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MINITRENDS cover

MINITRENDS
How Innovators & Entrepreneurs
Discover & Profit From
Business & Technology Trends

by John H. Vanston, Ph.D. with Carrie Vanston

Published by Technology Futures, Inc.
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The Pinnacle Book Achievement Best Business Book Award Winner
An Eric Hoffer Business Book Award Winner
ForeWord Reviews’  Business Book of the Year Finalist
USA Book News’ Entrepreneurship & Small Business Book of the Year Finalist
Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Business Book Award Finalist

#1 Book on Business Trends at Amazon.com!

“A 189-page do-it-yourself guide to the early identification of those emerging developments that eventually become the next big things.”The Futurist

“This title offers a new take on possible product development and investment avenues.”—Library Journal

“MINITRENDS should quickly become a—if not the—standard work for the futurist’s search for business opportunities.”Joseph Coates, Foresight Network’s Futurist of the Year

“MINITRENDS spotlights specific ‘minitrends’ and trains people how to recognize them and take advantage of related job opportunities.—Yahoo News
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Accolades and Testimonials for MINITRENDS

The Pinnacle Book Achievement Best Business Book Award Winner

An Eric Hoffer Business Book Award Winner: “The ability to capitalize on newly emerging business trends is the premise of this book. There are “MiniTrends” all around us, defined as those that ‘promise to become significantly important within the next two to five years.’ … By reading this book, you will learn how to take hold of these opportunities, overcome common obstacles, and ultimately profit from MiniTrends.Eric Hoffer Project

ForeWord Reviews’ Book of Year Award Finalist: “Vanston has the ability to discuss minitrends conceptually, as well as describe specifically how the reader can discover and potentially profit from them. The author’s enthusiasm for the subject is infectious, and readers looking for new business opportunities are likely to share that enthusiasm. This is a book that should inspire many readers to take action.”–ForeWord Reviews

Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Business Book Award Finalist

“Vanston’s company, Technology Futures, has been making predictions about technology and business trends since 1978.  Here, he describes how individual entrepreneurs, as well as companies, can find and exploit “MiniTrends”–small trends (not yet recognized by the public) that have the potential to grow. In five sections, he describes them and where they can be researched, lists a few he thinks have promise (such as providing facilities for growing numbers of freelance workers), and concludes with methods for developing products and services that exploit these trends. This title offers a new take on possible product development and investment avenues.”—Library Journal

“After reading MINITRENDS, I put on my Futurist hat, created my own list of trends, and looked for overlaps between them to identify untapped business opportunities that match my interests and skills. I found a great fit, and my new business is a growing online community. Thanks for the inspiration.”Wayne Caswell, Modern Health Talk

“In MINITRENDS, Technology Futures Inc. chairman John Vanston has distilled insights and techniques developed over a highly successful career in technology forecasting into a 189-page do-it-yourself guide to the early identification of those emerging developments that eventually become the next big things.”—David Pearce Snyder, “In Forecasting, Mini Is Big,” The Futurist

“MINITRENDS should quickly become a—if not the—standard work for the futurist’s search for business opportunities, and therefore for a wide range of social, economic, and business applications. … Readers who should not be without it include professors of futures studies and their students; all working futurists, whether employed by organizations or as consultants to them; and those responsible for planning and general direction in all business institutions.”—Joseph Coates, Foresight Network’s Futurist of the Year

“MINITRENDS spotlights specific ‘minitrends’ and trains people how to recognize them and take advantage of related job opportunities.—Torrey AndersonSchoepe, Yahoo News

“The most successful people in business are the innovators. … MINITRENDS is filled with useful information and advice on the concept, a vitally important addition to business collections.”Midwest Book Review

“I first heard John Vanston speak in 1994. His insights into the emerging Internet technologies were pivotal in shaping my own view and interest in pursuing their application to the larger challenges we now face globally. MINITRENDS continues this work, with insights, lessons, and cases that are relevant and provocative. I highly recommend this book.”—Dave Evans, Author, Social Media Marketing: The Next Generation of Business Engagement

For the individual who wants to improve their personal finances, this volume proceeds from the process of searching for a Minitrend to developing an exploitation scheme. In between is an exploration of nine attractive MiniTrends, including ones that could be taken advantage of by larger companies, with the employee playing a key role in their pursuit.—Book News (Annotation ©2011 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

I think MINITRENDS is a good book that’s definitely worth reading by anyone who wants to understand where things are going and what they have to do to get there. —Michael Lamoureux, aka the doctor, Sourcing Innovation

I’d recommend this book to anyone looking to find a niche to call their own when it comes to business opportunities. Once you get into the mindset of looking for these minitrends, these unfulfilled and unaddressed needs, you find that everything you read and listen to starts to take on a whole new meaning.”—Thomas “Duffbert” Duff, Duffbert’s Random Musings

MINITRENDS leads list of “Six Science Books for the Holiday Season”!—David Bradley, ScienceBase

MINITRENDS is one of the most important books for technology entrepreneurs written in the last decade. With diligent attention to processes and trends, it provides a specific set of factors that entrepreneurs should consider in order to maximize the opportunity for success in the marketplace.”—Augie Grant, Ph.D, Professor, University of South Carolina

MINITRENDS is a wonderful book to help people turn on their inner investor ear. As a banker, I see this book as a useful tool to help individuals gain more wealth, thus having more capital to live better lives.”—Tanisha Walter, Vice President, Wealth Management Banker, Bank of America

“Packed with usable ‘how to’ information and real life examples about how to find MiniTrends and take action to prosper from them. … I’m very excited about this book.”—Terry B. Newman, Assistant Vice President, Graduate School, University of Texas at Austin

“As I go deeper into the chapters, the more I like the book! You have managed to hit the sweet spot of this fascinating concept of MiniTrends.” —Guy deManuel, President, Sigma Dataserv Informática (Brazil)

MINITRENDS, in my view, is not a cookbook or short list of catchy topics, but rather a rich collection of ways to prod and refresh creative thinking to achieve future technological innovation.—Karl Vesper, Ph.D., Kent R. Hance Distinguished Visiting Regents Chair in Entrepreneurship, Texas Tech University, University of Washington

“In MINITRENDS Dr. Vanston brings a systematic and analytical approach to the identification and exploitation of technological breakthroughs. Dr. Vanston uses a wealth of ‘real-world’ examples to show the advantages, both personal and professional, of such an approach.”--Richard Drury, BGen, USAF (ret), Sr. Lecturer & Associate Chairman (ret), Department of Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics, The University of Texas at Austin

“MINITRENDS contains an arsenal of resources and frameworks for discovering and exploiting new market directions. It is dense with relevant examples and details, yet is enjoyable and compelling read-ing. Looking back on all the business books I’ve read, it is sincerely one of the most refreshingly honest and direct pieces. There is so much packed into so few pages that finishing a book and knowing you can go out and take action on what you’ve read is unique in my experience.”–Brook Capps, Product Line Manager, Fortune 50 Computer Manufacturer

“As the world goes through this period of major change that only happens every 100 years or so, we find that those things that ‘always worked’ no longer do. MINITRENDS is timely in exposing and explaining the gold mine of new opportunities that exist for us. The book comes along at just the right time to help business and gov-ernment leaders rapidly grasp the mind-boggling technology devel-opments, put them in language that can be understood, and convert them into practical applications for a highly competitive market-place.”–Ervin (Butch) Ackman, Organization Change Management, RWD Technologies

“Attempting to predict the future is always a dicey proposition, but John Vanston has used his powerful, common-sense approach to identify what can only be described as the inevitable. The book stimulated me to think of a few MiniTrends of my own.”–Howard Smallowitz, Project Manager, IBM

“I have read a lot of business books, but MINITRENDS is definitely unique, which is refreshing. It’s also very timely given the state of the economy and the fact that businesses are having to redefine themselves if they are to stay afloat. It is clear that Dr. Vanston has a wealth of knowledge on the subject.”–Laura Alter, Search Engine Optimization Expert, All Web Leads, Inc.

“As I go deeper into the chapters, the more I like the book! You have managed to hit the sweet spot of this fascinating concept of Mini-trends. The book itself is a precious gem.”–Guy deManuel, President, Sigma Dataserv Informática (Brazil)

“MINITRENDS offers a highly readable route through numerous examples of MiniTrends presented in a structure that makes grasping the concepts both enjoyable and a rapid read. The very fact that MiniTrends are likely to be overlooked offers huge opportunities for those wise enough to spot and capitalize on them. The path blazed is clear: assessment of value, searching, examples of small to large enterprise issues, and, finally, profiting from MiniTrends. Wherever the reader is, there is a place for her or him in this book.”–Jim Bryce, Attorney at Law

“In this readable, well-organized discourse, Dr. Vanston masterfully guides the reader from the stage of passively experiencing current events to a stage that enables one to discern actively nuances and implications within business and social contexts that can signify new trends. We need more such expert guidance into the development of the higher order cognitive skills of creativity, interpretation, and judgment in order to prepare our young people for the decade ahead.”–Henry Baird, Associate Dean, ITT Technical Institute, Seattle

“I really enjoyed this book and could not put it down. MINITRENDS is a great source of practical advice for helping me find and act on ideas for creating new opportunities in all areas of my home and work life. I highly recommend it for anyone motivated to get more out of life.”–Tim Rotunda, System Software Engineer, Fortune 50 Technology Company

“An important part of any business is ensuring product offerings remain aligned with ever-changing market conditions. The MiniTrends concept enables colleges to better anticipate new market con-ditions and adapt their product offerings for increased student success after the classroom.”–Michael Bettersworth, Associate Vice Chancellor for Technology Advancement, Texas State Technical College

“Dr. Vanston’s concise framework for exploiting emerging trends takes trend spotting from merely interesting social conversation, to valuable business opportunities and beyond. I found MINITRENDS to be a practical ‘how to’ guide to discovering, analyzing, and benefiting from emerging trends applicable to my industry and market. Packed with specific Minitrend examples from social media, technology, telecommunications, and the like, this book serves as a valuable resource for any home business, entrepreneur, or corporate executive.”–Alfredo Herrera, Owner, Levity Properties, and Supply Chain Management, U.S. Semiconductor Company

“MINITRENDS is an excellent book that I am confident will be very useful to its readers. I, personally, found the sections of the book that included plentiful examples to be most valuable.”–Mark Kapner, Strategic Planning & Enterprise Development, Austin Energy

“Having spent 25 years as an information professional, I have watched the Internet and the Web thoroughly transform the information industry and the information seeking and managing behaviors of end-users. In this book Dr. Vanston outlines his approach for identifying the signs that indicate MiniTrends in your own environment. He then provides valuable tools that anyone can use to interpret them and then profit from them.”–Mark McFarland, Associate Director for Digital Initiatives, The University of Texas at Austin and Co-Director of the Digital Library

“I heartily recommend MINITRENDS for anyone in marketing, sales, or any role related to business development. It will serve as a fantastic resource. This book did not just provide me with food for thought. It provided a huge feast! I eagerly turned the pages as I discovered more great ideas and ways of thinking that could provide me with much material and inspiration in my own line of work.”
–Todd W. Smith, Executive Consultant, Bradley-Morris, Inc.

“Dr. Vanston has for years been a leading professional in the art and practice of technology forecasting. Now, with his daughter Carrie, he has pushed the art even further with their new book, MINITRENDS. For both individuals and organizations of all types, I recommend it as a practical way to improve both foresight and effectiveness.”–Oliver Markley, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Studies of the Future, University of Houston, Clear Lake, and Principal, InwardBoundVisioning.com

“MINITRENDS is the best guidebook I’ve found for today’s technology marketplace. We’re in a time of tumultuous change and this book is full of practical tools to help marketers figure out which changes are actually points on a trend line, which trends are pointing to business opportunities, and which opportunities are the most promising. This is essential stuff for marketers, entrepreneurs, analysts, and anyone else interested in where business and technology are headed. I highly recommend it.”–Kermit L. Ross, President & Founder, Millennium Marketing

“MINITRENDS made me think in ways that I had previously not considered. Reading the book provided me with a catalyst to cut through the brush and open additional pathways of opportunity.”–Roger Storer, Investor/Entrepreneur

“Almost 30 years ago, I read with great interest Naisbitt’s book Megatrends. MINITRENDS differs from Megatrends in that it provides instructions that have allowed me to personalize my own data mining procedures so that I can solve my own problems. The book is so packed with sources of information, it is hard to understand how Dr. Vanston got it all done. He must have a staff of hundreds, jars full of NoDoz, and cots in the office.”–Dayle Baldauf, Baldauf & Associates Real Estate

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