No matter who you are or what you are, you have competition. We compete for food, for water, for attention, for mates, for… well just about everything. Businesses are no different – we compete for employees, for customers, for supplies, for financing and so on. Given that competition is as old as the planet, there are accepted ways of competing....
Read MoreOn my out drive to Victoria, BC and back I realized that I had a problem with my tachometer. The tachometer tells you how many times the engine rotates each minute (RPM). It’s important to keep an eye on it so that you neither make the engine go too slow - you risk straining the engine, or too fast - you risk having bits fly off it. Neither are...
Read MoreMost movies are unique, except for the endless sequels. And so, when someone pitches a studio on a movie idea, they need to explain something that’s never been explained before. The simplest way to get the new idea across is by using a compelling metaphor. You start with something the studio boss already understands and build on that e.g....
Read MoreMost of us are familiar with the ‘Total Addressable Market’, or TAM. It is the number of buyers that could theoretically be convinced to buy a certain product or service. The finance guys like to see this value in dollars, the manufacturing and delivery people want to see units, and the sales folks want to see buyers. Let’s deal with buyers here...
Read MoreAbout a year ago in the sprawling Fura mine in Mozambique Balbir, the master sorter was on to something. After the sorting and sifting of hundreds of tons of earth and ore, a small red golf ball sized rock stood out. It was destined to become the world’s most expensive ruby. After the cutters and polishers had finished with it, the now thumbnail...
Read MoreWe’ve helped hundreds of companies take new products into new markets and when I say new products, I don’t mean a slightly better ‘me too’ product, but ones that completely change the way things have been done up till then. This includes tomato bio-char, de-pyrolysis of used tires, smart home grids, GPS farming, and many
Read MoreTime to drop the clutch There is a great deal of talk about the economy slowing down. So what? The North American economy is still worth about $28 trillion and Europe’s about $19 trillion. So even if it’s not accelerating, there are still, collectively, 47 trillion ways to make a buck. To go faster we must change gears, and that is just what...
Read MoreWe recently completed some market research to help a manufacturer selling premium products to determine which geography to focus on. As a premium product, it required individuals with sufficient disposable income and psychographics that would support our client’s product. We looked at age, family groupings, housing density, education and of...
Read MoreSome years ago, I was cutting logs at my cottage, and it felt as if I had a wood chip in my right eye. I blinked and flushed and probed my eye. I looked in the mirror and couldn't see anything. So I went to see my eye doctor the next day and it turned out that I had a detached
Read MoreWhen I hear the expression “Best in World” I typically think of sports – F1, Olympics, Football and so on. The recent World Cup in which Lionel Messi scored two goals to lead Argentina to victory is a shining example of being “Best in World’! The road to victory is long. Argentina had to be one of the 32 qualifiers from amongst 3,900 FIFA...
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