6A - Identifying opportunities

1. Romney, Merkley to introduce bill that would tax vaping industry and ban flavored e-cigarettes.

I found this opportunity online when thinking about economic trends and regulatory changes. With the rise of vaping and tobacco alternatives, but also the rise of teen deaths - a need for this industry to be regulated has also rose. I believe the opportunity here is a safer option for people who are wanting to ween themselves off of tobacco but don't want to be exposed to the potential dangers of vaping and e-cigarettes. The prototypical customer would be someone who is wanting to quit being dependent on nicotine, which these days consists of teenagers to senior citizens. I believe this would be difficult to exploit due to the booming of this industry and due to it not being regulated, there is a huge market on the streets leading to people getting products that are unsafe and ultimately causing health issues. I saw this as an opportunity because I've seen first hand how addictive vaping can be among my family and friends. I've seen it help people, but I've also seen concerning behavior regarding nicotine usage and people's grown dependency on vaping, which kind of defeats the purpose of quitting smoking for vaping.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/19/romney-merkley-introduce-bill-that-would-ban-flavored-e-cigarettes.html

2. Trump’s tariffs on $112 billion of Chinese imports hit at midnight.

There's going to be a 15% tax increase for any company trying to import from China, and it is said that this will cost around 1,000 dollars more for any given American home. The opportunity here would be companies in the US being able to distribute products at the same rate as China to the companies in need. With the tariffs being raised on Chinese imports, a lot of these companies are going to want to look for an alternative option to buy from. The prototypical customer would be any company that outsources to China. This is a nation wide opportunity. For as long as I can remember, there has been talk about things, "made in China." vs. "made in USA."
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/31/trumps-tariffs-on-112-billion-of-chinese-imports-hit-at-midnight.html

3. Top Six US Economic Trends - Climate Change

Whether you like it or not, climate change is effecting us in every way, including economically. It's causing more natural disasters which is calling for more money for disaster relief, a long with a rise in floods in low lying towns. Food prices are rising because the corn and soybean fields plummet when temperatures are above 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, the U.S Forest Service nearly doubled in 2016, rising from 1.4 billion spent to 2.6 billion spent. This is an opportunity for every person in this WORLD to acknowledge what's going on and do what they can individually to light a match and spark a fire. We all need to be responsible and sustainable and do what is right to prolong this Earth we call home. Every single human is a prototypical customer for Climate Change and it needs to be taken seriously. I believe everyone should see this opportunity. 

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

4. Here's how much money millennials shopping for homes this year plan to spend

About 37% of millennials owned a house in 2018, but it's expected to increase this year as millennials get more financial stability and older. 30% of millennials say that they're planning to spend $100,000 to $199,999 while another 27% stated that their budget is $200,000 to $299,999 for a home. This is an opportunity for the real estate industry and a look at the market and what's in demand right now. The prototypical customer would be a young adult who is looking to purchase a home. I believe this opportunity exists because people don't want to rent forever and are looking to make a good investment, which would be purchasing a home. 

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/30/how-much-millennials-home-buyers-plan-to-spend.html?forYou=true