Discovering numerous new business opportunities in modern cities can be considered a complex undertaking. Nevertheless, increased air travel volumes have allowed entrepreneurs to visit different parts of the globe and realize that specific enhanced ways of performing everyday activities already exist. Therefore, I believe that finding business opportunities should not be considered something inferior to creating them, as such occurrences often change the world on a larger scale. For instance, this is precisely what happened when Howard Schultz discovered the opportunity for Starbucks coffee. The businessman actively applied expertise to marketing the product and expanding the chain, but his main contribution was based on his ability to notice cultural differences and existing ingenious solutions.
Coffee has long been considered one of the most important commodities in world history. It is widely believed that people might not have created numerous highly efficient factories and institutions several centuries ago without caffeine’s remarkable stimulating effect on the human brain. Different nations started to enjoy both the drink and the ability to concentrate and perform complex or routine tasks for hours. Therefore, it is not surprising that numerous delicious coffee-based drinks were created in the Middle East and Southern Europe. In interviews, Howard Schultz highlights that his desire to discover various lifestyles and cultures stands behind his Starbucks success.
Italians and several other nations have been experimenting with various ways of processing coffee beans for centuries. Cities in Southern Europe were full of various cafes that specialized in coffee long before Starbucks sought to revolutionize the industry. Therefore, I firmly believe that Howard Schultz became a successful entrepreneur due to his willingness to accept that other cultures may feature numerous advanced approaches to certain products that were not genuinely admired in his country.
