Identifying Opportunities in Economic and Regulatory Trends

Economic Opportunities 

Opportunity #1: Oil prices have hit a 30-month high as of January, high oil prices are resulting in consumers spending more money at the gas pump. Heightened gas prices are making consumers look for alternatives, this could prove to be highly beneficial for automobile industries that are moving towards more efficient cars such as electrically charged vehicles. 

a. I discovered an opportunity based off of increased gasoline prices by google searching "current economic trends" and found the information I used to come to my opportunity conclusion at https://www.thebalance.com/why-are-gas-prices-so-high-3305653 

b. The information I read concerning fuel prices being at a high for such an extended period of time suggests that an opportunity exists for long-term solutions to this issue. Rather than waiting for gas prices to fall again, consumers might be looking for a solution that ensures they will never face the repercussions of expensive fuel again, such as investing in electrical vehicles. 

c. Prototypical customers would be those who own vehicles and are being financially inconvenienced by seasonal increases in gasoline prices.

d. I think the opportunity to fulfill customers' needs for more economic transportation would be relatively easy to exploit since many are already expecting a shift to electronic vehicles in the future.   

e. Why did I see this opportunity? I saw an opportunity based off of the increasing gasoline prices because I am a futuristic thinker, I also search for permanent solutions to problems that arise periodically. I also saw this opportunity because I have an innate desire to protect our environment, and have been hoping for a switch to electrical vehicles for quite some time now. 

Opportunity #2: Natural disasters throughout the United States have proved to be detrimental to not only the physical environment but also economical. Rebuilding communities is a major time and financial burden and should be done with consideration to threats of natural disasters in the future.

a. I have discovered an opportunity based off of the economic burden of having to recover after natural disasters. Because individuals and organizations are having to rebuild after being impacted by the environment, there is an opportunity in the housing market to build and promote their properties as safe/resistant to natural disasters.

b. I discovered this opportunity upon reading news articles for our last assignment about the continuing recovery from hurricane Irma, I then looked further into the economic burden of recovery at http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-169/issue-9/features/the-economics-of-natural-disasters-mitigating-the-impact.html

c. Prototypical customers would be those who have been affected by a natural disaster and are currently rebuilding, or individuals that are looking for homes with the future in mind in terms of the safety of themselves and their homes. 

d. I think the opportunity to fulfill customer need for safety would be a little difficult to exploit because some individuals may believe that standard ways of building fulfill enough safety measures and may not see the need for additional safety measures for an increased cost. 

e. Why did I see this opportunity? Like mentioned earlier, I like to look for permanent solutions, I also believe in continual improvement in the way we do things. I think that as we rebuild communities we should learn from our past mistakes and always seek improvement in order to avoid reliving the same problem again because of stagnancy. 

Regulatory Opportunities 

Opportunity #3: Recently, the Supreme Court has cleared the way for state regulation of gambling on sporting events. Because of this regulatory change, there is opportunity for entrepreneurs in coordination of sports betting. 

a. I have discovered an opportunity based off of the Supreme Court's ruling that states may now regulate sports betting. Because this was previously not allowed, companies or places that promote sports gambling are underrepresented, this leaves a window of opportunity in this realm. 

b. I discovered this opportunity while researching for the last assignment, I then looked further into the Supreme Court's ruling at https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/14/politics/sports-betting-ncaa-supreme-court/index.html

c. Prototypical customers would be people who have a love for sports and are confident in their ability to predict outcomes, or gamblers looking for a new venture. 

d. I think the opportunity to fulfill customer need for an organized way to engage in sports gambling would be rather easy to exploit, this is because many partake in gambling and with this regulatory change, those individuals will be readily willing to partake in a different form. 

e. Why did I see this opportunity? I think I saw this opportunity based off of the Supreme Court ruling because I watched the movie "focus," I remember the scene where they were betting large amounts of money at a football game (illegal) and began pondering how this could be organized in a legal way. 

Opportunity #4: With recent occurrences of large fatalities due to guns, there is potential for regulatory changes in gun laws to occur in the near future.

a. I have discovered an opportunity based off of the social demand for gun regulation following the recent school shooting occurrences. Individuals are pushing for the ban on semi-automatic weapons and assault styled weapons. With any regulatory change in gun laws, there will have to be a reaction from gun companies in what they are selling and promoting. 

b. I discovered this opportunity after pondering current movements in society and researching potential regulatory changes as a result, I found the information for this opportunity at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/27/gun-control-proposals-florida-school-shooting

c. Prototypical customers would be people who are interested in purchasing a gun for self defense. With changing gun laws, the guns these consumers are allowed to purchase would be different and gun companies would have to adjust to any regulation. 

d. If gun laws are regulated, customers will have no option but to buy what is designated as legal, therefore, I think that the opportunity to create and sell guns that are not automatic assault styled would be easy to exploit. 

e. Why did I see this opportunity? Lately social media has been storming with angry individuals who are demanding gun regulation because of recent events. In trying to think proactively, I believe that gun laws will eventually be changed in order to support public safety, therefore this lead me to believe that there will be some sort of opportunity based off of the new regulations.