Starting a business that feeds into – or off of – an established brand or fast growing trend can often be a smart move. Simply take a look at the number of Twitter apps that have been launched in the last six months.
Of course, the larger and more established the brand, the safer the bet is likely to be. Which is why it’s a little surprising that we don’t see more small businesses and startups piggybacking on the massive popularity of IKEA.
That being said, here are three notable examples of businesses who are doing just that:
Bemz:
Swedish firm Bemz sells sofa covers in 90 different colors and 8 different fabrics – all designed specifically for IKEA sofas. Giving the customer the chance to make the mass-produced personal, they tap into the growing trend for customization.
Grippiks:
On a similar note, Grippiks produce a range of self-adhesive graphics pre-cut to suit IKEA furniture. The ‘surface accents’ use suction as opposed to glues to stick themselves to the furniture making them easier to handle and presumably, changeable.
Parts of Sweden:
Founded by a group of Swedish IKEA enthusiasts, Parts of Sweden produce furniture accessories to enhance both the look and functionality of your furniture. As with our other examples each product is designed with specific IKEA products in mind.
These three examples all use customization as a way to build successful businesses around IKEA but you can easily do the same by adding functionality, simplifying the process (think eBay drop off shops) or providing support and aftercare services to your brand of choice.
The key is to tap into a brand with an established, growing and/or passionate community.
Via: Springwise
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