Nine Ways to Create New Revenue Streams

BFG Technologies, in business since 2002, built a gold-plated reputation for outstanding 3-D graphics cards, power supplies and motherboards for the gaming industry. The company further burnished its reputation by offering clients 24/7 tech support and other perks that appealed to the high-end of the market.

After stabilizing the core business, the company started kicking around ways to diversify. It hit on a computer for gamers in their 20s and 30s because "it became clear that we were a hop and a skip away from providing a high-performance gaming experience," says John Malley, senior director of marketing.

Phobos, launched in January, made sense because overhead was low, talent to develop it was already in-house, and perks like concierge tech service fit with the brand's high-end focus. "By differentiating the Phobos line enough by making it super high-end, we have not alienated our customers," he says. "We still provide value to them with hard-to-find graphics cards." ...