Let's Get Trendy (6A)

In discovering opportunities within economic AND regulatory trends, I came to know something about myself: I do not know much about the economy. However, this lack of understanding simply comes the confusion on where to even begin learning. Assessing these trends through the lens of opportunity identification helped me break down these confusing and seemingly far away concepts.  

Economic Trends

Opportunity #1 — White House re-evaluates economic effect of government shutdown

https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/white-house-re-evaluates-economic-effect-of-government-shutdown

   I know that an opportunity exists and something must be done because the longest government shutdown in U.S. history is a big deal! According to this article, if the shutdown lasts an entire quarter, that means the White House anticipates the GDP would shrink by about 1.69 percent. As congressional leaders and President Trump remain at a standstill over the amount of funding to be given to the U.S.-Mexico border wall, there will be additional losses from private contractors. Although I would like to say that EVERYONE is affected by this government shutdown because we all have some sort of role in the economy, the main “customers” in this scenario include furloughed Federal workers, Federal contractors, and of course congress people and President Trump. 

    Considering the shutdown has been going on since Dec. 22, I know this opportunity will be incredibly difficult to exploit because with an issue as highly charger as border wall funding, partisan divides are unlikely to budge.

   I saw this opportunity because in reading the Morning Brew,  in reading about the continued government shutdown, I was intrigued by the fact that our government actually allows agencies to completely stop functioning. I think it highlights how stubborn and broken our attempts for compromise have become. 

Opportunity #2 — Google is buying the smart watch technology IP off watchmaker Fossil for $40 million.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-fossil-smartwatch-google/fossil-to-sell-smartwatch-technology-worth-40-million-to-google-shares-rise-idUSKCN1PB2EG

   What leads me to believe that this information suggests an opportunity might exist? After reading this article, I think there is a definite opportunity between Google and FOSSIL to revolutionize the wearables industry. It seems that the $40 million sale has already been incredibly successful seeing that the watchmaker’s shares up as much as 11 percent. The most likely customer for these new FOSSIL watches with Google technology will most likely remain a working male between the age of 18-40. Additionally, millennial men are target for wanting a watch as more of a fashion statement than for time keeping so the new sports line mentioned could affect this demographic. 

   I think this opportunity will be relatively easy to exploit because the hardest part was merging and now the companies can just experiment with new designs and technology. 

   I found this article interesting mostly because of the name FOSSIL. I have always wanted to buy a nice watch—I’ve always used a cheap digital one—and think FOSSIL would be a great place to start especially if they have started incorporating smartwatch technology with them. 

Regulatory Trends

Opportunity #3 — SB 110: Youth in Solitary Confinement
   This upcoming bill, proposed by Senator Thurston, puts certain limitations upon solitary confinement and practices in place to ensure positive mental health among prisoners. I believe an opportunity exists specifically in the inclusion of “requiring that within a specified time and at specified intervals a mental health clinician evaluate face to face a youth prisoner who is subjected to emergency cell confinement” because in this evaluation, the prisoner is being assessed if a individualized suicide crisis intervention plan needs to be enacted. Solitary confinement has serious effects on anyone’s mental health, especially young people. The customer(s) affected by this policy include youths in solitary confinement, mental health clinicians, and as later drawn out in the bill, sheriffs and chief correctional officers. 
   The opportunity will most likely be relatively difficult to exploit but incredibly necessary. Problems may arise in taking care of volatile prisoners or in funding the mental health clinicians. 
   While searching through the 2019 legislative session bills, this one on Youth in Solitary Confinement particularly caught my eye because in high school I was involved in a model government program called Florida YMCA Youth in Government. (That’s honestly the main reason I knew to look to the Florida Senate website to find regulatory trends) In this program, students a part of the Legislative branch were responsible for crafting model legislation on issues they were passionate about. One of my friends decided to propose legislation that would limit the hours of solitary confinement and in helping her research, I became so aware that this is a real issue for youth! I am expectant and hopeful that this legislation is passed so we can prioritize mental health among solitary confinement prisoners. 


Opportunity #4 — SB 114: High School Graduation Requirements/Dorothy L. Hukill Financial Literacy Act
   Proposed by Senator Hutson, this bill acknowledges that many young people in this state graduate from high school without having basic financial literacy or money management skills. I know that there is an opportunity here because most students are not proficient in getting a credit card, signing a lease, computing interest and more. Requiring this course would prepare students to achieve financial stability and independence after high school. The customers most likely affected are Florida public school students and their respective schools that must enforce these standards if enacted as a graduation requirement. 
   I think this opportunity will be relatively easy to exploit and implement. The bill is requiring that simply financial literacy instruction be expanded to a stand-alone course on financial literacy so the curriculum could take a while to generate but that’s the main crutch. However, I could be wrong because in past years, there have been similar bills proposed to solve this problem and yet here we are. 
   Once again, I saw this opportunity while scanning the Florida Senate website because of my knowledge and experience gained in FL Youth in Government. In 9th grade, I authored a bill championing the importance and need for financial literacy. Seeing it being proposed as a legitimate bill in the the legislature makes me pretty proud of my 13 year old self.