SURVIVING AMAZON
USA Today, on Sunday, August 8th, had an interesting article on AMAZON. In the mid-1990’s, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, had a vision of creating the biggest store on earth. He made his vision a reality and by doing so, left hundreds of independent businesses in his wake.
I want to give credit to Bezos for taking advantage of the opportunities that allowed him to create Amazon.
Many small and some large retailers feel that Amazon is their greatest competition. They are overwhelmed by its size and its ability to undersell the conventional retail store. Many shoppers go into a retail store, find what they want and then order it on AMAZON at a lower price and have next day delivery.
I don’t believe that AMAZON is finished yet; I think that they will continue to offer new and different products and services that are currently under the control of other businesses.
Don’t close your doors just yet. I believe, and so does the article, that small businesses can thrive even when competing with AMAZON. Small business has a secret, the human touch. I foresee a change in the consumer mentality: your personal and business story along with the experience that a small business can offer will develop and grow loyal fans. It’s going to be a slow process as this “newness “of change in the last 25 years along with the concept of instant gratification, is just now showing the very slight beginning of a return to human values.
In the meantime, work smart and develop a process to find and keep loyal customers.
“Be so good they can’t ignore you.”
– Steve Martin
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