The Business Divide

There was a day when you went to the grocery store or somewhere to buy a product and did not think about who made it.  You might have had some favorite brands but didn't know about the company outside of what they made.  And what I mean by that is what the principles of that company were.  Where was their product made? Where did they donate their money for a particular cause? What were their political views?

Today, our country is so divided that we can't agree on products, services, or even sports teams because of their views outside of what they produce.  This is important, but why can't businesses stay out of politics? I realize owners will have their views, but the point is to connect to all customers regardless of opinions on a particular cause. 

When companies draw the line and publicly announce where they stand. They have decided they only want to support and market to a particular group.  And that is fine with me.  I will not go into an establishment that does not want my dollars based on my political views.  I will support the businesses that share my views. 

Buy American!

Photo - pixabay - stevepb 

Keep it Simple

Why does politics have to be a component of every decision we make?

This applies to almost everything we hear in the news.  Within businesses, we see this when large corporations compete with other companies; someone is always trying to make a deal with a politician to gain some advantage over their competitors. I don't believe this applies to lower-level office departments, but to some degree, the "office politics" is in progress daily. The entertainment industry has a load of political actors who use their popularity to manipulate fans. And, of course, the sports industry, like the entertainment industry, has its fair share of opinions.

My opinion is to take the politics out, and I know that is impossible, but why can't marketing, businesses, sports, and entertainment eliminate the political aspect. We already have enough problems, so why add to the stress. Keep everything simple; everything does not have to have a political agenda.

Photo - pixabay - flockine               

Generation X

I recently read an article about Cracker Barrel and Walmart closing some of their stores in Portland, Oregon. Several articles stated it was due to the pandemic, crime, and staffing issues.

These businesses are an everyday staple around the United States. What is the future of retail trade in general? These two companies are popular and employ thousands across the United States. But it doesn't stop here. Other business industries are struggling with the same issues.  

I have stated in past blog posts that the pandemic has changed how business is conducted. And crime is clearly continuing to go up. And the economy is in a downward spiral. The sad thing is we cannot do anything about it. This is a generation issue. Those in the 20 to 40 age range are the keys to turning this around. And I don't believe this generation is prepared to take on these responsibilities. Sure, there are a few who will strive to be successful. My concern is this generation will be the future leaders of businesses and government. And this will directly affect the baby boomer generation, which includes me. They will be affected by the decisions made by the younger generation.

I don't know the answers to these questions, but I hope things will get better somehow.

Photo - pixabay - Mimirebelle

 

What is the Tipping Point?

The recent news of the SV Bank collapse is just one example of a business that was mismanaged, but there are plenty of other companies that are struggling to continue to operate daily. The banks are just the tip of the iceberg.  

Think about this, if banks are in trouble and they are in the business of money, which is the lifeblood of all companies, and they are struggling, imagine what a small business is going through now. I am not an economist or an expert on money management. This is just an observation.

• More banks are in trouble and are being looked at by federal regulators.
• Businesses are laying off employees by the thousands.
• The economy is the worst it's been since 2008.
• The cost of everything is up.

And this is general information anyone can find in the news.

What will be the tipping point for the US economy?

Photo - pixabay - Mediamodifier 

Job Security

In recent news, Microsoft (10,000) and Amazon (18,000) laid off thousands of employees.

There was a time going back to the1950's 1960's you landed a job at a well-established company; you were set until you were ready to retire. But in today's economic-driven environment, it is more prevalent that the bigger the company, the more chance you have of being laid off. And the much smaller business is the one to retire from.  Having a job has always been a necessary part of making a living to pay the bills, but if you're in the job market looking for the perfect job. I'll have to say they do not exist. There will always be a boardroom of decision makers to decide about layoffs or the large, more profitable companies with specialized teams to seek and find another company to buy out. The big fish eats the smaller fish reality, it's a brutal business. 

My generation has experienced excellent companies that care for 20-year employees; I believe future generations will only experience working for a place for about 5 years. 

Job security has been redefined as working at most 10 years in one place. Sad as it may seem, it's the truth.

Photo - pixabay - geralt

Get Back to Work!

I was watching the news this morning, and the reports stated the pandemic affected people to the point of not wanting to return to work.  I understand businesses had to shut down during the pandemic because of local laws. But all of that is over. It's time to get back to work. Industries are suffering now because nobody wants to work. I really do not know how people cannot work.  How are they paying the bills? I know an underlying factor of receiving the unemployment check, but that has to end.  The unemployed cannot continue to live off the government. While those of us continue to work, we can't stay home and wait for our unemployment check. 

If something does not change soon, businesses will either be forced to close or move their business online, or the latest trend in the retail industry is the expansion of self-checkout. And I really do not see that lasting because of shoplifting. There will be a time when everything you buy will be online. The days of going into a business and interacting with a real person are about to end.  

Capitalizing on Change

The pandemic completely changed the way we do business.  The opportunities to reinvent the way we do business have a massive potential for entrepreneurial investments. 

Probably the most significant change is the working-from-home environment.

Here is just a short list of ways someone could invest:

• The home office - items could be either rented or purchased.
•  Home office warehouse - distributing office furniture like desks, cabinets, etc. for a corporation; these items would also be retrieved once an employee leaves the company.
• Office supplies - a growth opportunity for companies like Staples and Office Depot for home delivery.

What will be the next opportunity to expand?

Can a current distributing company expand to cater to home-office opportunities?

This is the American way - capitalism at its best

  

The Culture of Business Now

The internal working environment before the pandemic was a traditional office culture of a desk, phone, and computer in an office or cubicle and, depending on the position, maybe had a few more office perks. Most people working in an office thought the pandemic would be over in a few months and everything would return to normal. But now, as people have returned after working from home for over two years have discovered the culture of business has changed.

Now - going into the office to do a day's work is inconvenient. The common practice of working from home is the norm. 

Now - Meetings are no longer conducted in a conference room with everyone present in their business attire. Meetings are via zoom call from a home office, kitchen, den, or wherever is the most comfortable. And the dress depends on who's in the meeting but could range from extremely casual to suit and tie.

Now - the hours of sitting in rush hour traffic are gone. One could live hours away from the office or live in another country.

Now - the office lunch bag is gone; an employee could cook their lunch in their own kitchen.

This could go on and on, but the culture of a business office has changed forever, which brings up the next topic - how can new business ventures capitalize on this changing culture? 

Photo: louisehoffmann83/pixabay

 

    

  

Are You Ready?

 2019 was the last year we knew of a "somewhat normal" way of life.

Since then, we have had the following:

• Pandemic
• Election Fraud
• Civil Unrest and Protest
• Business Closures
• School Curriculum Controversy
• Supply Chain Breakdown
• Interest Rate Increase
• Stock Market Down
• War in Ukraine
• Threats of Nuclear War 
• Cyber Attacks
• Rising Gas Prices
• Progressive vs. Conservative

Is there more to add?

All of this has affected us in some way or another. It is important at this time to be thinking about preparedness. Actually, if you are just now thinking about it you are already behind. So, without going into some major details about preparedness, which will be a later post, think about how the above list of events affected you.

Did you feel at any time you were un-prepared?

What could you have done differently?

Thinking about current events, could our country be affected?

Has the supply chain and the increase cost affected you?

If you could not get supplies, do you have enough now to last at least month?

What if all utilities (water, electricity, gas) were cut-off?

What would you do if all communications collapsed?

And the last question, Are you Ready?

  

photo - ArtTower - pixabay

Businesses Gone

I work in downtown Nashville and over the pandemic months I have seen many businesses closed their doors forever.

I went to most places for lunch. I got to know many of the people that worked there, not necessarily as friends, but a nice interaction with some kind people.  It is sad in many ways.  People have lost their jobs and businesses that were open for a long time are now closed. 

Hopefully, as time heals the wounds to the city's economy new businesses and people will come back.    

Businesses Need Us

 Businesses in America today needs our support.

The business of America is in great need right now.  We have an obligation as citizens to do what we can to buy products, use services, and to pay people to work for us. And to take this a step further, when buying products - to buy American. 

This might seems to be an obvious solution to bring back our economy but when the process of buying an item begins it creates a snowball effect in the supply chain.  

The product has to be made and those materials needed have to be produced which employees even more people and once those materials are created they have to be transported. This begins another process, trucks, trains, air transports, and ships at sea, all of this employees people. And when people are employed they in turn go out and buy products and the cycle of producing a single item starts again.

Buy American     

Forever Changed ?

The pandemic will change the way we live our lives forever.

I believe even after a vaccine for the virus has been implemented somethings will still stay the same and other parts of our lives will change drastically.  There will be people that will continue to wear mask. Some businesses will continue to require a mask before entering their establishment and they will have the right to refuse service. And to take this a step further, some cities will continue to have mandates to be enforced.  Businesses will give up office space and end their lease agreements to have employees work from home.

And the entertainment industry, will change venues, to a virtual concept instead of live events in a auditorium. Sports will be greatly be effected, the large gathering of fans that once filled stadiums will no longer exist. Again going to a virtual viewing of a game.  

Shopping will continue to expand to more online orders. Shopping Malls will close.  Grocery stores will become warehouse type buildings that will function as distribution points for the online orders.  Delivery drivers will become an expanding industry.

This can be an opportunity or an eventual end to an industry.   

Before and After

Just a few thoughts about about this point in time, our history.

I believe that the COVID-19 will mark a point in our lives when we will talk about time in terms of was that before or after the pandemic. Because it has effected every particle of the day-to day activities, from what happens at home, workplaces, restaurants, sporting events and the list could go on and on.  History will record how well we survived, the good and bad decisions, medical history in case this happens again.  All the lessons will be our history to go the books for future generations to read. 

I wonder how history will describe this event?  

United

United We Stand 

As the country re-starts the economy. Now everybody has an opinion about the pandemic whether it's who to blame or this or that could have been accomplished differently, it does not matter. We need to unite just as we did in the first few weeks when everybody was at home and the streets were empty. We seemed to be united during that time because we in someway suffered together. 

The unemployment rate is the highest in years. We can all unite putting all political differences aside. Everyone needs to safely go out and buy goods and services in their local economy. This will jumpstart our cities bring the unemployment down and pumping dollars back for the rebuilding of America.

Rebuilding

In the upcoming months what will it take to rebuild?

Once the businesses start to fully open, we will have to go out and support the businesses in our local economy. The support we give by spending our dollars in these businesses will open the opportunity for employees to come back to work, for vendors to start selling and delivering supplies. This action will have a ripple effect. Our time out spending will greatly affect our nation's economy. 

Next, I believe it is important to buy American, buy the products made in the USA and again the effect - employment opportunities and the economy grows in our own country. We should be able to support ourselves as a nation and not depend on another county for products that could easily be produced here.

The Usual Business

           

Continuing with the pandemic posts

Next, How will this affect the economy of the United States and World?

First allow me to give a disclaimer I am not an economist 😄 
this is just my opinion like everything else in this blog.

The economy has clearly tanked unemployment is on the rise. Businesses are closing. As grim as this sounds, I believe we will rebound. How? one thing that will happen is people will come out of their home to spend money. Six weeks of not going to restaurants, shopping in the local mall, and the list could go on.... 

I have seen some of the local favorite restaurants in a semi-open carry out only. Once the stay at home order is lifted these places will be pack with people spending money. The result, employees back to work, the vendor's delivering supplies making sales, the farmers who sell to the vendors back to work in the fields.  And the heartbeat of the economy starts to beating again. We will survives this, it might take awhile but we will be stronger and thriving again.   

Bounce Back

To continue from the last post…

Once this pandemic is over, I believe we will come back even stronger than before. But I also believe after a few months people will have forgotten what is was like to be social separated for each other.

So, on my first point, we will be stronger than before. This is having to do with business, new jobs will be created or at least transformed. The stay at home orders has created a new way of doing business.  A company could reduce their square footage of their office space because employees have successfully work at home. New software programs created to enable employees the conduct meetings more effectively online from home. Also, there is the whole aspect of home office products to be sold. 

My second point, society will soon forget what is was like to be completely separated for each other.  This happen during 9/11. The patriotism that was felt during that time was very uplifting but as the months and years past is diminished and became a memory of those who experienced. My hope is people will remember this event in history.

We will bounce back from this with many lessons learned.

Smartphones

Will the Smartphone make us unsociable?

I attended a business class several months ago to accomplish two things, to learn something and to network with business professionals. At our first break I was ready to network. I was ready to discuss the class or to connect with like-minded people, maybe even a job connection. But to my surprise every person in the class turned on their phone. I had a "regular" mobile phone. I wanted to network but it seemed as if I would disturb my classmates if I talked to them while they were using their Smartphone.

I experience often while on the elevator at work the unsociable side of Smartphone’s. People will automatically read their emails or surf the net. No greetings or conversations. Again, interrupting someone almost seems rude. I didn’t quite understand why everyone was so fascinated with their phones. I had a flip phone at the time and I thought I was somewhat current with the latest gadgets, until I decided to upgrade to a Smartphone.

I now have the latest in Smartphone technology. I understand now the fascination with this technology. I have the world at my fingertips. But one thing I will not do is be unsociable. I make conscience effort to not focus my attention on my phone when I'm interacting with people.

Smartphone’s can make us more sociable with Twitter and Facebook, but let’s not forget to turn off the phone and interact with the people around us.

Being sociable and interacting with one another is better when it is done face to face.