Sunday 20 August 2017

The 3 Killer Cs - Cyclical, Capital-intensive and Commoditised

"The 3 Killer Cs"

Not one but three 'killer Cs' lurk around the darkest corners of the business world. 

If any one of them grips a business, it makes life hell for the managers and profits elusive for the owners. What are they? 

The first is 'cyclical'. 



  • When a business is cyclical, it sees large and unpredictable swings in its revenues, margins, and profits. Everything that matters is all over the place. 

The second is 'capital-intensive'. 



  • Businesses afflicted by high capital-intensity require a lot to produce little. They s u  c k investors dry as they need large amounts of capital to make profits. 

The third is 'commoditised'. 



  • Companies here can do very little to prove to customers that their product or service is better than their competitor's. 

The presence of even one of these killer Cs is bad news for a business. 

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