Some of the biggest companies grew in the worst of times

Tim Powell, via his Knowledge Value Chain (KVC) blog reminds us that rough economic times can be fertile ground for companies that go on to succeed on the world stage:

some companies we think of today as world-class leaders were founded and/or grew significantly in recessions or depressions? GE (1876), Hewlett-Packard (1939), Hyatt (1958), Burger King (1958), Lexis-Nexis (1973), FedEx (1973), and Microsoft (1975), to name a few.

Keep thinking. And keep it positive.

Comments

• About Eric Garland

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Eric is one of the world's pre-eminent thoughtleaders in forecasting and strategy. He helps leaders of business and government make critical decisions about their futures.

• Next training session

  Upcoming training sessions for professional analysts: September 14th at 1pm EST - Introduction to Future Intelligence. Join us.

• Connect with us

      

• What we can do for you

  1. Training on how your organization can plan for the future
  2. Keynotes, strategy retreats and other intellectual entertainment
  3. Public dialogues where multiple important voices come together to discuss the future and what to do about it
  4. Trend research and competitive assessments

• Read Future Inc.

  Learn a time-tested, profitable method of discovering business opportunities in the future with Eric Garland's groundbreaking Future Inc: How Businesses Can Anticipate and Profit from What's Next, available at Amazon and fine independent booksellers.

• Recent Posts

  • August Jackson: social network analysis for intelligence (part four of four)
  • August Jackson: social network analysis for intelligence (part three of four)
  • August Jackson: social media analysis for intelligence (part two of four)
  • August Jackson: social network analysis for intelligence – (part one of four)
  • A wry point of view on the level of major media
  • Future of economic development: Countries cannot possibly be poor
  • Paul Denlinger: China’s Strategic Future
  • Russia is the new energy power player while America barbecues
  • Retail on the verge of unprecedented strategic change
  • Cisco’s futurist discusses “The Internet of Things”

• Tags

  analysis assumptions bailout bailouts bankruptcy banks business development business models California China competitive intelligence debt disruption Ecology Economic Development Economics economy education Energy Entrepreneurialism finance financial crisis forecasting forecasts foresight Futurism Greece healthcare infrastructure intelligence leadership Media mergers mindsets music oil petroleum psychology publishing Retail scenarios social media social networks strategy urbanization

• Blogroll

  • Chris Nelder – Peak Oil and Beyond
  • Competitive Intelligence Podcast
  • David J. Williams
  • Ellen Naylor
  • Gerd Leonhard – MediaFuturist
  • Gregor Macdonald
  • Jon Husband
  • Matthew Bell
  • Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis
  • Pam Atherton
  • The Reformed Broker
  • Zero Hedge

• Archives

  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • May 2006
  • April 2006
  • March 2006
  • February 2006

• Categories

  • Aging Populations
  • agriculture
  • Analytical techniques
  • Arts
  • automotive
  • Biotechnology
  • Business
  • business development
  • business models
  • China
  • Communications
  • competitive intelligence
  • Cool
  • Culture
  • defense
  • Design
  • Ecology
  • Economic Development
  • Economics
  • education
  • Energy
  • Entrepreneurialism
  • finance
  • Food
  • forecasts
  • Futurism
  • Geopolitics
  • Globalization
  • government
  • Health
  • human resources
  • Industry trends
  • Information Technology
  • infrastructure
  • internet
  • leadership
  • Management
  • Management ideas
  • Manufacturing
  • Marketing
  • markets
  • Media
  • mindsets
  • Nanotechnology
  • National Security
  • Natural resources
  • Organizations
  • petroleum
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • politics
  • psychology
  • publishing
  • Real Estate
  • Retail
  • risk management
  • Robotics
  • scenarios
  • social media
  • Society
  • Sustainability
  • talent crisis
  • Technology
  • telecommunications
  • The Future
  • training
  • transportation
  • Uncategorized
  • urbanization