Along with the terms recession and depression, have you noticed that the word "shortage" has been popping up in the headlines more frequently? I have and it ranges from winter tire stortages in Quebec to propane shortages and crop spoilage in North Dakota. One blog even predicts both global and regional food shortages in the USA in 2009
Google the word "shortage" and you get 31,854 hits; "shortages" turn up 19,767 hits
Anticipating future changes, resulting consequences and potential shortages can provide opportunities for opportunity-savvy and anticipatory-thinking entrepreneurs.
- Food shortages> gene-altered crops, hydrated fullerenes that promote crop growth
- Doctor shortages> telemedicine, remote robotics via telemedicine etc
- Road salt shortages>beet juice, other natural alternatives
- Cash shortages> pawn brokers, Loan sharking (Illegal)
- Personnel shortages in startups> glut of laidoff employees
- Price-increase triggered shortages (ie cement, conventional building technology) > smart technology substitutes (smart cement or contour crafting)
- Power shortages in 3d world countries India, China> energy alternatives
- Parking shortages>smart meters
Over a dozen different tactics can address shortage scenarios (substitution, leap-frogging, reduction, elimination, co-production, brokering/ matchmaking, bring in from abroad, dealing with counterfeit products knocksoffs, vacume circumstances & opportunties, left behind scenarios, natural triggers, triggering trigger events etc) and entrepreneurs should explore these to see if each is viable for them. ( see Opportunity Recognition in Difficult Times and Opportunity Recognition Master Class and Do you know how to spot business opportunities? and Smart Technology Opportunities from my talk at VTT in Finland.
Walter Derzko, Smart Economy, Toronto
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