When Mississippi State students Robbie Spears and Chase Neal began making custom-designed guitar pedals a few semesters ago, they thought it might create a good business opportunity.
Putting their talents together, they formed the Juliet Collective and entered the business world.
As with many budding entrepreneurs, they were confident in their product, but didn't know how to go about starting their own business—a common challenge for many passionate people interested in forming a company.
Spears, an electrical engineering major, and Neal, who recently graduated with a double major in educational psychology and communication, create guitar pedals that produce sounds appreciated by many musicians, and they saw a demand for their product.
The two friends partnered with advisers at MSU's Entrepreneurship Center to help address some of the more complex issues related to getting a start-up off the ground. After winning a campus business plan competition, the student entrepreneurs made presentations to business leaders at the Mississippi Technology Alliance's Mississippi New Venture Challenge.
Now renting space in Starkville where they produce their guitar pedals, Spears and Neal continue to work on making a name for themselves in the marketplace.