How Polygence Can Help You Develop Your Niche in Business

A question we get often from prospective students interested in Polygence is why a Polygence project would be useful if they’re interested in business. Isn’t a research project only meant for STEM or humanities topics like history or sociology? The short answer is no! A research project in business can be an excellent way for a student to develop their knowledge of business and develop their own niche within business. Yes, of course, when we think of research the first thing that comes to mind is experiments in a laboratory, but the benefits you get out of doing a research project apply to all sorts of fields, especially business. In this article, we’ll explain why doing a research project in business is extremely valuable and also share Polygence success stories of alumni who’ve completed a business research project, which helped them with their college endeavors in the business field. 

Why Do a Research Project in Business?

A research project in business gives you the same benefits as a research project in any other topic. You’ll have a better understanding of what you’re interested in and what excites you, you’ll gain more knowledge and skills around your specific topic, and you’ll also learn how to communicate your ideas and showcase your work.

The reason why students may view a business research project as less worthwhile than a STEM project is because business is typically seen as a field with more soft skills that you learn on the job. What is there to really research? The truth is that there’s so much left to research in the business world. While there are definitely skills you develop in the workplace, in business there is still a wealth of knowledge and information that you need to know in order to do your job well. 

Furthermore, knowledge and information in the business world is very dynamic, meaning that you really have to stay up to date on the most current events, business, technology, and market trends. Consider the venture capital industry, where professionals invest in emerging startups and technologies. Venture capital investors have to stay up to date on the latest industry trends and understand how industries are changing in order to find the best companies to invest in. As a result, investors are always learning about new industries and companies. This is concrete knowledge and research that business professionals have to accumulate over time, in addition to soft skills.

A research project in business helps you to build your base level of knowledge in business and also teaches you how to learn about a new topic, which is an essential skill that business professionals perform daily. Doing research in business can also help you discover what niches within business are interesting to you. Just like many other fields, business is a very broad domain that encompasses many diverse and interesting topics. 

For instance, in survey research and business analytics, you can gain insights into consumer behavior and how it impacts business decisions. Understanding the importance of experience management can help you improve customer experience, which is crucial for business success. These skills are integral to developing a solid business strategy and creating effective business plans. Exploring key areas such as small business operations and business research methods can provide a strong foundation for understanding the complexities of running a business. This knowledge is essential for anyone looking to excel in the business world and can significantly enhance your academic and professional journey.

Why Should You Develop a Niche in Business?

Within business, there are many subtopics, such as marketing, finance, management, accounting, economics, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and even more STEM-like topics with business applications such as data science and statistics. These are all niches that you can explore by doing a research project in business.

If you’re interested in applying to a top undergraduate business school, developing a niche can help you better explain your interest in the school in your “Why” essay. For example, if a particular undergraduate business school has an especially great marketing program, you can point to the research project you completed related to marketing to show that you’ve already done work in that specific niche, rather than just saying that you have a general interest in business. This creates a more compelling application, which is very important for undergraduate business schools which typically have very competitive admissions. 

Finally, developing a niche helps you better understand yourself and do your best work. By having a niche you’re excited about, you can feel more personally fulfilled by your classwork or research! Do keep in mind, however, that having a niche is definitely not something that you have to completely figure out right now. But it helps early on to explore and find topics that interest you so that you can make the most of your time in college.

Polygence Success Stories: Whitney and Nayan

To help illustrate clear examples of how Polygence projects have helped students pursue their future goals in business, we wanted to share the experiences of Whitney Kay and Nayan Soni. Each case study showcases their use of business research methods, market research, and the application of quantitative and qualitative research findings to support their business research projects: 

Whitney Kay’s Polygence research project, “Effective leadership and communication in the workplace with Gen Z & Gen Alpha,” focused on how communication styles of certain workplaces and how younger generations can be prepared for workplace communication with older generations. In her project, Whitney conducted qualitative surveys across small businesses in her town — asking both their employees and the managers on their current communication platforms, styles, and relationships across generations. Whitney showcased her work through a research paper that she published on Medium and through the project she also became more drawn to communication.

“With the skills and research I developed with my mentor I was able to gain a stronger understanding and passion for communication as a whole. There is so much more to business and economics than just numbers and products. It is communication that drives all of these factors.”

Whitney also found that working together with her mentor Courtney on the project allowed her to investigate topics that she would have normally shied away from and to find her niche in business. 

Nayan Soni’s project was called Soni Scholars, where he developed a tutoring business from scratch through research, competitive analysis, and creativity. Nayan’s project is a perfect example of how a research project doesn’t have to be a traditional research paper with primary and secondary sources. A project can also be something more practical like starting your own business. Nayan’s project really allowed him to delve into his passion for business through first-hand experiences such as building a logo and brand, legally filing business documents, creating a marketing strategy, designing a company website, and giving elevator pitches to potential investors. Nayan will be an upcoming freshman studying business at NYU’s Stern School of Business with a concentration in finance, and he feels that his Polygence project really laid the groundwork for pursuing this academic path.

“If not for my Polygence project I definitely would have been less passionate about further pursuing the field of business and finance, but being able to manage my own company really invigorated my interests in these fields like never before.”

Nayan not only gained valuable entrepreneurship skills through his research project but he also became more passionate about company building and has a better understanding of what he wants to pursue, which will help him navigate how he wants to spend his time in college.

Conclusion

Business is a very exciting field but many students falsely believe that you can’t do a research project for it. You can most definitely do a business research project as a student and learn practical skills from it while also gaining a better understanding for what your niche could be in the business world.

Business Research Opportunities at Polygence

Interested in doing a business project on your own timeline? Explore Polygence’s Research Mentorship Program where you can work with an expert mentor in business like Alexandra or Geraldine to help you with your research! If you’re stuck on what to create, check out our blog piece on business, economics, and finance passion project ideas.

Business competitions are also excellent ways to build skills and work together in teams! If you think that a competition might be a better fit for you, check out our pieces on top finance competitions for high school students and entrepreneurship competitions for high schoolers.