Will Work for Food, as Long as the Work is Easy

Yet again, the U.S. continues to display the traits that have us sinking from world power to world pouter.  We can find plenty of energy to complain about the lack of jobs and poor economy, but we won't accept jobs unless they pay very well, offer regular 9-5 hours, and offer a comfortable working environment.  Check out this article from the Wall Street Journal regarding a meat factory struggling to find workers: Hot-Dog Maker, Lured for its Jobs, Now Can't Fill Them.  Our government has made well-intentioned efforts to offer unemployment benefits, debt relief help, and hundreds of other programs to aid the American worker, yet we workers do not seem willing to help ourselves.  We are becoming a culture dependent on the government to somehow meet our needs, and less and less of us value hard work to make a living.  Businesses need laborers to make their products in order to build equity, and I can no longer blame them for taking their jobs elsewhere when I read stories like this about American workers shunning these opportunities.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere are Signs

The United States' grip on wold power is quickly weakening.  This is apparent in our economic recession (of which we are apparently coming out of), our tarnished reputation amongst other countries, and now apparently our collectively poor health.  An article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal discussed why job growth and some areas of the economy are not necessarily encouraging.  Here is the link: Number of the Week: When Job Creation is Troubling.  Thousands of politicians are seeking to develop the cure to restoring the United States' surging economy while seemingly ignoring the most obvious factor to our sharp decline.  We are a country of excess, and we are not willing to give up those excesses.  This article further establishes that point in that the areas where we do see growth can be directly related to our culture of indulgence and the harmful effects that result.  It seems almost every solution rolled out by our government seems to attempt to come up with a way to fix the economy without inconveniencing any of its consumers.  It should be apparent by now that we as a country will not get back on track without some pain and sacrifice.  I believe it will take both increased taxes and decreased spending.  You cannot put a significant dent in our deficit without both.  It is simple economics in that the amount coming in must be more than the amount going out.  The numbers are there.  All the clues are there.  Now we need to face up to the obvious, make some sacrifices, and stop debating over the pain-free solution that does not exist.

Let the Bed Bugs Bite

According to articles in both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal today, bedbugs are making a comeback in the U.S.  Here is the NY Times link: With Bed Bug Hysteria, Many See Opportunity.  This has lead to a whole new industry full of invention and job creation to stop the spread of bedbugs.  When I read stories like this, I wonder if governments are ever tempted to create such "mini-epidemics" to stimulate economic growth.  When you think in business terms, it is a great way to spur industry.  One can easily create value in a market, as people are quick to act when they think their health is at risk.  Likewise, like moths to a flame, entrepreneurs flock to such epidemics as just the opportunities they seek.  Consumers may never be at quite as much risk as they assume, but will generally walk away satisfied with their purchase because they feel they were able to act in order to maintain their health.  Think back to the swine flu epidemic that struck last year.  The danger never reached anywhere near the pandemic level the public was lead to believe was possible.  Yet, I am sure vaccine manufacturers made out very well financially.  Government and public officials have the power to create a whole new industry just with a few strong health warnings.

All Aboard the Wireless Train

This week, Wal-Mart has chosen to wade deeper into the ever growing pool of wireless service providers.  Read the article: Wal-Mart to Offer Cell Plan With No Contract.  Clearly, Wal-Mart is targeting the segment of the population that desires wireless services, but with no binding contracts.  Likewise, this segment of the population does not care as much about having the latest device, as handset options are pretty limited. 

Nonetheless, I think this is another savvy move by Wal-Mart.  In these economics times, the lack of a contract with an expensive opt-out penalty is rather appealing.  I am sure your local I-phone crowd will turn up their noses at this offer, but many of them probably feel they are too classy to shop at Wal-Mart to begin with.  This is another good example of Wal-Mart knowing their market, and creating products to meet their needs.

Can't I Just Remove the Pedals? - Marketing

I've heard, and sometimes used, the phrase, "Don't reinvent the wheel".  Now, I find myself wondering why someone is trying to reinvent the bike.  In today's Wall Street Journal, there appears an article entitled, "Look Ma, No Pedals!".  Check out the link http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703467004575463590327676222.html?KEYWORDS=look+ma+no+pedals.

In summary, the article discusses a new market of bicycles without pedals for children.  The selling point is that kid's will learn to balance more quickly, and no longer need to absorb the bumps and scrapes that come with learning to ride without training wheels.  This product displays some classic principles of marketing.  First, the makers attempt to create a market and establish value.  Based on this article, the manufacturers of the pedal-less bike seem to rely on anecdotal evidence and their own child's story to convince buyers to pay a premium price for their "invention".  Jennifer McIver, the co-owner of Wishbone Design Studio Ltd., even goes as far as to compare the method of using training wheels to "trying to go cold turkey on a cocaine addict".  If my memory serves correctly, it took this "cocaine addict" all of a day or so to lose the training wheels and balance the bike on my own.  I guess for $200 I could get my son a pedal-less bike and save him those 2-3 hours of trauma.  In my mind, I don't see the value unless there is some real research that shows your child will develop faster or something else tangible and meaningful.  These companies present no research.

So, as cynical as I am about the product, I'm sure there will be more than enough in the market who want to avoid the running down the sidewalks, bent over a bicycle, only to let go and watch their kids tumble to the pavement.  I, for one, would probably just remove the pedals from my kids bike, and put that extra $200 towards a rainy day.