6A – Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

1.       Regulatory Trend: Birth decline in young women, rising in older women

a.       Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/05/19/childbearing-why-women-40-s-having-more-babies/624028002/

                                                                i.      I found this article while searching up the birth decline in young women

b.       As less and less young women become pregnant, this could mean that there is going to be more females getting their degrees and pursuing their careers, instead of taking a leave of absence to raise a family or to never even go to school.

c.       This would affect aspiring females to pursue a college education and eventual careers. They would establish themselves and then raise a family.

d.       This opportunity is relatively easy to exploit. There are studies where it shows that more and more females are pursing degrees and establishing themselves. This trend can be looked at in a good way with more established households raising children to have more stability and to raise them to go to college as well.

e.       I believe I saw this opportunity because I am an aspiring young female who wants to purse my degree and career. I do not want to raise a family until I am established and financially stable.

2.       Regulatory Trend: Moving toward a cleaner grid

a.       Source: https://www.inc.com/joe-galvin/5-economic-trends-every-business-owner-should-watch-in-2018.html

                                                                i.      I found this source while looking up regulatory trends towards being a cleaner nation.

b.       This is a great opportunity to move into a cleaner planet. We have damaged our planet greatly by polluting it with toxins for decades. It is time for a drastic change and a push to renewable resources. Jobs will be lost, but more will be created with sustainable energy resources.

c.       This would affect those who are working right now in the coal industry. They need to be able to transfer or retrain into another working field. Other people affected are those who are getting their degree in sustainability and are trying to push the movement into saving this planet.

d.       This is an easy opportunity to exploit because so many business and companies are weaning off coal and other nonrenewable energy resources and are finding paths to have a small carbon footprint

e.       I found this an opportunity because I care about the environment and want future generations to enjoy it as well. So moving to a cleaner grid is something myself and my generation are pushing for.

3.       Economic Trend: Baby Boomers refuse to retire

a.       Source: https://www.thebalance.com/top-usa-future-economic-trends-3305666

                                                                i.      I found this article while searching up economic trends in America

b.       Because of the emotional scars left from the Great Recession, Baby Boomers refuse to retire early. Therefore, millennials have to find other ways to make ends meet. This can entail in getting a higher education, having several types of jobs, and becoming innovative to get income.

c.       This forces millennials to focus on becoming innovate and flexible with making ends meet. Some are taking temporary jobs to fund things they want to do before settling down to a 9-5 job, such as traveling.

d.       This is an easy opportunity to exploit because millennials are more forced to find out and pursue what they are passionate about. It does not matter if it takes a little longer to find what they are passionate about they can pursue their hobbies or even invent jobs with technology.

e.       I saw opportunity because it shows that I can take longer to pursue my own goals and even create an income out of hobbies. I can even invent my own product line or do some other hobby to create income, which I see more and more everyday though the usage of technology.

4.       Economic Trend: Cyber-attacks are a silent killer

a.       Source: https://www.inc.com/joe-galvin/5-economic-trends-every-business-owner-should-watch-in-2018.html

                                                                i.      I found this article while looking up economic trends business owners should know about

b.       An opportunity may exist to build more jobs in the cyber-security area of security. There are now so many important documents that are uploaded via computers that cyber-attacks are truly a silent killer for some business and even the government.

c.       The typical customer with this opportunity are those pursing computer science or a relevant degree dealing with technology.

d.       This is an easy opportunity to exploit because it opens up a pretty recent area of expertise to fill in with well skilled millennials and other workers getting trained and certified.

e.       I saw this as an opportunity because my major is Information Systems and deals with technology. I know a senior who is also in my major who did an internship dealing with cybersecurity and she really enjoyed it. It got me thinking into pursing something similar because with technology the possibilities are almost endless.