🍺Like a vegan at a BBQ.
A look at unconventional marketing tactics, small biz funding, Blackstone, robotic dining, and more.
The Weekly from The Liquid Lunch Project, Issue No 113 | April 12, 2024
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ON TAP THIS WEEK
🙌🏼 Be the Vegan at the BBQ: Unconventional tactics for standing out in a crowded market.
🏘️ Blackstone's Big Bet: Making monopoly moves from hotels to houses.
💸 From Power Surge to Price Surge: Nuclear energy's costly comeback.
🙊 Monkey See, Monkey Do: Are your employees turning you into zookeepers?
🍴 The CaliExpress Robo-Restaurant Taking Dining to the Future.
🛣️ Beep Beep! Outsmart the Roadrunner with a 35% discount on Josh Fonger's course that will transform your business.
💲 Tax Refund Rejoice: Uncle Joe's bonus for budget shoppers.
🚣🏼♀️ Finding (Business) Funds Without Getting Seasick.
🌐 And from Around the Web: 🏆 Customer Service Top Spots, Sandy Surprises 😮 on the Jersey Shore, and Go for Gold 🥇 (and cash) at the Paris Olympics.
THE CLASSROOM
Unconventional Marketing Strategies to Outshine Your Competitors
by Luigi Rosabianca
In a world where every business is screaming for attention like toddlers in a candy store, standing out in a crowded market can feel like trying to find a vegan at a barbecue joint: Frustrating.
As a small business owner, you’ve probably spent many days and nights and weekends banging your head against the wall, wondering how the heck you can elbow your way to the front of the line. You’ve probably tried all of the more “traditional” tactics…so why not give some unconventional strategies a whirl?
HEARD ON THE STREET
🛑 Do Not Pass Go!
Blackstone plans to buy AIR Communities, an upscale apartment buildings owner, for $10B. AIRC owns 76 rental housing communities, mainly in coastal areas like Miami, LA, Boston, and DC. Blackstone will take AIRC private and invest $400M+ to improve the properties.
Blackstone is feeling optimistic about commercial real estate and has been investing more aggressively, despite lower earnings in Q4 due to a drop in property values. The private equity firm believes that the time to invest is during periods of uncertainty, and they see the pillars of an RE recovery falling into place, with interest rates stabilizing and access to capital improving. They have also made a deal to buy Tricon Residential for $3.5 billion, which has around 38K+ properties.
The AIRC deal is an all-cash transaction for $39.12/share, a 25% premium to AIR Communities’ pre-deal closing price. Blackstone is acquiring it through its $30.4B global real estate fund. The transaction was unanimously approved by AIR’s board of directors and is expected to close in Q3. As a condition of the transaction, AIR Communities suspended payment of its quarterly dividend. This continues the trend of behemoth funds gobbling up residential RE throughout the nation. Apparently, those little green houses are proving better investments than those big red hotels!
💣 Nuclear is Getting Nuked
Regulations and anti-nuclear public sentiment have led to a significant increase in the cost of nuclear energy. Previously, nuclear facilities were experiencing a learning curve resulting in a 20% decrease in construction costs for every doubling of megawatts of power deployed. However, due to over $345 billion in overruns on the construction and development of US nuclear plants, nuclear energy is now more expensive than natural gas.
With the emerging government support programs like the U.S. Advanced Reactor Demonstration Project, nuclear cost overruns are expected to reduce as countries seek clean energy solutions to lessen their net carbon emissions. If innovators and regulators work together to lower unnecessary costs, nuclear energy is likely to play a significant role in the global energy mix in the next 20-25 years. Get rid of the microwave. Keep the nuclear plant!
🙉 Monkey Business without the Monkey
Employees' problems can affect your own performance as a manager. The 'Monkey on One's Back' management problem, described in a Harvard Business Review article by Oncken and Wass, refers to when an employee presents a problem to you that you don't have time to solve right away.
Instead, you end up taking on their problem, and it stays with you until you give it back. And if you have ten employees, and each one presents a problem every day, guess what? You've now got fifty problems by the end of the week, which (surprise, surprise) can lead to burnout and affect your work quality.
Friendly reminder that it's important to encourage employee development and transfer problems back to them when appropriate. Establish these workplace parameters, and you may find time to visit the, ahem, zoo.
🤖 Flipping Out Over These Fries
Miso Robotics has just unveiled to the high-tech dining public "CaliExpress by Flippy," an all-in-one showroom, test kitchen, and restaurant that is reshaping the future of dining through AI and robots. Envision a dining establishment where state-of-the-art technology intersects with culinary mastery, serving up delectable burgers and fries with unmatched efficiency and consistency.
This first project from Miso's Innovation Lab leverages the power of Flippy, their state-of-the-art robotic kitchen assistant, to transform the dining experience. Miso customers get to see the magic of Flippy in a consumer-facing environment when they visit. Say goodbye to long wait times and inconsistent quality as these robo-chefs at CaliExpress by Flippy deliver meals swiftly and precisely. No ball bearings have yet been found in the meals!
Located next door to Miso's famous robot lab in Los Angeles, the theory is to familiarize the public with high-tech restaurant features. Rather than the bartender that knows your drink, it's the robot that knows your meat temperature. Get used to it, especially at $20/hour minimum wage.
📈 Get You and Your Biz Unstuck
Ever feel like Wyle E. Coyote combatting the Roadrunner and his endless supply of Acme tricks on the way to building your business? Enter stage right, Josh Fonger! Developing and implementing systematic solutions to complex business problems, he is the sole worldwide licensing agent for the Work the System Method, based on Sam Carpenter’s book Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less, now in its fourth edition. Get “unstuck” by developing simple, systematic solutions to their problems with your free book summary. (CLICK HERE.)
This led them to create a 120-day Transformational Course to Get Control of Your Business and Maximize Your Life. This unique coaching program shows small business owners how to quickly reduce chaos, increase profit, and build stable businesses operated via bullet-proof systems and processes. Enroll below and use discount code AF235 for 35% off The Weekly subscribers.
🤑 Consumers Put the Fun in Refund
Retailers catering to budget-conscious consumers are looking forward to an uptick in spending as Americans get more robust tax refunds. Cough – tax year! Averaging $3,050, this year’s refunds are nearly 5% higher than last year. Refund checks are bigger because the IRS raised tax bracket thresholds and boosted the standard deduction by nearly 7% because of inflation. Last year’s refunds were about 8% smaller than in ‘21 because pandemic-era tax credits and stimulus payments expired.
The tax refunds represent a reprieve and needed positive infusion for the lower-end consumer still fighting the compounding effects of inflation. More liquidity for customers and their wallets is good for business and good for all retailers. Walmart, Grocery Outlet, Dollar Tree, and Dollar General are likely to benefit. Last year, Walmart, Foot Locker, National Vision Holdings, and other retailers said smaller refunds were among the factors dragging on top-line growth in Q1s. Five Below, Burlington, and Ollie’s all said their first-quarter sales were slow because tax season started later this year.
Although many consumers plan to use their refunds to pay down debts or pad their savings accounts, nearly a third of consumers intend to spend it. That should help overall first-quarter retail sales and perhaps even those early in November. Thanks, Uncle Joe!
THE MONEY MINUTE WITH MRM
Sink or Swim: Navigating Small Business Funding
with Matthew R. Meehan
Running a small business is like sailing through choppy waters – sometimes you need a financial wind to keep moving forward. Whether you're expanding, upgrading equipment, stocking up on inventory, launching a marketing blitz, hiring talent, updating technology, managing cash flow, or facing unexpected costs, there are funding options to consider. From traditional banks to alternative avenues like cash flow loans and peer-to-peer lending, finding the right fit depends on factors like your credit, business stage, and urgency. Some entrepreneurs even mix it up, using a combination of traditional and alternative solutions to meet their needs. For a deeper dive into the world of business funding, click below to keep reading. ⬇️
AROUND THE WEB
Who's Rocking Customer Service? Plant-A Insights Group and USA TODAY reveal America's Customer Service Champions 2024, showcasing top-notch businesses across 67 sectors, chosen by over 33,000 U.S. consumers based on over 519,000 reviews. Time to take notes.
Just Another Day at the Beach: From Baby Yoda to Voodoo dolls to auto parts, here's what volunteers haul in before the season kicks off at the Jersey Shore. (Guess you never know what “Situation” you might find.)
Olympics Goes 'Cash for Gold': Track and Field athletes will compete for fame and glory...and a $50,000 prize in Paris this summer. Will this move pave the way for other sports to follow suit, or will they stick to the tradition of competing for glory without the added bonus of a hefty paycheck?
🚨 Join us for an exclusive Masterclass with Matthew R. Meehan, CEO of Shield Advisory Group.
Learn how to score the best terms, the lowest rates, and secure your financial future like a boss. This is a MUST-WATCH for any business owner who needs to get their hands on working capital. Don't miss out!
Next session: Thursday, April 18 at 3:00 PM EST. Reserve your spot now! 💰 Use code HAPPYHOUR2024 to get in this month FREE when you sign up for the monthly subscription.
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