Saturday, August 5, 2006

More Healthcare, Mexican Nursing Homes

I saw this on MSN.com, more medical tourism:

http://travel.msn.com/Guides/article.aspx?cp-documentid=347209>1=8489

and my brother, who lives in Mexico, sent me this message board
posting about a nursing home. How can you beat 800 pesos a month
($74/month)!

http://members2.boardhost.com/jamiefromalta/msg/1154778107.html

Maybe there is room for "maquiladora" nursing homes just on the other
side of the US Mexican boarder.

Anthony


Friday, August 4, 2006

Business Model

More on competing on design, with your business model.
Malcolm
-----------------------------

Beach for Muslim women planned in Italy
By ARIEL DAVID

Associated Press Writer

ROME - Hotels at an Italian seaside resort are eager to act on the town's
decision to authorize the creation of all-female beach sections for Muslim
women, with at least one hotel owner saying Friday that plans are already
under way to open the first of such secluded areas next month.

The city council of Riccione, a popular resort on Italy's Adriatic coast
about 90 miles east of Florence, has said it is prepared to authorize
requests to set up partitions on parts of the shoreline to satisfy requests
from the town's growing numbers of Arab and Muslim tourists.

"They can have anything they want, but they can't go to the beach, at least
not without all those heavy clothes," Attilio Cenni, owner of the upscale
Grand Hotel des Bains, said of his female Muslim guests.

Cenni said he plans to open the first secluded section starting in September
on a stretch of shoreline of about 1,000 square meters (10,000 square feet)
and to expand further next season across the more isolated beaches on
Riccione's outskirts.

He also plans a TV advertising campaigns in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates, Cenni told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Popular with German and French tourists, Riccione's mass-tourism venues have
recently started to attract thousands of Arab and Muslim visitors each year,
mostly from the conservative Arabian peninsula, city officials say.

Supporters of the idea say that the separate beaches would allow observant
Muslim women to shed their headscarves and long robes and enjoy the sun in
privacy; religious restrictions otherwise oblige them to cover up if men are
present.

"I can only be in favor of such a proposal," said Tomas Corazza, manager of
the Hotel Mediterraneo. "It allows them to use the beach while respecting
their traditions and their religion."

Corazza didn't have immediate plans to open a beach for Muslims this season
but said he would advertise this new feature in a mailing list he sends to
some 3,000 Arabs who are frequent guests at the hotel.

Cenni said he was already discussing with authorities the only snag in the
proposal - the fact that the partitions won't reach into the sea but will
have to stop short of the waterline to allow public passage.

While Riccione's municipality would consider authorizing the construction of
reserved seaside swimming pools, Cenni said he hopes he will be allowed to
close-off the entire beach with covered partitions and have female
lifeguards patrol the sea in water scooters to keep men away. In Italy, all
shorelines must be accessible to the public.

"That sounds a little bit like a fantasy," said Andrea Cicchetti, a
spokesman for Riccione's mayor.

But Cenni insists that if the partitions are mounted on isolated beaches the
inconvenience to passers-by and swimmers will be minimal, allowing his
guests to swim without having to don headscarves and robes again.

"These are areas where there is little passage and any problem could be
solved with common sense and sensitivity," he said. "We want to make a beach
where these ladies will be free."


Thursday, August 3, 2006

What is Design?

Re: What is Design?


> E) Then of course, while OUR dog gets along with cats, not every
yard is so peaceful. Chasing cats becomes an interesting event, so
you can use a bird feeder to attract birds, which if properly
designed will attract cats, and then you can also use it creatively
to ENTERTAIN YOUR DOG! You can now sell a "doggie exercise and play
kit" to include a bird feeder, retractable dog chain, hiding cover,
etc. NO MORE WALKING THE DOG! With enough bird feeders you could even
start an exercise kennel business!<

I know some of these ideas are tongue-in-cheek, but... I have two
dogs and a bird feeder that attracts more squirrels than birds. Our
dogs can get so transfixed by the bird feeder action, that my wife
and I call the feeder "Squirrel TV"


Innovation at work

An archived story from the BBC where Japan is growing Square
watermelons by forcing it to grow in a box. Now your $10 Watermelon
will cost you $85.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1390088.stm

Anthony


Get Sick, Get Healed, and Get Paid

Re: [spiers] Get Sick, Get Healed, and Get Paid

Here is another article on "medical tourism", with
prices. I thought it was interesting that a breast
enlargement costs more in France than it does in North
America.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/278630_medtour24.html

Anthony

--- John Spiers wrote:

> Folks,
>
> So a company has done it, contracted with India to
> provide healthcare for its USA employees,
> flying the sick to india to be treated... plus an
> incentive to the worker... the company will pay
> th worker some of the healthcare savings!
>
> http://tinyurl.com/q49u8
>
> John


Get Sick, Get Healed, and Get Paid

Folks,

So a company has done it, contracted with India to provide healthcare for its
USA employees,
flying the sick to india to be treated... plus an incentive to the worker... the
company will pay
th worker some of the healthcare savings!

http://tinyurl.com/q49u8

John


Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Get big or get out farming antidote

Re: [spiers] Get big or get out farming antidote

----- Original Message -----
From: mgranich
To: spiers@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 10:43 AM
Subject: [spiers] Get big or get out farming antidote


PBS has recently aired programs highlighting small farmers. Some Farmers were
making a living on as little as 5 acres. They have found success by growing
organic, and by bypassing the wholesale food delivery system which gives a very
low price. Instead, they are applying direct marketing and working
directly with groceries like Puget Consumer Coop (PCC), Whole Foods,
and farmer markets. In New York City, there are 58 farmers markets, 28
in Seattle. One individual farmer sells his apples for several dollars
more than what he would get from a wholesaler, and PCC pays it because
PCC needs the relationship with the farmer. Too bad there are no small mom &
pop refineries
supplying gasoline.

Anthony

----------------------------


Economies of scale and no "direct" marketing mechanisms in refined oil make
for a difficult time creating a small-scale fuel industry. ...

Economies of scale are changing of course, due to technology. And as market
prices create profitable rates of return on alternative fuels, small farm
biofuels may be a new way to compete on design. In fact that is already
happening.

There have been a few workshops in the northwest and other places in the US
for "on-farm" small scale biofuel projects, using relatively simple technology.
While the emphasis right now seems to be on reducing the farmers reliance on
expensive equipment fuel, most of us will see a time when you can pull into a
farmers market and buy tomatoes, cherries, blackberry jam, pickled asparagus,
and pump grain based petrol into your gas tank.

You read it here first on the John Spiers network!


What is Design?

There's been several discussions on this list about "competing on design", -- a
very interesting and useful focus, IMHO.

While musing in the yard the other day, I remembered a story from my college
marketing class on "repositioning" which is really just another form of
competing on design. The story I remember (and I am dating myself here) was
about Johnson's Baby Shampoo. Sales went from $800,000 a year to $10 million
(add a decimal point to compare to today's dollars) when they got NFL football
quarterback Fran Tarkenton to shampoo his hair in commercials and talk about how
much he liked the shampoo. And of course the tag line was something like
"Effective enough for a man, mild enough for a baby."

Anyway, so you know I am going somewhere with this -- while watching my cats
play in the yard, the many uses of a bird feeder caught my attention. Just a
bird feeder? Not if you are competing on design, and in this case, through
re-positioning.

USES:

A) Feeding birds might be completely altruistic, but is popular mostly because
people love to watch wildlife, including tweeties (bird watching), which is --
after all -- one of the fastest growing recreational pursuits in the US.

B) While watching my cats, I noticed that other creatures like to watch birds.
So bird feeders are ways for cat lovers to ENTERTAIN THEIR CATS!

C) A bird feeder just out of reach is also a good way to EXERCISE YOUR CATS! Can
you see the ads?... On Sale, the Tweetie Bird Feline Health Kit, featuring a
bird feeder, collar, and Tweetie Bird t-shirt (for your cat!)

D) Then remembering how much I was spending on pet food, I thought... what if I
lowered the bird feeder just a bit? Yes, CAT FOOD! A bird feeder is a way to
feed your cat and cut your ancillary grocery bill.

E) Then of course, while OUR dog gets along with cats, not every yard is so
peaceful. Chasing cats becomes an interesting event, so you can use a bird
feeder to attract birds, which if properly designed will attract cats, and then
you can also use it creatively to ENTERTAIN YOUR DOG! You can now sell a "doggie
exercise and play kit" to include a bird feeder, retractable dog chain, hiding
cover, etc. NO MORE WALKING THE DOG! With enough bird feeders you could even
start an exercise kennel business!

E) Unfortunately, the food chain stops with the cats, since I do not know of
dogs that devour cats, thereby reducing your dogfood bill. However, with all
those cats and dogs now in your yard, you can pick up dog and kitty morsels that
decorate the yard, and resell them. At least one enterprising web site I know
of, offers cat and doggie manure in paper or other bags, for use as gag gifts at
Halloween, bachelor parties, divorce correspondence, in-law Christmas presents,
or other practical jokes, etc. Your bird feeder investment could be an entry to
your own Doo-Doo Supply business! Another website, I believe
www.EndangeredFeces.com makes figurines from the excrement of endangered
animals. Perhaps pet owners would want to enshrine the memory of their pets with
a replica of Fido made from the dogs own ....

F) And there are several other potential business design options with all those
cats and dogs in your yard. Since you are now probably attracting pets from
other homes, several potential businesses come to mind -- some illicit -- so
these are ONLY for purpose of illustration -- do not try these yourself! Your
business kits would now include live traps, as well as appropriate creative
advertising.
a.. Pet-Napping. Sell people back their pets for a fee. Include a bag of their
pet's feces at no charge. "Pet detective" spin-offs!
b.. Used Pet Store (used books, used clothing... why not?)
And if you saw the movie Beethoven, you might guess where I am going next:
a.. Sales to animal testing labs (again, just for the sake of creativity)
And of course, each of the above options could include the sale of business
opportunity books, audio programs, instructional DVDs. Or you could do
consulting for bird feeder/catfood/doggie exercise programs, either as a
landscape architect or business development professional.

G) Combine your feeder with a remote-control shock system, and supply birds to
taxidermists, zoos, pet stores. We get quail in our bird feeder... they are
great with mashed potatoes and corn or beans. You could cut your own food bill
(note sparrows are not worth the effort!)

H) Put up lots of feeders, including hummingbird feeders, and charge for bird
watching tours. Your business kit now includes lawn chairs, binocs, floppy hats,
Metamucil, and music CDs from the 1940s.

Just a bird feeder? Naw. Compete on design. And we have barely scratched the
surface with this list of uses for a bird feeder. I bet there is another 200
ideas floating around on this list.

Malcolm


Re: [spiers] Get big or get out farming antidote

Re: [spiers] Get big or get out farming antidote


On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 17:43:05 -0000, "mgranich" wrote :
One individual farmer sells his apples for several dollars
> more than what he would get from a wholesaler, and PCC pays it because
> PCC needs the relationship with the farmer.

***Wholesome, healthy food is not too expensive, it is merely more expensive.
Bad food is another
result of Nixon going completely off the gold standard in 1971... we have more
to eat, but the quality
has dropped to the point that the #1 health problem of USA poor is obesity.***


So, get big or get out
> needs to plug a leak. Too bad there are no small mom & pop refineries
> supplying gasoline.

***There used to be... one of the largest landowners on Mercer Island is the
Gull Trust, a family that
used to own a dozen or so "Gull Gas Staions" in the Pac NW... The change in
regulations in the 90's
wiped out the last of small family gas and refinery companies, so that we now
have only big oil
companies. Get big or get out is coming to housebuilders with the next bust.***

John


Get big or get out farming antidote

PBS has recently aired programs on farming, one radio and one TV. The
programs highlighted small farmers. Some Farmers were making a living
on as little as 5 acres. They have found success by growing organic,
and by bypassing the wholesale food delivery system which gives a very
low price. Instead, they are applying direct marketing and working
directly with groceries like Puget Consumer Coop (PCC), Whole Foods,
and farmer markets. In New York City, there are 58 farmers markets, 28
in Seattle. One individual farmer sells his apples for several dollars
more than what he would get from a wholesaler, and PCC pays it because
PCC needs the relationship with the farmer. So, get big or get out
needs to plug a leak. Too bad there are no small mom & pop refineries
supplying gasoline.

Anthony


Sunday, July 30, 2006

When to start and quit

Re: [spiers] When to start and quit

Hi John-

I enjoy very much reading about your suit project. The insight you
give by pointing out the various considerations, corrections, and
thoughts is valuable to me. I look forward to hearing both more
details, and more progress as you move along. In particular, I would
like to understand more about the people you are teaming with, what
their interests, are, and how you determine ahead of time, when/under
what conditions to shutdown the project.

This discussion is relevant to me, as I have 2 projects going on, and
I am wondering what my "shutdown" criteria should be. I have had
dialogues with vendors, both, coincidentally in Taiwan, and they each
have produced samples (products are as different as chalk and
cheese). One of the vendors has worked long and hard on a sample
that frankly, doesn't look too good in the photos he has sent to me.
Yet some of his other products look good. So I am chalking part of
it up to lousy communication, the other to the possibility that I
simply have the wrong vendor. I plan to obtain samples in September
and take them to the retailers I have already engaged, in order to
get their feedback. If they pan the sample, as I frankly expect, I
will be stuck with whether to a) stop the project, or b) switch
vendors, or 3) evolve the product with that vendor.

I plan to travel to both vendors in September to pick up the samples
(yes, mail is cheaper, but I am combining it with a vacation
elsewhere near that time zone, part of the allure of this business),
and that will give me an opportunity to clarify requirements for the
products. Which brings me to another question. Although I am an
experienced spec writer, my opinion is that foreign vendors just
don't have the time nor the ability to understand details of specs,
no matter how simplistic I write them. What is the role of the spec,
and when is it appropriate to visit the vendor in order to discuss
requirements? I understand that you recommend to minimize costs by
having the vendor mail samples and you improve the product by phoning
in changes. But if we are developing innovations to existing
products (or creating entirely new products) is it realistic to
develop a sample entirely remotely?


> Last week the tailors from Hong Kong came to town and a half dozen
> of us met with them to go over capabilities and target customers.
>
> As these discussions proceed, i feel the same old excitement I felt
> 30 years ago, that dangerous "o boy!" that I know now from
> experience is simply fantasy getting ahead of reality. We've
> carefully constructed what we are doing to be limited to
>
> 1. What no one else is doing
>
> 2. solves a problem
>
> 3. has customers...
>
> oops...see ... i just made customers #3 on my list... it is so easy
> to not make them first... so consider them moved back to #1...
>
> 4. If this does not pay from day one, we stop. Day one we all
> ordered clothes, far better than anything else we cpould buy off
> the rack, and at a better price, although we'll not be competing
> oon price as we go "public." We'll compete on access to the best
> the world offers in each fabric category, and first rate
> tailoring. Price is not going to matter.
>
> Stopping is important... it breaks my heart to see people
> struggling to get a biz going, as they keep running this way and
> that, trying to get something, anything to work. As we narrowly
> define what we are doing to mean only what we want to do, either
> there are custoemrs or there are not. if there are, we proceed.
> if not, that is the end to it. And worse case scenario is we got
> beautiful clothes at a good price.
>
> As to a carpet project I am working on, the artisit for whom the
> carpets samples were made has found the first minmum or requirement
> is sold, so we are on to the second minimum. Y'all recall we work
> only on frequency, never in volume at the small biz level.
>
> John