The Vegan Food Business

Vegan Food Business

According to some sources, veganism has grown in 500% since 2014 in the USA, and it continues to be on the rise. With so many people opting for a more ecologically and environmentally friendly diet with a higher focus on the ethical implications of raising animals for food, the vegan food business is a booming industry.

About 6% of Americans identify themselves as vegans. Meat consumption is blamed for many environmental issues as well as health issues, and people worldwide are switching to low-meat diets. Not only that, but many people (36% of America citizens according to one survey) who are not vegan are preferring to use milk alternatives or meat alternatives, which is another reason why the business is on such an upwards trend.

What this means is that across the market, share prices are rising in more ESG friendly companies. With a higher demand for milk and meat alternatives, producers are seeing a rise in stock value and having to hire more staff to produce more product to meet the demand of the consumers. If you are looking to start a business based upon the vegan diet, the sooner the better, as prices are only going to rise from here with only an increase predicted. Likewise, investing in a vegan diet related company is likely to yield good results, but buy them soon, as prices are increasing with the increasing demand. The alternative meat market is predicted to be worst $5.2 billion USD by 2020, and the plant based milk sector is predicted to be worth $16 billion by 2018.

Another industry that is likely to do well from this huge diet movement is the lab grown meat industry. While meat consumption is on the decline, most vegans or vegetarians opt for their diet over concerns of animal welfare, and if meat can be grown in a lab, it presents a cruelty free option. This is also more environmentally friendly and can be potentially closer monitored for infection and disease within the meat.

A lot of people switching to the vegan diet are concerned about their intake of protein and the long term effects it could have on their diet. There are many vegan athletes who are helping to promote the diet by proving that they are no weaker, or are indeed stronger because of their vegan diet. Plant proteins are considerably more healthy than animal proteins and are packed with antioxidants, phytonutrients and finer that are not found as abundantly in animal products. An affiliated organisation called the PBFA Research and Education Fund are conducting research and reaching out to retailers to help to increase the number of plant based products on supermarket shelves. This is another industry sector which is likely to continue to increase in size and demand over the next few years.

The rise in the vegan industry is so huge, that companies in the meat industry are starting to panic. They are trying to introduce laws that prohibit the exposure of the animal living conditions that are raised to produce meat. It is now a felony to take a picture of a pig suffering in a factory farm as it is a threat to their profits. Milk companies in the US are pleading with congress to make it illegal to label plant based milk alternatives as milk. Regardless, this information is likely to get out to the public, and either way we can continue to expect a decline in the meat and dairy industry as more communication pathways are opened up with the internet and more people decide to diminish their meat consumption as a result of it.

With the increase in interest in the vegan and vegetarian markets, there is also an increase in socially and ethically produced food and a higher focus on organic and natural eating. People are more willing to spend more money on products which conform to ESG factors than a few years ago, knowing it will support the worldwide market and most likely be more healthy to consume. Those who do eat meat want to know that their product comes from a happy animal. Those who drink coffee are more likely to seek out Fairtrade beans. The food industry is changing and market leaders should adapt to recognise the demand of the consumers.

Wine in the USA

Wine business USA

The US drinks more wine by volume than any other country in the world, with a huge 3,073.5 million litres consumed in 2016. The volume is predicted to rise 4.9% by 2020 and will be worth $38.6 billion USD, so it goes without saying that the US wine market is a huge industry, so much so, grapes are the highest value fruit crop in the USA and represent 32% of all non-citrus fruit produced.

The USA accounts for 10% of the world's grape production and 5% of the global grape acreage. The USA also produces around 8% of the world's wine, and exports globally. There are almost 8,000 wineries in the US.

By far the biggest wine producing state is California. Out of the 806.45 million gallons produced in the US in 2016, 680.27 million gallons were produced in California. California is home to the world renowned Napa Valley, a 2044 squared kilometre region close to San Francisco. While the name is known all over the world, it actually only produces around 4% of the wine in California. The most produced wine in the region is Cabernet Sauvignon, which takes up about 40% of the wine production.

US wine is exported all over the world. In 2016, US wine exports earned a record $1.62 billion USD. 90% of these came from California which increased in value by 18% in the UK. By 2020, The Californian Wine Institute predicts that it will achieve $400 million USD in UK sales. The rise in value of the US dollar is creating some challenges for exporters from the US as demand in Europe is decreasing as the US dollar aligns with the value of the Euro. That said, the European Union is in the top five importers of US wine, alongside Canada, China, Japan and Mexico. The wine exportation from America was worth 4.8% in 2016 of the world export total ad is one of the fastest growing wine exporters in the world after New Zealand, Hong Kong and China.

The USA was the top importer of foreign wines in 2016 with a total of 17.7% of global wine imports. This was an increase in 9.3% from 2015. The most popular countries to import wine from are Italy, France, Australia, New Zealand and Spain who are all world renowned wine growing countries. There was a substantial decrease in imports from South America as imports from Argentina were down over 20% and Chile were down over 15% from the previous year.

Wine is also very important for the US tourism industry. People travel from all over the world to experience a tour of the Napa Valley for other wine regions, and every year there are 30 million winery visits which provide over 50,000 jobs for American citizens. Package holidays revolving around wine tastings and locations in America are available from all over the globe, and regions such as the Napa Valley are world renowned amongst wine experts and enthusiasts and this results in a huge tourist income.

The economic impact of the top ten wineries in California are worth $71.2 billion USD alone, followed by New York which has an impact of $13.8 billion USD and Texas with $13.1 billion USD. While California steals the spotlight, the rest of the country is still contributing a substantial amount.

The largest consumers of wine are millennials and baby boomers, which has seen a change to the marketing in wine and a tilt in trends, such as an increase in consumption and interest in prosecco, rose and sparkling wine. The most popular wines are chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and blends of red wine. Sangria is also becoming more popular, although consumption is heavily weighted in the warmer months. Millennials are a key group to economic growth, and their growing interest in the wine industry has many positive effects for wine and is leading it towards a bright future.

With over 550,000 locations in the US that sell wine including such diverse places as car washes, bookshops and movie theatres, the US wine industry is massive and ever expanding. Wine sales are increasing both internally and externally, in numbers and in value, and the business is set to have a very strong and prosperous future.

Advice for Job Seekers

usa business Advice for Job Seekers

Money matters might push you into taking a job you don't want, but you might want to hold out for something better if you want to propel your career forward.

There are also some traditional advice to find a job that will help you boost your possibilities. According to Teri Hockett, the chief executive of What's for Work, a career site for women, pursue your passions, leverage your network, tailor and tidy up your resume, do your homework, and dress for success are foundational aspects to job seeking that are timeless.

David Parnell, a legal consultant, communication coach and author, agrees: Much of this has been around long enough to become conventional for a reason: it works, he says. If you take a closer look, things like networking, research, and applying to multiple employers are fundamental ‘block and tackle' types of activities that apply to 80% of the bell curve. They hinge upon casting a broad net; they leverage the law of averages; they adhere to the fundamentals of psychology. It's no wonder they still work.

Some of it does get old and overused, because job seeking is as unique and creative as an individual, says Isa Adney, author of Community College Success and the blog FirstJobOutofCollege.com. When you ask any professional who has achieved some level of greatness how he or she got there, the journey is always unique, always varied, and rarely cookie-cutter. Most have, in some capacity, followed their passion, used their network, and had a good resume--but those things are usually part of a much bigger picture, and an unpredictable winding path. Instead of always following the exact by-the-book job seeking formulas, most were simply open to possibilities and got really good at whatever it is they were doing.

Searching for a job can be exhausting which might entice you to just take any job you can get to get back the hours you've put on searching for a job. Although this means you are not constrained by the motions of job searching, you'll be held to the new expectations of being the new person on the team.

It's only when you are passionate about your job that you don't feel burnt out. Being passionate about one's career means you are going to give it everything you've got because you are excited about it and happy to take on a new challenge.

If you are not under financial stress, you might want to consider taking some time off from searching for jobs. During that time you can reconnect with what you've been sacrificing, you'll have renewed energy to put it towards finding the right role for you.

If you are not on a rush to get a job, you might want to hold out for something better because if you don't like your job, you'll start dreading it and your productivity will decrease. Sooner or later, you'll need to start looking for a new job. Before applying to a job, ask yourself if you'll be excited about doing it in the future?

If you've passed the test so far, ask yourself if the job posting will improve your career. Is there potential for growth? Although it might be a job you like, it might also be one you are overqualified for or one you've done before or there are no opportunities to move up the ladder, and therefore, it is not going to help you move up the ladder or learn new skills. Unfortunately, no matter how much you like this job, it is a dead end and you'll lose motivation along the way.

If you only qualify for a job that will not get you the position you want, you might want to consider taking a class or doing an internship to fill in the gaps, so later on you can apply to the job you want.

If nothing else works, you might also want to try something new. Times are always changing and while it's always good to follow the basic advice, we also have to get rolling with the times, says Amanda Abella, a career coach, writer, speaker, and founder of the Gen Y lifestyle blog Grad Meets World. For instance, group interviews are making a comeback, we've got Skype interviews now, or you may interview in front of a panel. All this stuff didn't happen as often before--so while the same basic stuff applies, we have to take into account all the new dynamics.

Jobs created iPhone out of disdain

Jobs created iPhone business

Apple's iPhone is a beloved useful tool in this generation. This revolutionary phone inspires high-mindedness, genius and foresight. The birth of the iPhone, however, had little to do with any dignified feeling. On the contrary, Steve Jobs invented the iPhone out of disdain.

According to the iPhone's co-inventor, Scott Forstall, the origin of Apple's smartphone project are in founder Steve Jobs‘ disdain for Microsoft and a grating social interaction with a particular employee of the software giant. If it wasn't for Steve Jobs‘ hatred for the latter, Apple may have never created the iPhone.

Steve hated this guy at Microsoft, Forstall said at an event at the Computer History Museum, which celebrated the 10th anniversary of the release of the first iPhone. During the talk, Forstall recounted the story of the birth of the iPhone.

The iPhone had a very circuitous route. We'd been working on a tablet project, Forstall said. It began because Steve hated this guy at Microsoft.

First thing is, they're idiots, Jobs would say after interacting with this guy. Apple's founder was not referring to Bill Gates, his friend and rival who founded Microsoft, but to an employee Jobs hated. The unnamed Microsoft executive, who was supposedly the husband of a friend of Job's wife Laurene Powell Jobs, continuously bragged about Redmond-based company's plans for tablets and styluses.

Since the two couples ran in the same social circles, they would often end up at the same parties and functions. After every social interaction with the Microsoft executive, Jobs would return in a bad mood. Forstall said: Any time Steve had any interaction with the guy, he'd come back pissed off. His disdain for this Microsoft employee who wouldn't stop showing off drove Jobs to decide to beat them.

The turning point came when the Microsoft executive over dinner said how Microsoft was going to change the world with its Tablet PC software and stylus, that the software giant had solved computing with it, and that Apple should just license it. After putting up with this bragging, Steve Jobs lost his patience and, as recounted in Walter Isaacson's Jobs biography, said: Fuck this, let's show him what a tablet can really be.

Tablet PCs were smaller and lighter than laptop computers and included touch displays. What drove Jobs angry - and what made the employee's comment so annoying - was that Tablet PCs would work only with a stylus. Although iPads have Apple Pencils today, Jobs famously hated styluses. After the interaction between Jobs and the Microsoft employee over the weekend returned to the office on Monday and let out a set of expletives, according to Forstall who recounted Jobs as saying: First thing is, they're idiots. You don't use a stylus. Jobs argued that styluses are counterintuitive anyway and people lose them. We're born with 10 styluses, Jobs said.

That is how Jobs got Apple working to outdo Microsoft developing a touchscreen device of its own that would not rely on a stylus but only on the tap of the fingers.

The development effort focused on building the iPad - a tablet-sized multi-touch prototype on which you could move photos with your fingers. This effort was codenamed project purple. The Apple team were focused on building prototype multitouch displays.

During this project, Apple identified that smartphone were becoming a threat to its iPod business and, therefore, focused on developing what would later become the iPhone in 2004. A turning point also came when Jobs visited a coffee shop and noticed that many people in the shop where using their cellphones but they didn't seem happy about it, according to Forstall. This way Jobs identified an opportunity.

Forstall recounted Jobs saying: Do you think you could take that demo that we're doing with the table and the multi-touch and shrink it down to something small enough to fit in your pocket?

Although it was a difficult task to shrink the size of the device from the larger ones developed at the beginning of the project, once the project was complete, Forstall saw that Jobs was a visionary and he was right about this idea as well.

There was no question, Forstall said. This is how phones need to be made.