BRIAN BEAULIEU is an economist, principal and CEO with ITR Economics^™ (ITR). At ITR^®, Brian has been leading the charge in applied research regarding business cycle trend analysis and the utilization of that research at a practical business level. Brian consults with companies worldwide and has provided valuable insight to business owners and executives for 27 years with the result being increased profitability and greater awareness of business cycle opportunities.

ALAN BEAULIEU is a principal and the President of ITR Economics^™. Alan is also the senior economic advisor to a variety of U.S. and European trade associations. He is the keynote speaker at corporate and trade association meetings worldwide where he provides a clear economics forecasts and proven profit-enhancing strategies to businesses across a wide spectrum of industries. Alan’s knowledge and expertise are in great demand, as evidenced by his extremely busy calendar that includes 120 speaking engagements a year.

1 Results That No One Can Ignore: You Can Successfully Prepare for an Unknown Future 1

Where Not to Look 3

Confidence Indicators 3

Politics 8

Federal Reserve Board (The U.S. Version of Central Banks in Other Countries) 9

Newspapers and Media 15

ITR Economics Forecast Accuracy 16

2 The Status Quo Never Was: Seven Major Trends and Assumptions That Won’t Last 21

Unstoppable Trends That Suddenly Stopped 22

Today’s Trends That Won’t Last Forever 31

Stimulus Spending is Needed and Helpful 34

3 Preparing for Prosperity—Good News for 2015 and 2016: Do You Have Enough? 37

What Will 2015, 2016, and 2017 Look Like? 39

4 Depression Driver: Demographics 45

More People, More Older People 47

Show Me the Money 53

Medicare and Social Security 58

Managing to Win 61

Probable Winners 65

(Potential) Losers 66

5 A World That Doesn’t Remember Inflation: New Management and Investment Thought Processes Required 69

Inflation’s Impacts 77

Five Sources of Inflation 80

Managing to Win 95

Winners and Losers 101

Appendix to Chapter 5 102

6 Sovereign Debt—Harmless or Toxic? Not Just an American Problem 105

A Global Perspective 106

Summary 114

7 A Closer Look at the United States: The U.S. Problem Becomes the World’s Problem 117

Where are We Now? 117

Where are We Going? 122

State and Local Governments 125

Spreading the Pain around the World 127

Summary 129

8 Business Growth Strategies and Tactics from Now through 2029 131

Monthly Moving Totals (MMTs) 132

Calculating Rate-of-Change 132

Use the Metrics 133

9 Offense and Defense: Strategies for the Upside of the Business Cycle 141

Offense and Defense 141

Conflicting Messages 142

Don’t Delay 143

Phase A Management Objectives 144

Let the Good Times Roll 147

Summary 151

10 Playing Defense to Win: Enhancing Profits Even as the Economy Deteriorates 153

Management Objectives 155

The Rules are Changing 167

Summary 168

11 Great Opportunities within the Stock Market: What Businesses and Individuals Need to Know 169

Energy Distribution 170

Printed Electronics 171

Mexico 172

Water Conservation and Distribution 173

Health Care 174

Vocational Education 176

3-D Printing 176

Housing 177

Security 177

Natural Resources 178

Food 179

Entertainment 180

12 Investing Based on Age and Trend 181

Some Commonalities 181

Different Markets—Different Times 185

How Old are You? 192

13 How to Spot the Top (Before the Great Depression) 201

14 What the Next Generation Needs to Know: Six Things the Next Generation Must Do 209

What Owners and Managers Must Do 209

Six Things Our Kids (and Businesses) Must Do 211

15 Is There Hope? 215

What Can Stave Off the Great Depression of 2030? 215

A Different View of the 1930s 218

A Different Future 218

Summary 219

Bibliography 221

Index 223

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