Looking for Opportunity

1. Economic Trend - Iowa Residents Favor Beef

• A.) http://www.newtondailynews.com/2016/05/23/consumer-trends-beef-top-of-mind-in-iowa/aajc5ez/

• B.)The article states that 82% of Iowa residents consider beef to be in their top choices for meat consumption. On top of that, 47% of them eat beef three or more times per week.

• C.)The customer for this opportunity would be anyone in Iowa who is not a vegetarian and can afford to purchase beef on a regular basis. Anyone with any knowledge of farming or butchering could exploit this market.

• D.)Considering how much beef is consumed in Iowa, I think anyone who can raise or butcher high quality beef at an affordable price would be able to take a decent size of the market, competing with grocery stores and supermarkets. Personally, if I knew of a quality butcher near me, I would be much more willing to purchase my meats from them rather than a supermarket. For someone with no experience in that area, it may be more difficult to exploit.

• E.)I saw this opportunity most likely because I cook beef a lot and would love to have a local butcher. Seeing that so much is consumed in one state (9% higher than the national average), I think a butcher shop or a cattle farm would be a great opportunity to take into consideration.

2. Economic Trend - Mobile Phone Users Gravitating towards Mobile Payments

• A.) http://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2016/05/20/mobile-customers-check-phones-over-80-bil-times-a-day/

• B.)According to the article, 20% of consumers in developed markets use mobile payments in developing markets, that number jumps to 47%. With so much money being exchanged on mobile devices and people so unaware of the dangers of sending money over a mobile devices, there must be an opportunity for simple security apps, software, or training seminars to sell to customers.

• C.)The customer for this opportunity would be any mobile phone user who uses their device to make payments in a store, on-line, or to another device. 

• D.)I think anyone who has a knack for technology and software could make a base model for a security app. Something that is more in depth might require more advanced technology and more funding than the average entrepreneur would have access to, but it could be a pitch to a large software developer. 

• E.)I saw this opportunity because I realize how easy it is to already get scammed with stolen cash or credit card information and how little people, myself included, understand about the workings of electronic payments and all the channels they travel through. Some kind of app that keeps track of where your money is at all times or a seminar to teach about being safe with this kind of technology would probably be at the least marginally successful.

3. Regulation Change - Higher Standards for Automobiles by 2025

• A.)http://www.accessmagazine.org/articles/fall-2012/new-automobile-regulations/

• B)Cars must have double the fuel efficiency and half of the Carbon Dioxide emissions by 2025. 

• C) The customer for this opportunity will be everybody looking to buy automobiles in the years shortly before and long-term after 2025. 

• D.) The article mentions that 70% of chemical energy is lost to the combustion process. The opportunity exists for somebody to innovate a new type of engine, a new type of fuel, a cheaper alternative to electric cars (Tesla), or to create a new form of individual transportation that rivals automobiles financially and among consumers. It will take somebody with an extremely innovative mind or with a very good scientific mind to capitalize on this opportunity.

• E.) I am not sure if anything led me to see this opportunity more than anyone else would have. I think it is pretty obvious that due to regulations, something will need to change within the automobiles. There are so many ways to possibly improve it though, such as fuel types or completely new ideas that I think is what I am seeing beyond what most would see with this.

4. Regulation Change - Insurance Companies Face Cyber-Security Regulations

• A.)http://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/regulatory/insurance-regulatory-outlook.html

• B.) Insurance companies have been vulnerable to cyber-attacks and now have cyber-security tests as a part of regulatory examinations. An opportunity exists for the creation of leading edge Cyber-Security programs specifically designed for insurance companies, as these are going to be needed and improved in the near future.

• C.)The prototypical customer for this opportunity would be any insurance company which is subject to these regulations.

• D.)With this regulation being implemented in 2016, I am sure that some company has designed something to solve this issue. The problem is that first models are often flawed, and I believe there is an opportunity for a tech company to branch off and specialize in Insurance Cyber Security and make leading edge, competitive programs and corner that market.

• E.)I saw this opportunity because insurance companies are some of the most profitable in the business world and control a lot of assets and make meaningful decisions. They would easily pay top dollar to ensure they are up to regulations and protect all of the information they control. Insurance also peaked my interest because my dad is an insurance salesman.