Looking at the job market recently I thought were could I fit in given my experience and education. I see myselfas in senior managment in any business, I am in senior management in a global education provider but if I look to transfer to other industries I see they are asking for 10 years, 15 years!!, i’m in mid 30s when would have managed to get 10 – 15 years in senior management?? But I know I can do the job, I was once told that the people below me would struggle to work for me because I am young enough to be their son!

How does a person with 10 years who was last in education 20 years ago add value to today’s business with the current challenges that businesses are facing in the environment today. After 10-15 years in work I suspect there is very little you can tell that person, old dogs new tricks and all that.

The age of senior managers in many of the top 100 firms in developed countries is falling year on year, it is not uncommon to find 40 year olds leading these organisations, when did they get 10 – 15 years in senior management experience? I think those organisations that have set these parametres are missing out on fresh minds with ambition to make a mark in the business world  but chose to go withan old timer using out date academic training and skills from the 1990 to solve today’s problems.

As you can probably tell, it pisses me off when I see such adverts, how about you?

I caught on to Gadhaffi’s demise rather late in the day compared to everyone else but I was quite surprised that he was actually still in Libya. It has to be down right stupidity or the most optimistic act ever, I mean really! Did he not have tv, radio or even the internet to learn how change had swept through Libya and that they would be no way back for him? Or when all his sons took off into the desert didn’t the penny drop then that it was time to go.

It is not bravery or galantry but we see it all the time, Mubarak, Gbagbo and now this dude! they never run away when it is clear to everyone that it’s time to run away, didn’t Gadhaffi see Gbagbo getting bitch slapped on world TV after hiding in a bunker when he really should have just run away? or the image of Mubarak being wheeled into court in a hospital bed after refusing to leave Egypt when the people asked him to leave. I suppose it takes a long time for them to forget that they no longer have any power and also they seem to forget that African politics is exceedingly cruel to the opposition.

If i could tell all these iron fist type leaders anything I would tell them it’s never too early to run away once the people catch the buzz and are mobilising to kick you out, just run, as far a you can and forget about the power and money because if they get their hands on you it will be a different Africa that you experience.

Incidently anyone know what happened to Gbagbo? last time I saw him his future didn’t look too bright!

Michael O’Leary of Ryanair startled a British reporter once by saying ” I love the recession, that is when real clever people make money, the men stand out from the boys not when times are good, because then anybody can make money” So supposing what seems inevitable now actually happens and the Euro goes bust and the world sinks into another recession are we ready to capitalise on that sad state  of affairs and make money. How do you make money in a recession?

Good strategic management suggests that you look for recession proof markets, these are markets were demand does not fall because of a cash crisis in the economy or even just on consumers. Recession proof markets in my opinion are food retail, health services, education services, undertaking and the sex industry. People will always need to buy from one of more of these markets because they are amongst the most basic of all human needs, not buying them could kill especially those that haven’t already died and even if they are dead they still need to be buried or cremeted so the demand is a given. But there are propbaby thousands of other people, companies or even nations thinking the same thing albeit on different scales.

Thinking of and choosing a market of the ones listed above is probably the easiest part, the challenge lies in how to turn an idea into a viable business, first and foremost make sure your business idea has a unique characteristic that will earn it a place in the customers minds otherwise it will be like opening a corner shop in the same street as TESCO. Even though demand is not affected by the recession as much as other markets whoever chooses to do business in the markets I have listed will need to be creative and innovative to capture the customer’s imagination.

KFC did it in the last recession by tweeking their menus and food combinations which gave them higher than ever profits which in turn allowed them to something unimaginable in a recession, creating 1500 jobs and opening new stores. Ryanair also tweeked their product offering and continued to grow, becoming the largest airline in Europe in terms of passenger numbers. Stubbonly sticking to old strategies saw Woolworths’ long heritage wiped out in a few short months, British Airways lost £400 million over the same period by failing to realise the times had changed  and more of the same was no longer and option

Well the “new” iPhone has gone on sale today, oh that’s why there were people waiting outside the O2 store this morning!! The BBM machine is back to corrupting social norms as usual and Samsung is suing Apple again!! Notthing new then!

What are you all up to this weekend?, I am resisting going to the ZimExpo thing in Leicester where it is rumoured that Supa Mandiwanzira and Arthur Mtambara will be tryign to convince diasporans that now is the time to invest their hard earned cash into the Zimbabwean economy. I say resisting because I am uncomfortable about the agendas of those two men, I can’t elaborate for fear of the unknown but I am not sure if I can trust what they are representing. I do however encourage anyone with investible resources to look at Zimbabwe as a destination for their money, it’s almost as good as discovering a new frontier, there is so much to do in terms of entepreneurship, the money is real and plentiful especially if you can appeal to the “New Money” people. I say take all you have learned in your travels and transfer that knowledge and experience to the home market, it is likely that you will have a novel idea that is untried and definitely without competition, a holy grail in business.

English premier league is back and hopefully without any further misery for my beloved gunners, people woke up to the news that Wayne Rooney’s moment of madness is a long line of moments of madness had all but ended the English hopes of doing well in the Euros next year, well nothing new there either!

If you are in my sphere of influence I might bump into you partying, if not drink one for me as well, come back from the weekend in one piece!!