Ridiculous things that people are wearing to sleep
No one is arguing that getting good sleep every single day is essential for health and our sanity. I sleep fairly well (not that I had any trouble sleeping but a few months ago after watching way too...
View ArticleWhat happens to government websites during shutdown?
The last shutdown happened in the pre-world wide web days that we did not really come to know what happens to all the huge websites that the Federal Government operates. Since most of us rarely use a...
View ArticleHispanic immigrants face threat from robots
It is known that there are some tasks that are simply best done by human beings. Picking fruits and vegetables on a farm are some of them. In fact the demand for this undesirable job is so high that...
View ArticleHow do remittances impact the global economy?
If you see the world increasingly becoming homogeneous with people from all over living in the developed world, apart from being able to find any type of cuisine, there are other implications....
View ArticleWho knew smartphone addiction was this bad?
We all are aware of how smart-phones have taken over the lives of our hopeless friends and family members who have nothing left to look at other than a screen. A lot of us who believe in enslaving...
View ArticleWhy are the millennials so ignorant?
Any educated, informed person who has tried to have a decent conversation with a millennial knows that not only do they avoid talking (burying their face in their smartphone or table is their first...
View ArticleHow to lose billions of dollars?
If you keep beating yourself every single day for not investing in the past or not saving enough for retirement, I have a story to cheer you up. No, not the kind that will solve your financial...
View ArticlePartnership along the value chain
One of the biggest mistakes business executives make is to not realize how critical relationships along the value chain are for them to thrive and prosper. Let us briefly discuss how this happens....
View ArticleHigh Performance Polymers Market Overview and forecast
In collaboration with Principia Consulting, I coordinated a massive research effort to analyze the global high-performance polymers business. The resins that were covered included...
View ArticleIndian paper industry outlook and forecast, 2013-2018
The Indian paper industry has benefited from the rapid growth in the economy. During the period 2003-2013, per capita paper consumption has doubled from approximately 11 lbs to 24 lbs, but this is way...
View ArticleFalling oil prices is mostly a good thing
As growth exploded in countries like China and India, oil prices rose. The problem is that the rise has been too fast and too steep and that has created distortion in the marketplace. Obviously, it...
View ArticleChinese paper industry outlook and forecast, 2013-2018
After completing the market analysis of the Indian paper industry, we at xInvest Consultants recently completed a report on the Chinese paper and paperboard market. As you know, we publish executive...
View ArticleGlobal alkaline battery market analysis
It was not too long ago that it seemed the alkaline battery business was unstoppable. With a range of consumer devices that drained batteries in no time, manufacturers like Duracell thrived through...
View ArticleProduct mix changes in response to market needs work
I have been closely watching the tumult in the economy, particularly the impact it has had on the Millennial generation. Their uncertain future and low incomes (I expect this trend to continue and...
View ArticleWhere do alkaline batteries belong in a portfolio?
For those of us who have spent decades analyzing the alkaline battery business, it has been interesting to watch this struggle. There is no doubt that alkaline batteries are consumer products but...
View ArticleThe Price Paid for Serving the Millennials
I have argued previously that companies must be able to make product portfolio changes in order to serve specific market segments. The company that I have been tracking is the homebuilder D.R. Horton,...
View ArticleAnalytical process to identify a growth opportunity for an existing product
We at xInvest Consultants spend bulk of our time analyzing new growth opportunities. A very typical scenario is a manufacturer that may sell a chemical to automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics,...
View ArticleEcolab has business lessons for all types of companies
While advising clients on a range of business issues, it is almost universally helpful to study other companies. Most of the time I will highlight one or more companies during the presentation itself...
View ArticleHow to turn a commodity into a specialty product?
Commoditization is a major concern for my clients. The process that brings decision-makers to that point is a familiar one. As soon as a new product is introduced, competitors typically reverse...
View ArticleImpact of Foreign Real Estate Buyers on the North American market
There are several forces at work in transforming the real estate business in United States and Canada. Obviously, the nature of the economic recovery since 2012, flat wages, underemployment of...
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