Apple Business Cycle

Introduction
Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and sells consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. Apple (AAPL) founded in 1976 is a leading software and hardware company with over 170 retail stores around the world. The company sells its products to a wide customer base, from individuals, educational institutions, creative professionals, to small and mid level business. In addition Apple various products are sold through their online store as well as third party vendors worldwide. The company's best-known hardware products are the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, he iPhone and the iPad.

Four keys to innovation and growth

Global competition and a weak economy have made growth more challenging than ever. Yet some organizations such as Apple seem to defy the laws of economic gravity. The most successful growth companies adopt at least four best practices:
Find the next S-curve Lean on customers Think like a designer Lead the way

Find the next S-curve

Nothing grows forever. The best products, markets, and business models go through a predictable cycle of growth and maturity, often depicted as an S-curve.

Diminishing returns set in as the most attractive customers are reached, price competition emerges, the current product loses its luster, customer support challenges emerge, new operating skills are required, and so on.

Lean on customers
Successful growth companies have a deep understanding of their customers problems. Many are embracing tools such as the customer empathy map to uncover new opportunities to create value. This customer insight is the foundation for their lean approach to product innovation: rapid prototyping, design partnerships with lead users, and pivoting to improve their product and business model.

Think like a designer

Managers are trained to make choices, but they dont always have good options. Innovation involves creating new options. This is where designers excel. Apples exceptional user experiences were largely the creation of Jonathan Ive, a professional designer and Jobs right-hand man. Design thinking requires a different set of tools. Growth company strategists have abandoned Porters Five Forces Analysis because it assumes that markets have well-defined boundaries and competitors must fight for market share.

Lead the way

Unless the CEO makes innovation a priority, it wont happen. Innovation requires a level of risk-taking and failure thats impossible without executive air cover. To launch his successful Think Different campaign, Steve Jobs commissioned The Crazy Ones, a video that featured Einstein, Edison, Gandhi, Muhammad Ali, Hitchcock, Richard Branson, and other trouble-makers who changed the world. Every employee understood the CEOs views on risk-taking and innovation. Adopting these four best practices can help any company drive innovation and growth.

Market Analysis
Technology Industry Research & Analysis: The technology industry broadly includes companies whose primary function is to create innovative products and processes. Information technology deals with the management and processing of information. Technology Trading Strategy: The technology industry tends to be sensitive to economic cycles. Upward sloping stock charts and financial news may indicate a selling opportunity while the opposite means that stocks are becoming undervalued. Industry Sub Sector: Hardware Apple is a dominant industry leader due to its personnel, experience and financial strengths. Industry leaders are difficult to compete against, which decreases business and investor risks. The market is quickly expanding. This lowers the threat of direct competition and increases Apple's profits.

Strategy Analysis
Apple possesses significant barriers to entry that slows competitive threats and increases profits. Apple's strategy is to continuously improve. This helps to fend against competitive threats and increases shareholder returns