Regulatory: Legalization of Marijuana
- During the last few years, the has been a strong
movement to legalize cannabis. When this process started, the main purpose was
to have access to medical marijuana, like CBD which is a component found in
weed. It would help prevent and fight some diseases (further details in next
bullet point). Now a days, people are also seeking the legalization of
recreational Marijuana (as of January 2019, there are 33 states that completely
legalized marijuana for medical use, and 10 states that allow it for
recreational use). The legal use of cannabis will also change the game for many
people like drug dealers, and cigarette and alcohol, which can see their sales
affected by a shift in popular preferences.
- Studies show that cannabis and its components
can help treat many diseases and disorders, and people suffering from cancer,
diseases that affect the immune system, inflammation, pain, seizures, and
mental disorders could benefit from it (www.drugabuse.gov).
On the recreational side of it, marijuana is not considered an addictive
substance, which could be very attractive to people who want to avoid becoming dependent
and still want to enjoy the “pleasure” of a stimulant. It is the opposite with
substances like caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, and other
- The level of difficulty of the opportunity depends
on the resources available. I think that for a small startup it would be
extremely hard to succeed in the business of cannabis because of the huge
competition out there, and because it is very sensitive to regulations and
changes. In the other hand, I think that it becomes easier for a big company
with tons of cash in invest and the ability to lobby some
- I saw this opportunity because I try to stay on
top of news that influence the stock market, and it was very interesting to
follow how the federal government and the states would act, also how very soon,
companies and individuals were trying to take advantage of any situation
related to marijuana. But definitely got more into it when marijuana companies
started doing IPOs. My view of this opportunity could be different from someone
else because they might not agree on its medical benefits or think that it affects
people in a negative way when consumed for recreation.
Regulatory: Internet Service in Cuba
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I am Cuban and I get informed of how things are
going in Cuba quite often. One of the last big surprising changes was the
announcement that ETECSA (national and only telecommunication company in Cuba)
would start giving 3G mobile data service to the public. Internet has been
around in the world since the 90’s and 3G mobile data actually started in 2003.
It means that Cuba has fallen behind in the participation of the world-wide
network and the recently developed term Internet of Things. This opens a whole
new world of both national and foreign companies since it increases the reaching
capacity of marketing campaigns and news.
- ·
The customers for internet in Cuba would be basically
the whole country, especially the Cuban “middle” or “high” class, and the
opportunity to reach those people should be taken for companies that want to
target that market segment, and for me it should be mandatory that Cuban companies
take advantage of internet service too.
- ·
I think it is really easy to take advantage of
this opportunity since the only action needed is to create websites or develop
a digital marketing campaign.
- ·
This option came to my mind, and probably not too
many people because I am Cuban, and I like to stay informed of the regulations
and changes that occur in Cuba. I spent 18 years of my live in Cuba and have gone
several times in the last few years and I have been able to get different
perspective about opportunities in Cuba. I have experienced how people think
differently now and how people have started to understand the advantages and disadvantages
if been connected to internet.
Economic: Trade War
- ·
The trade war going on between US (the biggest
consumer in the world) and China (the biggest producer in the world) has
affected the economy of almost every country in the world. One of the first
effects was the drop like a brick of the stock market due to fear among
investors. In this case some optimistic investor could take advantage of the
low prices to buy stocks “on sale”. Another impact of this conflicts is that national
companies now have to pay higher taxes to buy commodities from China, and to
sell products and services in that country.
- ·
Examples of industries affected: technology and
automakers. In the other side, it should boost the national economy since it
will force companies to increase manufacturing processes in US and use national
produced commodities. Another effect of the increased demand for national manufacturing
and production of commodities is the increase of jobs availability, lowering unemployment
rates. This creates another “customer” for this opportunity (unemployed people).
- ·
I think this situation is really challenging to exploit
because every step in the negotiations could be crucial and might lead to an
ugly end like a third World War or negative consequences for the American economy.
- ·
Like most immigrants, I am always trying to pay
attention to what President Trump does, and it has been one of his most wild decisions.
It also came to my mind because I follow the stock market and it was a headline
in every single newspaper for a while.
Economic: Increase in the Consumption of Organic Food
- ·
As the information shown in the previous link,
sales of organic foods have been increasing constantly during the last couple
of decades. It is due to the increased in the awareness of people of how bad
all the chemicals and additives in non-organic foods are. Also, after a long
period of time where the number of cases like diabetes, heart attacks, and
obesity was extremely high, people started concerning about eating healthier
and think more about what is in their food.
- ·
Customers in this case would vary, it would go
from wealthy families (which are usually more educated in this topic and have the
resources to constantly buy organic food) because organic food tends to be more
expensive; to people suffering from diseases like diabetes and cardiac issues.
Also, most “fitness” people, who are gym freaks and love to stay on top of
their bodies and health.
- ·
It would be an easy opportunity if people were
informed on the benefits of organic foods and understand the advantages of
purchasing so. The challenge is that because it tends to be more expensive compared
to non-organic similar, people are not willing to sacrifice their purchasing
power.
- ·
I like to be in shape and eat healthy, it feels good
for me. Therefore, I always like to know what I’m eating and try to get the best
quality food, that is why I started learning about organic foods and realized
that it was becoming a trend.
