This is the fifth in a series of trend-spotting tips from Hilary Kramer's newly-released book, Ahead of the Curve. In order to effectively spot trends, be a news junkie. This might be the most obvious tip in my book, but it is amazing how few people do it and how it can help get you ahead of the curve. Read the papers, listen to the radio, watch TV reports, and log onto bloggers that you respect. I'm not just talking about paying attention to the financial sections. The headlines from any section of the daily paper can uncover clues to trends in the making and companies that could turn hot and make you money.
For a simple example: it is unlikely you missed the news of the recent tragic bridge collapse in Minnesota. News reports on the collapse put a spotlight on the crumbling infrastructure problem in the U.S. If you follow the news on the radio, the TV, the papers and blogs, you've probably also noticed somewhere that the U.S. government in the next decade will dedicate more than $1.3 trillion of upgrades necessary to improve its infrastructure. Put two and two together, and you see how this infrastructure improvement will become a growing trend.
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