic.

Concurrent software will be the next big boom for information technology - cloud computing will ride off of it and we will begin to see concurrency designed web-applications. The Semantic Web, Service Oriented Architecture, and Ontology Oriented Architecture will play a big role in this - if developers can get educated.

Law practices are doing very well. I know water law is becoming big this day and age, my father is a water law/construction defect litigation attorney and does very well for himself.

The new space race is on - this time it isn't between countries but companies; that band wagon will be a good one to be on.

Again, sustainable technology is going to be a big one - people and corporations are beginning to realize the long term savings of sustainable technology far outweighs the initial investment and short term mainstream technologies. Even the initial investment is becoming negligible. (this thought disregards the green effect and is purely from an economic standpoint)


Just a few ideas of the key areas I think we will see quite a bit of growth - I'm a technologist if you haven't noticed, so, what I've written will be geared for that.

You may be interested in marketing yourself as a for-hire CEO for maturing tech startups in the above fields. Founders often want to start a company and maintain majority control; but, do not want to run the business side of things. That may be a good in-road for you.

[smartile]

Originally posted by eskimo
That is, what types of business or industries will the economy see an increased demand for in the next 5-10 years and will be fertile ground for a start-up?

I once heard Joe Vitale (from The Secret) say that his psychology studies taught him that human beings will always crave love, food, and money. Therefore, if you could produce a service or product that was to niche in any one of these three areas you will always have clients to fill this need.

[eskimo]

Thanks for all your responses, guys. The notion of people craving love, food, money I think hits the nail on the head. Everything else we seek as consumers probably derives from these three needs.

Thanks!

[ixmatus]

I would venture to go one step further with the comment about what humans crave. I think it is happiness that humans crave - love, food, and money happen to be one layer of distortion away from the one thing we all seek.

If you are happy - people will pay you to speak about why and how you are happy. If you are happy you will become wealthy, if you are wealthy people will pay you to tell them your secret to wealth.

People crave happiness.

Be happy and you will provide something of value, no matter what you apply yourself to. Technology, writing, teaching, whatever; applied through happiness you will create immense value and material comfort will never be of shortage if you are providing value.

Build a business and love what you do.

[Athena]

Also locationally, anything linking the west to Asia!!!

In Asia right now everything is just at the beginning of its spring. Ten years ago it looked so third world, and now its moving up to first. A lot of growth here, even in the past couple years, just starting to bud, and will be blooming as the dominant world force for at least the next few hundred years.

Really exciting time for anyone who likes to build in the new territory too!!

[Orange]

I dont think asking other people for ideas is the right path..
It should come from your heart.