As posted in Sharon Chien’s blog on how entrepreneurs can start successful businesses with as little as $8,000, I believe such a feat is largely accomplished through not simply observing possibilities, but also acting upon those observations. In this case, the two founders of barre felt a niche that had to be filled within the dancing industry – to provide proper nutrition for mobile and constantly on-the-go dancers.
The motivation in the company also stemmed from the hobbies of the entrepreneurs themselves – though they were students at the University of Pittsburgh, they shared the mutual hobby of dancing with a burning passion, and to seek improvement in the dance industry. I firmly believe that a huge portion of their success can be attributed to their marketing strategy, with a “by dancers, for dancers” attitude that few other competitors can match. Even on their website and wrappers, it is evident that their product is specialized with a narrow target market, specifically tailored to the needs of dancers, and not just the general athletic community whereas competitors such as Nature Valley may appeal to.
Ultimately, the success that barre has earned is imbued in the characteristics of the entrepreneurs themselves; observation, passion, and action.
How Two Business Students Created Nutrition Bars for Dancers
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