Tag Archives: law

Good bye, Business Plan

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Business Plans with negative forecasts include mobility as one of the most important keywords.

Some people say: “Planning a business seems to me quite complex”. Others may shout out contrary opinions, too. In general, it depends on your own professional experience and visionary abilities. However, in these days – newcomers in business and politics, wild card players enter these sceneries – mix up the so called “traditional” global markets. What we see today is a tremendous earthquake in a global war on market shares for example in the car industry.

Historic overview

During the last decades most of the global businesses links and market shares could be mostly achieved and even intensified: Germany’s automotive industry is a good example.

However, in 2017 the Central European nations like France or Germany are facing completely unknown limits:

1. Extra charges and higher taxes / customs
2. New announced trade blockades
3. Broken contracts/agreements (Paris climate agreement)
4. High costs by unsolved immigration problem, etcetera.

Thus, national slogans like “Make a nation first”, all this leads to severe uncertainties, short-term losses and deep irritations worldwide in businesses.

Therefore, how to plan or adjust a business plan? How to overcome these unhealthy conditions in your businesses?

One thing is certain: Nobody would have hired people predicting negative growth rates or interests, shrinking markets. We also know: the time of lean management is out since long before the repositioning of companies’s staff could get any substantial impact.

As a result, it is a no go for example for the consulting industry to raise hands and mention this topic again.

We learn, it is true, that the best ideas had been always born in crises times. So, the time has come to discuss those great alternatives on a confidential base.

Note: Although our future seems to be driven by negative forecasts for the next years the question remains still open:

“How can an alternative scenario lead to a positive trend in the coming years?” Thereby it is clear that there must be some losers in the markets if others plan to make money based on anticipating negative trends as part of a new modified business plan, looking for a better future in general… I am sure that we’ll read about this topic in the coming year(s).

Anyway, flexibility / mobility will be the most important keyword during the next decade.

Thank you for your kind feedback in advance.

Ulrich Kiefer, Industriekaufmann (IHK)

Last Update 2017.06.01 10:48 p.m. CEST

Serendipity

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Serendipity in… Why not in Woolloomooloo?

Recently I met a brilliant Bachelor student. Her name is Leah. She lived in the EU and was on her way to the next airport in Switzerland (a none-EU country). Leah taught me that she would like to finish her studies quickly, but a missing service urged her to prolong the studies by one semester.

Why longer and not smarter studies?

Leah continued: “It would be quite functional and a helpful tool for successful students worldwide, not only for that kind of elite generation… Ambitious and talented, skilled human resources choose to study often at elite universities. Thus, driven by the salient motivation to hand in good results and always focusing to be faster and better, this includes therefore passing the exams just-in-time.”

However, aware of the necessity to communicate fluently, not only in Business English, French, (Switzerland) German and Italian – a standard in the Metropolitan Upper Rhine Region (MURR) – the increased values of seldom spoken languages motivate students like Leah to improve language skills overseas.

Leah, planning to leave Europe, had to request for the official agreement: “kindly accept the prolongation of the official number of six semesters to seven, just to pass one single test.

As a result, the surprising question came up in the fast running train: “Why not passing the procedures in a few days, far away in another country with different time zones, for example in Woolloomooloo?”

Located in and on a beautiful country or big island, direct flights take more than 12 hours from Eastern France / Switzerland. And, the local universities there are perfectly well equipped – high ranking worldwide.

So what’s the quick solution for a short time frame in the next months?

Finally, I don’t know yet, if the administration of the university will agree on Leah’s individual request; thus, it would be smart, if future universities – in general – could offer that kind of innovative e-cabins-test-centers where students could log into a video surveyed room with a special code and transfer the right answers to the test questions in safe digital modes resembling to existing formats (eventually similar to a global standards like the Printable Document Format).

When leaving the fast running train, Leah agreed with us: This idea isn’t a revolutionary idea. Already, frequently used at court, it became quite normal. Testimonies are broadcast via video sessions and provided electronically.

Time is money! So, just do it, why not?

Socializing and sharing here this interesting business opportunity in co-operation with Leah, all those lovers of languages and curious researchers would be happy, due to their trend to invest energies abroad. Their wish to get more support from their universities in order to enrich the Curriculum vitae (CV) with practical skills is preferred by companies and helps to overcome the weaknesses of too long and outdated CVs.

But, is this idea really applicable? Will the quality of short-term communication improve?

Leah and us, we hope to read some critical voices here, why this fresh brainstorming idea might not work, does it? Leah asks: “Please tell us, where the error is or what were the problems with this request? Thanks for your attention and the esteemed time.

Hong Kong – Germany – Greece and the Americas / United States of America (USA)