Monday, February 11, 2019

Theory of Interactive Clusters

This Research is in process of being created. Chapter 1 is being offered here. You can then click the link to see the rest. As the Theory isn't completed it will take more time to edit and improve the theory for public consumption.

Read Theory Here

Clusters and Cities

Clusters can be the foundation of the American economy and in one way or another are part of the historical foundation of the people. The way we think about economics in a modern era is changing and to spur further growth will mean moving to new economic platforms that are data driven and more responsive to market needs. Competing with other nations will require faster innovation and growth while drawing intellectual, financial, and physical resources to regions that contain the best ability to develop them fully for maximum financial profits and economic advancements. The Theory of Transactional Clusters helps to better explain future growth in the new economy.

An economic cluster can be defined as, “socio- territorial entity which is characterized by the presence of both a community of people and a population of firms’ and he adds that ‘in the district, unlike in other environments . . . community and firms tend to merge” (Becattini, 1990, p. 38). It is an economic entity where the components work together and interact on a formal and social level that creates economic growth in ways that fulfills participant needs. When effective needs fulfillment and market projection lead to a perpetual self-sustaining economic system. It develops into a self-adjusting organism adapting toward greater mastery of its environment as it seeks market maximization.

Clusters often form organically based on the characteristics of region and the resources available and it can also be sparked through government and industry action (Dmitry, et. al, 2018). It is possible to spark faster cluster growth when the environment is ripe for development and investment. Pushing ready clusters to develop fully leads to faster economic growth for nations and it is essential to know where and how to do this efficiently and effectively with minimal risk.

Principle: It is possible to spark industry growth if we understand the underlying mechanics of innovation and development.

Economic development rests on many different factors that include investment, infrastructure, business environment and even people's motivation. The study of economics is the study of human behavior to come to conclusions about how and why people invest, invent, create, take risks, pay for products and ultimately improve the economy. Clusters are a convenient research subject to see how the various factors come to play in viable industry development such as what may be seen in Silicon Valley or New York.

Therefore, there are many different factors that come to influence economic growth and prosperity. No economist, or industry expert, has all the answers because of the shear mammoth amount of variables in the market. Yet it is possible to start analyzing and breaking down ideas in a way that leads to a better understanding of how the whole works. With time and research we are able to chip away at the knowledge needed to create effective economic models.

Principle: Transactional clusters are comprised of many micro choices of profit and innovation.

According to to Professor Kenneth Scheve from Stanford University and Matthew Slaughter from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth college cities have experienced significant growth of (15%) versus rural areas (4%) for rural areas between 2000 and 2016 (Scheve & Slaughter, 2018). Thes same cities also experienced 93% of the population growth. Part of the reason why this occurs is because the workers were more productive around other highly skilled workers.

People live and are embedded into an environment and if that environment is designed for growth there will be an organic enhancement of people, ideas, and business. That isn't likely to happen if the landscape only fosters a rudimentary and politically skewed sense of improvement. Failure to develop a more prosperous future often depends on the political process itself and how attract the growth factors at their most rudimentary level and that takes a new way of thinking and leadership.

Principle: Cities are places where people act and interact with each other to create economic growth.

City centers act concentrate the economic activity into a dense locations where economic "actors" better interplay on each other. Innovative companies cluster together and draw talent in a manner that changes the character of the metro environment. Young professionals are likely to flock to growing cities and will flourish if we are prepared to "set the table". With influx of new intellectual talent comes faster innovative and idea generation that leads to greater wealth that transforms and revitalizes decaying cities. The long-term impact in creating modern economic centers can change the prosperity of a nation for generations.

Many metro cities are built off of Industrial Age platforms and could potentially be developed further to help raise innovation and output through new capital growth. That growth would come through greater industrial, informational, environmental and personal development that when matched with appropriate investment leads to change. Investment leads to development which leads to new investment in a cyclical fashion.

While it can be difficult to analyze large groups from a social perspective, down into the intricate details of their lives, we cannot ignore the sociological aspects of how ideas are shared built upon to construct new and innovative ideas in repeated patterns. We should also not ignore the financial and personal motivations of the entrepreneur and investors that spark growth in a region that seem to be part of all growth. Thus the study of economic development is the study of what aspects of growth seem to repeat themselves.

Principle: Hubs develop through linkages of ideas and resources through entrepreneurial innovation.

All hubs foster linkages of people, ideas, firms, resources, and investments that create geographically anchored innovation that supports stronger global economic prosperity. The manner in which business and people interact, openly innovate and provide feedback to each other creates the national innovation approach (Lundvall, 1998). This development is uniquely based on cultural background, social structure, and the vantage points of stakeholders that constitute the atmosphere of motivation, learning, sharing and exploring that foster growth.

Hubs attract entrepreneurs and investors who seek lucrative opportunities that grow personal wealth through market investment. Entrepreneurs focus on value creation, development of new products/services, sparking ventures, and encourage market innovations (Brush, et. al., 2003). It is theses renewals of intellectual and financial resources that develops stronger economic systems that breath life into stale economic structures. Drucker (1985) describes entrepreneurial opportunities as:

1. The creation of new and unique information

2. Exploitation of market inefficiencies as a result of information asymmetry

3. Acting upon the costs and benefits of alternative resource allocations

Principle: Cities will attract younger generations looking for entrepreneurial and expressive opportunities.

Development is based on the many transactions that are in dense form within cities. In modern times, cities are experiencing a renaissance of growth and development while helping to spark larger regional changes. A study by IHS Global Insight indicates that 95% of U.S. cities will see economic growth (Jean, 2014). Their regional director believes that "The economic prosperity of the U.S. economy is directly linked with the economic prosperity of metro economies".

Cities would be wise to prepare for growth to encourage global competitiveness. Emerging nations in Asia will begin to outstrip American producers based on their constant investment in their infrastructure and production capacities. The U.S., and its European Allies, are at a place where they can arrest this trend and pull themselves up from their bootstraps so they can develop cities that are capable of drawing international investment and producing world class products.

Because cities are growing in popularity and size it also affords Americans an opportunity to enhance economic activities in hubs in a way that leaps ahead of economic curves through proper data analytics. Now is the time for the U.S. to consider its overall strategy to economic development and the market in order to ensure that they are not left behind in the advent of the "Age of Asia".


Metro cities are attracting a younger generation of workers drawn to communities that offer new opportunities and this could be a catalyst for change. This generation are entrepreneurial by nature and seek to make an impact on society. Less oriented toward money than previous generations, but seeking career opportunities, they dream of being business owners and trend setters that blaze their own rules. It is a generation that seeksto create, innovate, start, and re-build.


Clusters also offer a chance to expand opportunities across this entrepreneurial generation and impact different sectors of society. Young people are seeking to develop their own opportunities and this could raise America's innovative development. For example, Three sociologists from the University of Southern California conducted a study that associates San Diego’s future with creating opportunities that reduce inequality through employing more people based on:

1. High-tech and high-need,

2. Innovation and inclusion, and

3. Places (Pastor, Sanches-Lopez, and Ito, 2015).

As investment and research match each other, new revenue streams are found and exploited for greater regional benefit. Investments are a key fuel in economic growth. It offers organizations that opportunity to expand their their entrepreneurial activities by allocating resources to great ideas. It is these innovative ideas that lead to new product that often result in product/service creation and greater growth. Without needed funds new ideas are left on the side and industry begins to decline.

What We Learn:

1. Cities attract younger generations.

2. Cities will become commercial centers of innovation and development.

3. Entrepreneurs will find their greatest opportunities within cities.

4. Each city will develop their own socio-cultural method of approaching the market.

5. The success of the city will be associated with its quality of life.

6. Hubs can create interaction of the economic elements that lead to growth.

7. Cities need investment and innovation.

8. All cities are based on transactional micro choices of profit and innovation.
Read Theory Here

Is Your Cover Letter Important?

Employers use resumes to determine whether or not they would like to contact a potential employee for recruitment. The resume does state your most basic information and your overall history but doesn't tell people much about you or how you approach issues. The cover letter letter gives you an opportunity to show how your knowledge and experience relate directly to the position you are applying for.

The cover letter is used as a quick "sound bite" of who are and why they should hire you. It should address two fundamental issues.

1.) How Your Knowledge and Skills Relate to the Position

2.) Why your the Best Candidate

Create a lead in paragraph that states why you are the best candidate for this position considering 1 and 2. The next paragraph (s) will give a little more detail on why that is the case. You will want to close with an action statement and request to contact.

Why Marketing Students Should Learn Database Management?

Graduating students have new responsibilities to deal with, manage, and manipulate data. With the advent of online marketing and increasing use of customer information it is important to store and understand data. Without the proper database management skills it will be difficult for marketers to reorganization data in a way that leads to more meaningful marketing results.

How Does That Skill Help While Working?

Lets say you are selling product "bubbles". As you source potential candidates you will come across those that are either interested in your product or have already made a purchase. That sourcing can come from any number of different sources ranging from content marketing to cold calls. Once you have talked to someone you should input the information into your database.

What does the Database do for Sales?

Tracking leads, understanding customer preferences, and following up on previous contacts makes a huge differences. Databases collect information that are likely to be useful for sales or customer service. As the database gets populated with information and opportunities it is possible to scan that database for resources as well as generate useful reports.

What Type of Information Should a Business Collect?

That depends on the type of business someone operates. One business may only need email, phone number, name, address, and purchase history. B2B sales may need lots of detailed notes that allow you to understand complex solutions and information.

How to Teach Students Database Management?

It is helpful for students to understand the broader reasons for database management that includes feedback loops, research, and customer impressions. Yet that isn't all of it. They also need very specific information on how to use those databases. It is wise to expose them to simple databases that can be created using basic software as well as industry specific databases.

"Get the Word Out" About Your Business.....and Relax!


Sunday, February 10, 2019

3 Tips To Pick Food While Dining Out

Eating out can reek havoc on your diet. The really good tasting stuff seems to be fried, greased and smothered in stuff you don't want. Food is one of the biggest battles for people who must travel. When you don't know what to pick then consider using three simple rules.

1.) Low Calories: If you are trying to loose weight eat lower calorie food.

2.) Low Carbs: Avoid bread and pasta.

3.) Vegetables, Protein, Fruit: Focus on healthy foods that contribute to the body in a lean way.

Small Joys- True Beach Bands

It's true that sometimes the simplest things in life make a big difference in how our day turns out. A speedwalk and a coffee run can be lots of fun!


Why Some Businesses Should Hire Marketing Consultants?

Companies are turning to marketing consultants to help them achieve marketing goals while staying within budget. It is said that marketing is 90% of business and without it you really don't have a business. Find an affordable marketing consultant that can help you achieve your sales goals while allowing you to focus on what you do best!

1. They Don't Have Internal Knowledge: Some businesses don't have sufficient marketing internal knowledge and should consider hiring a marketing consultant.

2. Focus on Core Business: Businesses should focus on what they do best so they can raise their income.

3. Sales Revenue is Declining: Misalignment of the marketing strategy or declining sales needs an improved strategy.

http://www.abelconsulting.com

Would You Die for Your Kids? Primal Urges Sometimes Take Over

At the very deepest part of our souls, before all the socializing, is the primal need to protect our loved ones. Our very soul and nature depends on the survival of the next generation. It is only our rational minds that have put in place other ideas of value that include wealth, land, and status symbols. Kristina Stratton tried saving her children and died in the process. Would you do the same?

Her children were at home upstairs sleeping in a California fire and she ran into the fire to save her children. Sadly here children survived but she did not. https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/09/us/california-mother-dies-in-fire-trnd/index.html


Of course we all say we would! Its expected of us to put others before our own needs. This includes our offspring and progeny. Yet it is a choice about who we are and many parents are unlikely to put their children's needs before their own unless they are healthy and aware. 


Healthy means living in the modern world and existing in a way that leads to greater growth of self and society. At the end of the day, it is the next generation that makes all of the difference. Our time has come but may of us don't know that. We are still focused on ourselves. 


I wonder why some parents do and some don't sacrifice for their children. The world is full of people who take resources from their kids. They may suck their feelings of safety or take their inheritance. It just happens as part of our species. No one really knows another's soul until they have everything to loose and that is where you see miracles happen. 

Saturday, February 9, 2019

How to Be Scientific and Creative

Scientific minds and creative minds are often seen as separate things. They are not! The scientific mind might explore minute details and the creative mind may experiment with new forms but they share something in common. They share that they are actively seeking to understanding something. The process of using specific data and creating a framework for that data to put it within context is important.

Scientific people weigh and balance. They use measurements to determine the strength between variables. They also seek out additional information to help "fill in the gaps". By learning the scientific method they can investigate ideas with sufficient confidence. They create valid and supported results.

The creative mind is more about creating forms and exploring the relationships between different variables. They are willing to think outside of standard wisdom and find new ways of seeing information. The creative person like art, music, and other exploratory activities.

The creative and scientific mind works best when it is in the same individual. One investigates in depth ideas while the other one creates new connections. You can't solve new and scientific problems without at first trying to find novel connections between the information. To be of a full mind requires the ability to think rationally and in unique ways.

Concerns over Income Distribution and Wealth for the "Little Guy"

Life isn't always fair. People with lots of money get an easier time than people with little money. If you haven't tried to climb up from the bottom you have no idea how difficult that is. Even people who work very hard, all the time, receive very few of the rewards. Those that do seem to be in "hot" markets and knew where and how they needed to spend their college dollars.

Let me say that the system does seem a little rigged but also that higher wages don't solve all the problems. If we pay Americans more, companies just move overseas and circumvent our laws. At the same time, we do know that those who are wealthy and in charge of such companies receive advantages by keeping wages low.

There is no easy solution to this and people who say they do often have no idea what they are talking about. They are either on the Left or the Right of the argument. No doubt we need to do something about how people are paid and how they are not. The system must be cleaned from undo influence that hampers small businesses and American families.

The first thing I might think about is how to ensure that American small family businesses have an opportunity to succeed. They should have some protections from being "swamped" by larger more powerful companies. A small inventor should not be sued by a larger company just to bankrupt them and take the patent.

That would require our judges to be moral. They often look at the fine points of the law and dissect in that mindset. It is hard to legislate morality. The judges will need to agree that certain value of fair play are important in society.  The rules should not be skewed in favor of the powerful or otherwise these rules just become part of the problem.