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	<title>Intended Consequences</title>
	<atom:link href="http://blog.optimizeinc.net/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://blog.optimizeinc.net</link>
	<description>The Business and Strategy Blog with a Purpose</description>
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		<item>
		<title>How to Evaluate New Markets</title>
		<link>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/04/11/how-to-evaluate-new-markets/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/04/11/how-to-evaluate-new-markets/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:52:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Emmer - President - Optimize Inc.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[barrier to exit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[barriers to entry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[carbonite]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[commoditization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competitors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[core competency]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer loyalty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dropbox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneur]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[evernote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[expansion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Five Forces]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[industry structure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intended Consequences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[leverage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marc Emmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[margin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[market scope]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Michael Porter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new markets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[revenue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategic planning]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.optimizeinc.net/?p=873</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There is one thing almost all entrepreneurs have in common; they want to grow.  They seem to have an insatiable appetite for more; more customers, more margin and more revenue.  The most fundamental of entrepreneurial questions is what business to be in, and expansion into new markets can reframe everything from branding to resource requirements. [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Where Does Innovation Come From?</title>
		<link>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/03/26/where-does-innovation-come-from/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/03/26/where-does-innovation-come-from/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 26 Mar 2013 18:30:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Emmer - President - Optimize Inc.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competitive advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[delivery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dick's Sporting Goods]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneurs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[innovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intended Consequences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marc Emmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[market disruption]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nike]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[offering]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[process]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[risk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ROI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategic planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[timing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Under Armour]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.optimizeinc.net/?p=863</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Let’s face it, most entrepreneurs are impatient and restless. Within the process of strategic planning, they tend to be dissatisfied with incremental improvements.  Most seek the Holy Grail through some form of market disruption that will provide  competitive advantage. Not every strategic plan will unearth the next iPad. Yet innovation can be manufactured, and provide [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Do You Have a Mobile Strategy?</title>
		<link>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/03/20/do-you-have-a-mobile-strategy/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/03/20/do-you-have-a-mobile-strategy/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Mar 2013 18:47:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Emmer - President - Optimize Inc.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[B2B]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[B2C]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneur]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intended Consequences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marc Emmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nearest Tube]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smartphone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategic planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tablet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.optimizeinc.net/?p=858</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Smartphones and tablets have disrupted every industry, and we are moving towards a society where the vast majority of our tasks are completed on our devices. I have spoken with some entrepreneurs of the grey haired set that think they have a website and that they have the bases covered. Those who confuse a web [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/03/20/do-you-have-a-mobile-strategy/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Newfound Optimism</title>
		<link>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/03/13/newfound-optimism/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/03/13/newfound-optimism/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:00:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Emmer - President - Optimize Inc.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[automotive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competitive advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[consumer confidence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dow Jones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inflation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intended Consequences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jobs report]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marc Emmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[real estate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategic planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.optimizeinc.net/?p=850</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Holy jobs report! Not only did the U.S. economy generate 236,000 new jobs in February, sectors such as construction have found new found strength.  While many sectors have already recovered, construction (which added 48,000 jobs last month) and real estate have lagged behind[i]. The real estate shadow economy, driven by new home sales (or lack [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Knowing True Costs is a Competitive Advantage</title>
		<link>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/02/27/knowing-true-costs-is-a-competitive-advantage/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/02/27/knowing-true-costs-is-a-competitive-advantage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Feb 2013 17:55:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Emmer - President - Optimize Inc.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[acitivity based costing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competitive advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cost accounting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gross margins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intended Consequences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marc Emmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[overhead]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pricing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[purchasing decisions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[R&D]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategic planning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[true costs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[value]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[value chain analysis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[value proposition]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.optimizeinc.net/?p=844</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Many entrepreneurial companies face challenges in calculating their true cost of doing business. The ability to overcome these challenges can create a significant competitive advantage. We live in age of nickels and dimes.  Customers split hairs over price, and make purchasing decisions based on marginal differences in the way that their providers deliver products and [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/02/27/knowing-true-costs-is-a-competitive-advantage/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Outsource or Insource? Beyond Your Core Competency</title>
		<link>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/02/05/outsource-or-insource-beyond-your-core-competency/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/02/05/outsource-or-insource-beyond-your-core-competency/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:54:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Emmer - President - Optimize Inc.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[call centers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competitive advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[consequences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[core competency]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[downstream]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneurs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[execution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[insource]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intended Consequences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marc Emmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[optimize]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[outsource]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[profit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tailored services]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[upstream]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vertical integration]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.optimizeinc.net/?p=833</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the business press is buzzing about companies bringing back call centers and other services to the U.S., businesses should be thoughtful about what services they outsource and which they keep close to the vest.  Much has been written about keeping within a company’s core competency, but this trend is waning as evidenced by the [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/02/05/outsource-or-insource-beyond-your-core-competency/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Managing Technology through “The Hype Cycle”</title>
		<link>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/01/24/managing-technology-through-the-hype-cycle/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/01/24/managing-technology-through-the-hype-cycle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:53:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Emmer - President - Optimize Inc.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[3D printing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[big data]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cloud computing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competitive advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crowdsourcing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneurs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ERP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gartner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home health monitoring]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hype Cycle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inflated expectations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[integration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Intended Consequences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marc Emmer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[media tablets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile OTA payments]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plateau of productivity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[predictive analysis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[slope of enlightenment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[speech recognition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology trigger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trough of disillusionment]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.optimizeinc.net/?p=819</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Since Gartner introduced the “Hype Cycle” in 1995, technologists have been using it to evaluate emerging technologies.  Yet today, entrepreneurs can utilize the Hype Cycle principle more broadly to consider how technologies can combine within an organization’s ecosystem to foster competitive advantage. The Hype Cycle has 5 phases; and it takes about 2 years for [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/01/24/managing-technology-through-the-hype-cycle/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why is Innovation so Difficult For Privately Held Businesses?</title>
		<link>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/01/10/why-is-innovation-so-difficult-for-privately-held-businesses/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/01/10/why-is-innovation-so-difficult-for-privately-held-businesses/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jan 2013 21:39:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Emmer - President - Optimize Inc.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advisor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brain trust]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competitive advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[core competency]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[effectiveness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneurs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[innovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kahneman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kotter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leading Change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new markets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opportunities]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peer group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[problem solving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[profitability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[research & development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[revolutionize]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[status quo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thinking Fast and Slow]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.optimizeinc.net/?p=808</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are times when larger companies have a distinct competitive advantage as a function of their systems or scale. It is intuitive to entrepreneurs that their advantage is driven by their ability to adapt and drive innovation. Yet, on the path to innovation, the structure of a smaller company can be limiting. What is true [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/01/10/why-is-innovation-so-difficult-for-privately-held-businesses/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Economic Preview: What to Expect in 2013</title>
		<link>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/01/03/economic-preview-what-to-expect-in-2013/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/01/03/economic-preview-what-to-expect-in-2013/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jan 2013 19:23:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Emmer - President - Optimize Inc.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2013]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[auto industry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[automakers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[big data]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[China]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[consulting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[currencies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[defense]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[energy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[energy independence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[export]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fiscal Cliff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[France]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GNP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greece]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health care]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hurricane Sandy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[inflation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[instability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[job growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[manufacturing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mongolia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural gas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Portugal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Spain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[unemployment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[world economies]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.optimizeinc.net/?p=802</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is that time of year when the prognosticators come out of the woodwork. Unfortunately, most are predicting a similar economic climate in 2013. Here are some things to look for in the year ahead: Even if the President and Congress are able to solve the Fiscal Cliff debacle, the U.S. economy is predicted to [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2013/01/03/economic-preview-what-to-expect-in-2013/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Will You Participate in the Next Technology Revolution?</title>
		<link>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2012/12/18/will-you-participate-in-the-next-technology-revolution-2/</link>
		<comments>http://blog.optimizeinc.net/2012/12/18/will-you-participate-in-the-next-technology-revolution-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 Dec 2012 20:42:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Marc Emmer - President - Optimize Inc.</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business Blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[algorithms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amazon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[analytics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[analyze]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[B2B]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[B2C]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[barriers to entry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[big data]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cloud]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[competitive advantage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneurs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ERP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GNP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Internet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[IT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[logistics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[portals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[return on investment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[revolution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ROI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Walmart]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.optimizeinc.net/?p=799</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When considered as an industry sector, the internet contributes 4.7% to U.S. GNP. Some have characterized that as a big number, bigger than all of the spending of the Federal government combined.  Not to be a contrarian, but one could argue that 5% is a small number when you consider that the internet is still [...]]]></description>
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