The tough economic times have given an unexpected opportunity to people whose cars could be repossessed. Vehicle repossessions in 2008 are up 10% and analysts expect 1.6 million repossessions nationwide. Much like the trend with home foreclosures, however, many lenders are trying to keep borrowers in their cars. Repossessed vehicles are selling way below blue book value at auction and very likely below outstanding balances on the loans. Because of this, banks, finance companies and credit unions are increasingly willing to adjust loans because they're losing money. In this case their loss could be the consumers gain.
In response to consumer demand for 100-calorie snack packs Hostess, the maker of Twinkies, is introducing "Twinkie Bites". Although the more than 500 million yellow, cream-filled cakes sold yearly have only 50 more calories than the bite-size version, there's a $400 million market for low-calorie snack packs. This market – which didn't exist 5 years ago – is expected to grow as more people pack lunches to save money in the down economy. Selling more Twinkies would also help Interstate Bakeries – Hostess' parent company – end 4 years of bankruptcy. Interstate Bakeries has an opportunity to have its cake and eat it too.
Because of the 1934 invention of 6-man football, small schools have an opportunity to play the game. The field is smaller – 80x40 yards, the quarters are shorter – 10 minutes, the ball has to be moved 15 yards for a first down and all 6 players are eligible receivers. There are differences in scoring too. Field goals are 4 points, point-after kicks are 2 points and conversion plays are 1 point. Other than that, the fundamentals are the same. It's a faster moving game that's moving throughout small, rural towns in the west and into Canada that are game for something new.
Autopsies aren't new. In the 1970's 50% of hospital deaths were autopsied. Today, because of the cutbacks required by managed health care plans, only 2%-5% of these deaths are autopsied – a statistic that has provided opportunity for Vidal Hererra, a veteran autopsy technician, who opened his own business. When he started "1-800-Autopsy" in East Los Angeles in 1988, he did 40 autopsies. Twenty years later his $1 million business has 4 employees, performs 700 autopsies a year and has spun off 4 franchises. Considering the U.S. death rate is presently 2.4 million a year, Hererra is no longer in a dead-end job.
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