AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY: TYPES, CHARACTERISTICS AND EXAMPLES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The areas of opportunity include different concepts; They can refer to both the personal sphere and the business sphere. Some take it as details or parts of our personality that are usually considered defects and become an area of ​​opportunity because some people see these vices as beneficial. This is generally considered so on a personal level.

However, other people define it as activities required or necessary to meet a certain requirement and thus guarantee at a higher level the management system imposed in a company or other places. This point is more focused on the business sense.

For example, one area of ​​opportunity in a person could be improving their social skills or productivity at work. In the case of a company it could be starting its business and operations in a country where it has not yet done so.

Types of opportunity areas

Areas of opportunity on a personal level

From a personal point of view, not taking advantage of or losing our areas of opportunity is exemplified in facts that become a vice, bad habit or trick, which could damage or harm our professional life, thus causing a severe problem.

Therefore, the best we can do is work to improve our areas of opportunity, in order to also acquire a better quality of life.

The main thing is to identify which are those bad habits that are influencing negatively and begin to eradicate them. Obviously, it is a slow and complex process. However, with small daily actions, we can achieve the different goals that we set ourselves.

In the long term, these changes that are made on a personal level will translate into success and a better quality of life in every way. It will be possible to be a more constant, committed, responsible person, among other things, in addition to all those that the job requires to achieve a higher level.

In 2010, Behisa P., proposed a series of steps to take to overcome all areas of personal opportunity. Specifically, there are seven points that are interrelated and help overcome any obstacle.

1- Know ourselves

The first step is that as people, we must delve into our being and recognize what are the main strengths and weaknesses that lead our life. That you are going through a complicated situation does not define the rest of the aspects of life. There will always be something good.

2- Analyze past experiences

The second step is to remember the experiences previously lived in life, so that in this way, those things that served as learning are taken to apply those lessons in a practical way.

3- Enhance the virtues

Regarding the third step, Behisa, P., says: “The most important key to define your areas of opportunity is to exploit and apply innate skills and abilities, everything in which we are better, provides us with excellent performance. The fastest way to move forward is to identify what we do well ”(2010).

4- Write down skills

Fourth, it is recommended to make a detailed list of what are the best skills that the person has, including talents, hobbies, knowledge. Simply, all areas that are mastered to a great extent.

5- Sort the skills listed

Based on the skills that are mastered and the activities that the person most possesses, the activities listed above must be organized in order of priority.

6- Select the best

In sixth place, you have to choose the five best hobbies, skills, talents, gifts, among others that have been at the top of the list: these define your new areas of opportunity, to get the most out of it.

7- Get carried away

As a last step, simply let your imagination and excellence fly, based on those talents that are now recognized as having.

Opportunity areas at the business level

Primarily, what we must do is identify what are those failures or mistakes that could be made, in order to be more clear about the aspects in which we must work hard and improve.

Training is one of the best ways to improve in areas of opportunity. Simply, what are the training needs (DNC, for its acronym in English)?

This methodology detects exactly what are the errors in which we must work and is not carried away by intuition. This program is mostly carried out in four stages.

1- Ideal situation

The main thing is that the counselors must determine what are the knowledge, skills and requirements that are requested, but that the staff does not have and therefore cannot use them to perform their work in the best way. This is called an ideal situation.

In turn, the ideal situation is broken down into several elements. In the first part, there are the material resources, which are the necessary equipment for the workers to develop their function.

In addition, it should describe what are the functions performed by each person in the company, and the work environment that each person needs to perform their work in the most optimal way.

2- Real situation

On the other hand, and as the second item, there is the description of the real situation, which as its name mentions, it should be discussed what are the knowledge and skills that the personnel who work at that site really possess. For this, the help of interviews and questionnaires, among other tools, will be required.

3- Comparative analysis

In the third step, a comparative analysis between the real situation and the ideal situation should be included. After this and, based on the indicators previously placed, the previously obtained results are verified and related.

In this way, it will be easier to know which are the influential factors that must be achieved and which are the ones that are already considered acquired.

4- Real training needs

The last factor to be carried out and followed by the step carried out above is to establish what the real training needs are. This will help you know the areas where your employees need help.

On the other hand, businesses have different sectors in which to develop that can be an advantage according to the level of supply and demand in their country or region and that could be considered as areas of opportunity.

Tourism is a business that rises annually and is currently one of the most demanded and used services by people. All things that have to do with hospitality, airlines, packages of offers in different hotels or places, among others.

It should be noted that first you must analyze whether the country where you live is profitable to carry out this business. However, as it is a large company, with many competitors, it is recommended to offer new products that interest and attract the attention of customers, in addition to meeting their needs.

On the other hand, financial services have been booming in recent years, being one of the fastest growing business areas. The services to be offered can be investment advice, for small entrepreneurs or families, it could also be advice with a credit aid or advice with payment methods.

The health area is a sector that never ceases to be valid. Above all, in recent years, degenerative diseases and diseases of all kinds have increased and, therefore, the demand has been greater, which makes this area a great opportunity.

In addition, satisfaction is received on a personal level because it helps people lead a healthier life every day. Another area of ​​opportunity can be electronic commerce, that is, making safe methods to buy different products and pay for them online.

In this sense, the increase in internet access has influenced. The products to be offered can be of various types, from clothing, shoes, jewelry, to household or cleaning products.

The last area of ​​opportunity is customer services, which greatly increase the satisfaction obtained by users. No matter what company you work for, one of the most important elements is to please the customer and thus gain their approval and guarantee a next purchase.

In addition, in this way, it is possible for these loyal customers satisfied by the good service to recommend the business of their choice to their acquaintances.

Examples of business-level opportunity areas

Following the area in which companies take greater advantage of all their weaknesses, or simply exploit their capabilities to a higher level, we find different examples.

1- Disney

The first of them, and one of the most popular, is what happened with Disney. Originally, it was just a company dedicated to making movies. He saw his success and set himself a new challenge.

Some time later, it reached the creation of theme parks and a new line of products, which include toys, dolls and costumes, among others.

2- Amazon

Likewise, Amazon went from being a store that sold only books to selling all kinds of products to buy online, reaching the success it is today.

3- Apple

Originally created in the twentieth century as one of the main companies that sold only computers and computers, but its greatest achievement was achieved when it decided to expand its horizons and get the iPhone.

4- Transformation of the music market

Finally, in the music and bands created in the 70s and 80s, the greatest income that singers received was thanks to the records sold. Today, revenue comes in from concerts and tours performed around the world.

References

1. Abramson, AJ, Tobin, MS, & VanderGoot, MR (1995). The changing geography of metropolitan opportunity: The segregation of the poor in US metropolitan areas, 1970 to 1990. Housing Policy Debate, 6 (1), 45-72.
2. Behisa, P. (2010). 7 concrete steps to learn to define your areas of opportunity. Recovered from: patriciabehisa.com.
3. Benson, T., and Mugarura, S. (2013). Livestock development planning in Uganda: Identification of areas of opportunity and challenge. Land use policy, 35, 131-139. Recovered from: sciencedirect.com.
4. Cloward, RA, & Ohlin, LE (2013). Delinquency and opportunity: a study of delinquent gangs (Vol. 6). Routledge. Recovered from books.google.com.
5. Cox, T., Maris, T., De Vleeschauwer, P., De Mulder, T., Soetaert, K., & Meire, P. (2006). Flood control areas as an opportunity to restore estuarine habitat. Ecological Engineering, 28 (1), 55-63. Recovered from: sciencedirect.com.
6. Hof, J., Flather, C., Baltic, T., and King, R. (2004). Forest and rangeland ecosystem condition indicators: identifying national areas of opportunity using data envelopment analysis. Forest Science, 50 (4), 473-494. Recovered from: ingentaconnect.com.
7. Ihlanfeldt, KR (1999). The geography of economic and social opportunity in metropolitan areas. Governance and opportunity in metropolitan America. Recovered from: books, google.com.