Minitrends: Finding & Profiting from Emerging Business Opportunity Gems
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Description:
Minitrends are emerging trends that promise to become significantly important
within the next three to five years, but which are not recognized or appreciated
by the general public or most businesses. Like precious gems, Minitrends
can be extremely valuable to those alert enough to recognize them, perceptive
enough to appreciate their potential worth, and clever enough to reap
their full potential.
This book presents practical, proven techniques for discovering, analyzing,
and exploiting attractive Minitrends, together with examples of successful
applications of these techniques.
Bios:
JOHN H. VANSTON, Ph.D.
Chairman, Technology Futures, Inc.
Dr. John Vanston is an internationally-renowned consultant, educator, speaker, and author in the fields of technology forecasting, technology/market integration, trend analysis, and technology management in uncertain environments. He founded Technology Futures, Inc. (TFI) in 1978, building the Austin, Texas, company into a leading authority in custom research, forecasting, and trend analysis in telecom and other high-technology industries.
During his career, John has managed multimillion-dollar high-tech R&D projects, fashioned a computer-based program for planning and managing complex research activities, and developed a formal system for promoting and targeting innovation activities. He is the leader in the development of TFI’s popular forecasting concepts Five Views of the Future™ and Technology Advantage Management. At TFI, John has conducted analyses of emerging technologies for a wide range of commercial, governmental, and academic organizations. These analyses have assisted his business clients in gaining sustainable competitive advantage and provided his government clients with important new information, insights, and advice that have increased the effectiveness of their operations
Prior to establishing TFI, John served on the nuclear engineering faculty at the University of Texas at Austin and as deputy director of the University’s Center for Energy Studies. While at the University, he conducted a number of forecasts and trend analyses in the energy area. Earlier, John served as a Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army.
CARRIE VANSTON
Media and Marketing Director, Technology Futures, Inc.
Book collaborator Carrie Vanston has many years of experience in public relations, marketing, and sales at both Technology Futures and in the entertainment industry. Because the successful exploitation of a Minitrend requires effective marketing, she brings a distinct real-world quality to the book, particularly in the media communications and social media areas. Her easy sense of style and readability helps the reader to connect with the Minitrend concept.
- Part I: The Value of Gems
- Chapter 1: The Importance of Minitrends
- Part II: Uncovering Gems
- Chapter 2: Searching for Minitrends
- Chapter 3: Where to Look for Minitrends
- Part III: Some Attractive Gems
- Chapter 4: Minitrends for Individuals
- Chapter 5: Minitrends for Small and Medium-Size Companies
- Chapter 6: Minitrends for Large Companies
- Part IV: Prospering from Gems
- Chapter 7: Selecting a Minitrend for Exploitation
- Chapter 8: Developing a Minitrend Expolitation Scheme
- Chapter 9: Putting the Exploitation Scheme into Action
- Part V: Becoming a Gem Master
- Chapter 10: Here's the So What!
Published by Technology Futures, Inc.
2010, Bound Soft Cover, 220 pages, ISBN 1-884154-35-2
Call for volume discounts. For academic adoption, contact Technology Futures, Inc.
Northwest Austin Rotary
Austin, TX
April 23, 2010
Joint Service Academy Network of Austin
Austin, TX
April 15, 2010
Austin University Area Rotary Club
Austin, TX
March 15, 2010
“Minitrends is one of the most important books for technology entrepreneurs written in the last decade. With diligent attention to processes and trends, it provides a specific set of factors that entrepreneurs should consider in order to maximize the opportunity for success in the marketplace.”
—Augie Grant, Ph.D, Professor, University of South Carolina
“Minitrends is an excellent book that I am confident will be very useful to its readers. I, personally, found the sections of the book that included plentiful examples to be most valuable. The examples are very good.”
—Mark Kapner, Strategic Planning & Enterprise Development, Austin Energy
”As I go deeper into the chapters, the more I like the book! You have managed to hit the sweetspot of this fascinating concept of Minitrends. The book itself is a precious gem.”
—Guy deManuel, President, Sigma Dataserv Informática (Brazil)
“This book is packed with usable ‘how to’ information and real life examples about how to find Minitrends and take action to prosper from them. Delivered with a little humor, it goes beyond a reference book, pointing readers toward their own inner thoughts and frustrations to countless information sources. This book will definitely be used as a conversation piece, but that will only be the beginning. I’m very excited about this book.”
—Terry B. Newman, Assistant Vice President, Graduate School, The University of Texas at Austin
“Almost 30 years ago, I read with great interest Naisbitt’s book Megatrends. The Minitrends book differs from Megatrends in that it provides instructions that allow readers to personalize their own data mining procedures so that they can solve their own problems. Thus, it provides a great tool for personal growth. The book is so packed with sources of information, it is hard to understand how Dr. Vanston got it all done. He must have a staff of hundreds, jars full of NoDoz, and cots in the office.”
—Dayle Baldauf, Baldauf & Associates Real Estate
“Attempting to predict the future is always a dicey proposition, but John Vanston has used his powerful, common-sense approach to identify what can only be described as the inevitable. The book stimulated me to think of a few Minitrends of my own.”
—Howard Smallowitz, Project Manager, IBM
“Dr. Vanston’s new book offers a highly readable route through numerous examples of Minitrends presented in a structure that makes grasping the concepts both enjoyable and a rapid read. His use of the searching, discovering, and exploiting of gems provides a handy trail that is easily followed and remembered. The very fact that Minitrends are likely to be overlooked offers huge opportunities for those wise enough to spot and capitalize on them.
“It’s impossible to avoid the call to take action, as there are approaches offered for individuals and for small, medium-sized, and large companies. The path blazed is clear: assessment of value, searching, examples of small to large enterprise issues, and, finally, profiting from Minitrends. Wherever the reader is, there is a place for her or him in this book.”
—Jim Bryce, Attorney at law
“I have read a lot of business books, but Minitrends is definitely unique, which is refreshing. It’s also very timely given the state of the economy and the fact that businesses are having to redefine themselves if they are to stay afloat. It is clear that Dr. Vanston has a wealth of knowledge on the subject.”
—Laura Alter, Search Engine Optimization Expert, All Web Leads, Inc.
“As the world goes through this period of major change that only hap-pens every 100 years or so, we find that those things that ‘always worked’ no longer do. Minitrends is timely in exposing and explaining the gold mine of new opportunities that exist for us. The book comes along at just the right time to help business and government leaders rapidly grasp the mind-boggling technology developments, put them in language that can be understood, and convert them into practical applications for a highly competitive marketplace.”
—Ervin (Butch) Ackman, Organization Change Management, RWD Technologies