Assignment 6A- Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

Opportunities from Trends

• Economic Trend: Aging Population causes Economic Growth Issues
• Source:https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/02/us/politics/iowa-economy-2020.html
• I believe that this means that an opportunity exists because the aging of Americans is a known trend and there are numerical data and statistics to support it. It is proven that US residents over the age of sixty are at an all-time high. This causes issues in the amount of labor that is being supplied and puts a strain on our healthcare systems.
• The prototypical customer would be technology developers and health care professionals. The need to fulfill the jobs that can no longer be accomplished by the aging population need to be filled. Also, more doctors need to be trained to meet these demands. Also, immigrant workers have the opportunity to fulfill these jobs, which has been a common trend. 
• I think I saw this opportunity would be relatively easy to exploit. The aging population requires either technology or skilled workers to replace them. This need provides an opportunity for a new labor force and developments. 
• I saw this opportunity because I had previously learned about the graying of America and knew it was a current trend and problem. 

• Economic Trend: Coronavirus affecting Chinese and Oil markets
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckdevore/2020/01/31/the-coronavirus-outbreak-is-now-a-crisis-how-might-that-affect-the-economy/#526be54dcab0
• I believe there is an opportunity here because outbreaks and diseases have an effect on the entire globe and cause halts in trade and exporting, which in turn affects the economy. 
• I think the prototypical customers are consumers around the world and governments around the world. 
• I do not think this will be able to exploit due to the scale of the issue. Without proper precautions, the disease could have an outbreak globally. The international trade market is sensitive to global health risks.
• I saw this opportunity because it is very prevalent in the current media. It shows the interconnectedness of the world and how a country’s problems affect every other country.

• Regulatory Changes: Banks can now do business with Hemp companies without all of the paperwork
• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/03/business/hemp-producers-banks.html
• I think this opportunity exists because the Agricultural Department rule change made hemp be removed from the Controlled Substances Act. This means that banks will no longer have to treat hemp businesses as suspicious and file a lot of paperwork to anti-laundering authorities.
• The prototypical customers are hemp businesses that can now work with banks more easily.
• I think the opportunity is very easy to exploit since the recent changes in views on hemp products. 33 states have legalized the drug for medical use, so the market keeps getting bigger and easier to do business in.
• I think I saw this opportunity because I have noticed the stigma around hemp and marijuana products for years. Now, since the general opinion and las seem to be lightening up to the idea, a market will always exist and will become easier and easier to buy and sell products.

• Regulatory Changes: Ecommerce businesses get sales taxes
• https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7671-regulatory-issues-changes.html
• The Supreme Court decision South Dakota v. Wayfair got rid of e-commerce companies not having sales taxes. With online sales at an all-time high, this is something that could not be avoided.
• The prototypical customers would be brick and mortar stores, that now have a better chance of competing against the low prices of e-commerce retailers. 
• I think this opportunity is relatively difficult to exploit due to the ease of ordering products online, rather than in person. 
• I think I saw this opportunity because I always wondered how brick and mortar stores competed with online shopping. This gives them a more fair opportunity and can be seen as a way of evening the playing grounds.