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Fattening Up Business Plans

There is only one way to run a successful business, and that is to have a business plan that caters to your biggest consumers, funnily enough, in the US, biggest can be taken quite literally. In the year 1980, 23 million Americans were obese, and those numbers were considered atrocious. Today, 26 years later, the numbers have almost tripled, with over 60 million obese Americans and are expected to increase to over 83 million by 2013. These facts are causing businesses with in the states to start thinking fat.

If you thought that it was just low-income families that are feeling the burden of a wider nation, think again. Research done in the University of Iowa has shown that the highest increases in obesity rates are coming out of middle class American homes, where the yearly income is over $60,000 a year. That means that businesses must find ways to satisfy their consumers, and how do you satisfy obese people? You must find ways to cater to their needs, be it larger clothes, larger seats or easier ways to complete everyday tasks.

Mattress companies, such as Select Comfort, have released new grand king size bed, which are 30% wider than standard kings. Other businesses are joining in as well, take Toyota for example, they have just released their Rav4 with seats that are 3 inches wider. Clothing designers, such as Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, have released a plus-size line of clothes. Small businesses have been popping up as well to try to assist the obese. One of these businesses sells airplane seat belt extenders, another supplies the obese consumer with larger toilet seats.