Author Archives: Permabusiness

Energy and Growth — a physicist’s view

We cannot continue to grow our economy forever. A physics professor at the University of California has used the laws of physics to write two blogs that explain why. Permabusiness takes this information and looks at what would come next … Continue reading

Posted in Economic, Paradigms, Political/Economic, Solutions | 1 Comment

“Fixing Britain” — a clear view of a future for business

Lots of people talk about “thinking global, acting local”. This guy does a good job of putting it into practice. He paints a clear picture that runs from the strategic rise of China to the practical need for better education, … Continue reading

Posted in Big Picture, China, Economic, Energy / Environmental, Environmental, IndustryCompetition, Political, Political/Economic, Social | Leave a comment

Big Picture — December 2011

When the managing director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, issues warnings like this: “There is no economy in the world, whether low-income countries, emerging markets, middle-income countries or super-advanced economies that will be immune to the crisis that we see not … Continue reading

Posted in Big Picture, Energy / Environmental, IndustryCompetition, New Entrants, Paradigms, Political/Economic, Social, Suppliers, Technological | Leave a comment

What Should I Do With My Life?

Companies don’t grow because they adopt a six-sigma methodology. They don’t grow because they increase productivity by 37.2%. They don’t grow because they exceed sales targets in three quarters running. Companies grow because they provide meaning and value to the … Continue reading

Posted in People management | Leave a comment

Mapping the terrain

When we set out on a journey it is important to be clear about the kind of terrain we shall be travelling through. Similarly when planning for a business, it is important to be clear about the environment the business … Continue reading

Posted in Paradigms | Leave a comment

How (and why) to rebuild a rainforest

Permabusiness exists to do three things: 1) show the problems with the current ways of doing business 2) show a vision/visions for what a better way(s) might look like 3) share tools for taking first steps that take us from … Continue reading

Posted in Paradigms, Success Stories | Leave a comment

Sir Stelios sets up short term car hire club

Depending which way you want to look at it, a new entrant to the car hire industry, or a substitute for buying a car, has just been announced by Sir Stelios Haji-Iaonnou and Brent Hoberman (co-founder of lastminute.com). Their new service, called … Continue reading

Posted in New Entrants, Substitutes | Leave a comment

Building blocks of a disruptive business model

When we start to see customers as part of our business model (see previous post) interesting, disruptive, and beneficial things can happen.

Posted in Paradigms | Leave a comment

In search of financial safe havens

While the financial crisis marches on, and investors frantically seek out safe havens for their money, it is worth asking what a ‘safe haven’ would look like.

Posted in Paradigms | Leave a comment

Organic can feed the world

As we switch our focus for a while from problems to solutions, organic farming may seem an odd place to start. But having enough to eat is a strategic requirement for any future business. And farming is a business too. … Continue reading

Posted in Food, Paradigms, Social, Success Stories | Leave a comment