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Global stock market triggers may be defined as forces that affect large daily jumps in worldwide stock and bond markets. This includes places where shares are bought and sold. Political events such as the recent inauguration of Donald J Trump as the 45th President of the United States saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) jump some 95 points as he pledged to protect American jobs. This was significant as the Dow is a price-weighted average of 30 major stocks traded on both the NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). It’s necessary to note that the NASDAQ Stock Market is an American based stock exchange. It has a market capitalisation in excess of USD 8.5 trillion and is the second largest exchange in the market capitalisation world only bested by the New York Stock Exchange.
January 2017 also saw the inauguration of India’s first international exchange known as India INX. This exchange has been set up with the foresight to open with the Japan market and close with the U.S. markets. It essentially means India INX will trade for some 22 hours in real time each day. Based at the Gujarat International Financial Tech City (GIFT) in Gandhinagar, India INX boasts of having a turnaround time of 4 microseconds and intends to initially trade currency, equity and commodity derivatives including stocks and index. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Bombay Stock Exchange which itself has a market capitalisation of USD 1.64 trillion. European markets, and the London Stock Exchange, in particular, are cautiously responding to Britain’s decision to leave/exit the European Union. This decision came out of a referendum on June 23, 2016, and is commonly abbreviated as Brexit for ‘British exit’.
Global stock market triggers impact trade and sooner or later these global triggers impact national business development which then affects small to medium-sized business owners. Online retailing has made it easier for the consumer to directly access products and do so in a relatively short time. Centennials are fast rivalling millennials (Generation X) as the focus group for future spending and centennials are more pragmatic. They are less idealistic and intelligently basic in their assessment of their needs. This group also is known as Generation Z were born roughly 1995-2008 and they are generally very discerning. As future dominant consumers, they will impact product design and purchase which impacts business/share prices / and overall trade.
Suggesting you ‘keep an eye’ on the important factors that impact your profit may seem like presumptuous advice to offer any business owner/operator (more so one who reads Business Partner Magazine). This is not the intention. We are not talking about the classic textbook approach concerning factors such as unit cost, market share, unique selling point etc. We are talking about micro factors that may seem irrelevant but have the potential to derail your business if left ignored or simply disregarded as unimportant. For instance; India INX trading means the Indian and geographically close markets are likely to become even more competitive and this strength may affect the cost of clothing if you are a fashion retailer of in the fashion industry that outsources manufacturing to this part of the globe.
Brexit is already being blamed for minute yet clear price increases in basic household staples across British supermarkets. This is apparently due to extra transport costs. The point is that any costs incurred generally get passed on to the consumer – and consumers can vote with their pockets to seek a lower price for themselves. Consumers are more cost savvy, know they have a greater global choice and are shrewd as to the value that purchasing a particular product adds to their lives.
POINTS TO CONSIDER AS A BUSINESS OWNER / OPERATOR
* Check the financial news AND observe the consumer influencing power of a popular mobile app like Snapchat or a social networking app such as Instagram (IG)
* Review your in-house strategies every 3 months to ensure they are in line with your overall vision or focus at that point in time. The world and the stock markets change rapidly; it’s good business sense to keep abreast of said changes as best as possible.
* People you work with and the relationships you form are still priceless. They will remain so as long as humans inhabit this planet. Invest in building good personal / business relationships because they provide emotional currency, useful support and the impetus to withstand any fluctuations in any markets as you continue to grow your business.
Business is a slightly different animal yet it remains the same beast. Slightly different in that social activism linked to your brand/product gives a certain engaging appeal. As does the way you interact with your buying tribe and how you represent your core values. It remains the same beast as profit is the ultimate motivator, units must be shifted and market share maintained/improved. Being who you are as a brand, service or product already creates an authentic representation of how you do your business. The world still respects, loves and, equally as importantly, buys into authenticity.
About the Author
Malik Muhammad was raised and educated in Jamaica, read law in London and is the conceptualiser of The Empowerment Mastery System.
Malik enjoys vegan cooking, quad biking, jazz and yoga. He is an after-dinner speaker, workshop facilitator and convenes international & corporate inspirational seminars.
Malik is the host of online talk show ‘Reasoning Sessions’ and specialises in sharing self-empowerment strategies with diverse and multi-faith audiences.
