Food Stamp Friday Party, Innovative Business Strategy
“Po’ need 2 pahty 2″
The absurdity aside, a Food Stamp Friday Party could be an innovative business strategy.
The obvious way to look at it is charitable gesture. Truly needy people certainly do need some cheering up and they don’t have the money to go out clubbing. But the indirect alternative could point out hidden markets.
It’s likely the majority of SNAP card holders are women. Discounts for ladies brings in more women and that in turn brings in more men who spend money on drinks for themselves and the ladies.
This may also bring in groups of women who would otherwise not attend. Women tend to prefer going out in groups. If members of their group feel they can’t afford to go out, the whole group may stay at home. By eliminating that objection the party promoter can bring in other women who will spend money.
Don’t forget the party promoter created national attention for his local party. That alone is highly valuable to a promoter since on it’s face the product is a commodity.
So when thinking about potential markets for your products look beyond the obvious customers. Predictive Innovation describes 90 types of business models. Most industries never look at more than 13% of the idea space. That means there could be 78 better business models you overlooked.
Predictive Innovation Training
Cheap Natural Gas Transportation Idea
Poor people in China transport natural gas in large plastic bags. If this could be made safe it’s a very low cost alternative to expensive pipelines. Natural gas could be quickly and cheaply distributed to places without infrastructure.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2108346/Chinese-villagers-carry-giant-balloons-stolen-natural-gas-heat-homes.html
Running underground pipes is a large investment. The small amount of natural gas these people would use doesn’t make that investment worth while.
The danger is if the gas is ignited. Three things are required to cause this danger, enough oxygen for ignition, natural gas mixed with oxygen, spark or flame.
A very simple solution is to put the natural gas bag inside another bag filled with carbon-dioxide. This would prevent ignition. CO2 could also be used to prevent an explosion while filling the bag with natural gas. First fill the bag with CO2 then use the natural gas to force out the CO2 into another empty bag of the same size. When the second bag is full you know the first bag is filled with natural gas. The process could then be repeated with the second bag.
Peer-to-Peer Learning Disrupting Poverty
I’ve been promoting peer-to-peer technology and education for 15 years. USA is ignoring the advice, India is doing it and succeeding.
http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2011/04/features/disrupting-poverty?page=all
Michigan is complaining that it can’t cut spending below $7316 per student per year for 12 years but India is able to train engineers in 6 months for nearly free and teenager Babar Ali is providing elementary education for free using the peer-to-peer model. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8299780.stm
More importantly the people actually getting it done are avoiding the top-down hierarchies of established charities and government. They are doing themselves and helping others to do it themselves.
