Expanding San Diego’s Economy through Investing in “Break Out” Exporters

Venture capitalists are on the continual search for higher returns on investment.  Buying into a company just before it breaks out is one of the most lucrative investment positions to be in. Within a short span of 6-months to 4-years the value could double or triple. Local governments should be aware of emerging global businesses so they can create greater awareness among would be investors and spark local economic growth.  

Economies continue to grow when new firms develop and make their way to the market. Large industries set the standard based on local core competencies but it is the emerging entrepreneurial businesses that continue to push the local economy in new directions. When they go global they can expand the local market.

According to a study on 345 non-exporting manufacturers those with the highest potential for market expansion include a variety of distribution channels, variety of product lines, firm competitiveness, and an abundance of resources (Yang, Leaone, & Alden, 1992). Each of the factors contributes to the company’s investment worthiness.

Distribution channels help ensure they can reach customers and exchange commercial activity. This can also apply to customer service and overall ability to communicate internationally. Treaties with countries and relationships with vendors will help determine their ability to flourish in an international market.

Firm competiveness refers to how the firm is managed and whether or not it has the internal and intellectual capacity to go global. If the management team or the employees are not prepared to go global this will limit their sustaining power. At times the firm may need to be reformed before trying to tackle a bigger market.

Some companies are big hits overnight but soon fizzle out when competitors move into benefit from their success. Without multiple product investment firms take the risk of investing in a company that in a few years may be out of business once their product has been beaten or copied by the competition. Multiple competitive products reduce this liability.

All companies must have resources. Depending on the type of business those resources might be physical such as iron and coal or intellectual such as researchers and programmers. Cities like San Diego will have an abundance of resources built around existing industries that can be used in feeding new business ventures.

Companies grow within a context based upon their relationship with other businesses and government. If their environment promotes and rewards entrepreneurial effort with capital investments and lucrative opportunities a local economy will grow. If the environment is not business and employment friendly it will limit future investments and job opportunities. Developing sustainable opportunities means finding generative businesses that expand present market opportunities.

Yang, Y. Leaone, R. & Alden, D. (1992). A market expansion ability approach to identify potential exporters. Journal of Marketing, 56 (1).

Teaching Students A Process of Reading for Content

Information is fast paced and students have learned to adapt to that information. Their brains love sound bites and spending time reading entire chapters can seem tedious and boring. Its like taking a race car and trying to slow it down to a horse and buggy world. It may not be that students have lost the capacity to focus on reading but that many of them don't know how.

In order to stay focused it is necessary to get lost in the moment. Without doing this it is likely that most of the information will not be retained. Reading for content requires a higher degree of focus then say reading for pleasure. A lot of students likely don't like the reading because it requires energy and commitment in a world of distraction.

We know this because a huge percentage of class fails to read the chapters but still tries to muddle through their papers, quizzes and tests. You can tell they didn't read because the depth of their discussion is shallow and they leave open ended questions throughout their papers. The papers seem to be based more on personal experience and anecdotal information than anything substantive.

Getting the Basic Picture

Reading for content requires slowing down and creating redundancy in the reading. Before one read a class book it is beneficial to look at the table of contents and then the headings to create context. This will help the student understand the purpose of the chapter. Then skimming the chapters will help fill in a few blanks and set the student up for a deeper reading.

Reading for Content

Reading for content requires the ability to slow down, think about the main point of each paragaph, and then using a highlighter to mark the key concepts. As many books are in PDF, or electronic format, it is possible to use the virtual highlighter method. If there is anything you don't understand you can look it up or write down the question for your professor.

Reviewing for Tests and Papers

Because you were proactive and followed all the steps you have highlighted the most important arguments. Before you take a test or write a paper you will want to review those highlights and read the summary of each chapter.

Experiencing the Power of History through Pow Wows

Each people comes with their own culture and way of seeing and understanding the world. The South Bayfront Pow Wow in Chula Vista is a reminder of how things were once done and continue to be done among native populations. From spiritual and cultural dances and the handmade products, the participants celebrated their lives.

Native Americans are an important part of the American identity. As the original people in the area they were able to help shape and define how America sees itself in the world. That relationship may not have always been positive but it does characterize how we grew and expanded as a country.

The native dances and art show strength and vibrancy in life. They are standing tall with their traditions and able to connect their large family in Pow Wows. Outsiders can come and understand their traditions and how these have become a way of living and navigating the modern world.

To me there are two beautiful aspects of the Native American heritage that includes family and nature. We live in a transient world where family connections are being lost due to mass transportation and cement jungles have replaced our forests. Attending a Pow Wow gives a small glimpse into our past but also a hint at our future.

http://www.southbayfrontpowwow.com/

Higher Education-When It All Changes!

Higher Education has been living by tradition dating back hundreds of years. That tradition still carries forward today and will eventually make its way into newer mediums of knowledge. Change comes with disruption causing society to rethink the purpose and point of getting a degree.

I am a product of an older world and system where chalkboards were common in school and personal computers were seeing their first light.  Some of the classrooms I attended didn't have air conditioning and everyone got hard copy books. Old maps were pulled down to share, even if you couldn't see them from the back of the class.

Likewise, I am also a product of large libraries that contained a wealth of knowledge stacked up to the walls. I could sit for hours and look through book after book. I could smell the aging of the paper, see the rips, rubs and blemishes. An entire library can  now sit in my cell phone.

 These changes are surface changes as that process of learning and developing continues on despite the medium people use. Brighter minds will still seek information and understanding while those who don't care won't frequent a library or kindle anyway. People find ways of getting what they need and want.

We shouldn't be afraid of changes in higher education. The very nature of change is positive when more people have access to education as a cheaper price through virtual means. We must learn to blend old and new traditions together to create something new that works for the next generation. To each its own. 

Society will negotiate the form and manner of higher education through the legislative process. The change will be reflective of elected officials who will think about their own education and with any luck also consider what the generation in the cradle now will need. They will compare U.S. education market  with those overseas and will determine if innovation or tradition should take precedence; or something in between.

Weight Loss with Quality and Portion Control

Two problems that face most people who want to lose weight is quality of the food and the size of the portion. People often eat too much and too much of the wrong food. Both can have a serious consequence of weight gain. Making better choices will help you in achieving your fitness goals.

Working out alone doesn't do it. Certainly you can burn more calories and improve your overall health. The problem is that you would have to work out like a professional athlete if you want to burn off the calories from a box of chocolates or a bag of your favorite chips.

It is better to start with a smaller portion and adjust according to your weight loss or gain. As Americans we have become accustomed to large portions and when we don't get it we feel like we didn't get our money's worth. All you can Eat, Big Mac, Super Size, Big Gulp, etc. are all part of the problem.

Eating smaller will lower your total calorie count and this is important if you want to lose weight. But losing weight should not be the only goal. The other side of a health fitness program is to eat the right foods for health. This means replacing fatty foods with greener, leaner, and healthier options.

If you get the right mix down you can lose weight and improve your body image. Cutting calories will help you lose weight while eating the right foods will improve your body formation. Both help to create a healthy lifestyle that works on your in and outsides. It may take some time but start small and make your way up. 

Honoring Advertising Contracts

Advertising is a contract where each person who hears the message makes a choice to frequent a business or not. They weigh and balance their time, effort and money to come to a conclusion. This is the customers investment. When the customer puts forward effort the advertisement becomes a social contract where individual customers expect to receive what was offered.

When this doesn’t happen the perception of the business declines. Recently I found a Saturday happy hour sushi special online. It was a good deal with $2 seaweed salad and $3 California or Spicy Tuna Roll. I made the decision that this is where I would like to catch a quick bit after an event.

Unfortunately, when our group arrived the waiter stated that they hadn’t updated their advertisement. Because this was the reason why we came to the restaurant I requested that he talk to the manager to see if he would honor the deal. With a sheepish grin he came back he admitted they made a mistake but would not honor the advertisement.

People make mistakes and fail to update advertisements but when the customer gets attracted to a printed deal they are doing exactly what the business wants. When the business then doesn’t honor the printed deal it looks like false advertising. Customers can be quickly turned off.

Whether or legal or illegal is not the point. The issue is gaining customers. For a Saturday it appeared to be empty. A review of Yelp found that customers ranked the restaurant low and it appears they changed their name in the past few years but may have kept the same management. Their failure to honor the commitment not only is turning away customers but also appears to be part of a broader matrix of poor decision-making.

How I Got "Bested" by a Pack of Surfing Dogs

Just when I was learning to surf myself I was bested by a dog. That is right....a dog on a surfboard. Imperial Beach was crawling with people watching Petco's Surf Dog Competition. Certainly not something I have not seen in other places but definitely fun to watch.

 There was a large crowd with vendors. Plenty of room to walk up and down the pier and then head to the beach for a while. A few stores dot the beachfront for those interested in shopping. I didn't have much time to check them out with the surfing and dog watching.

I was impressed by the strip along the beach. It looks like it has been built up over the years and is very clean. For a Saturday with nice whether and an event we were still able to find parking within 15 minutes which is great. We only needed to walk a half block to the beach.