Piketty sparks business debate
French economist Thomas Piketty, author of “Capital in the Twenty-First Century,” discusses income inequality among consumers, but small business owners have long known it applies to them as well.
If you’re too small, govt. and others want you gone
By Tim Coco
President and chief executive officer
The best-selling book, “Capital in the Twenty-First Century,” by French economist Thomas Piketty brings renewed attention to “income inequality” between the ultra rich and average consumer. However, micro and small businesses have long faced worse income inequality.
Although many micro and small business owners tend to think their interests are aligned with the politics of the giants, nothing could be further from the truth. Wal-Mart and Home Depot, as examples, have virtually destroyed mom and pop department and hardware stores. Bank consolidation has wiped out half of the small banks in the U.S. Even private equity-funded start-ups threaten remaining local businesses. Finally, the threatened loss of net neutrality could mean small business and banking websites could become invisible.
“Too often small business owners can face an uneven playing field because of regulations that were written with major corporations in mind,” said U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) National Ombudsman Brian Castro.
Small businesses don’t have the same access
Smaller businesses are likely to be led by middle-income employers who have also been harmed by the kind of income inequality Piketty talks about. They are most often forced to place personal credit on the line while large corporations borrow in the corporation’s name. Those who harmed their credit scores trying to ride out the recession and keep employees on the job are punished rather than being rewarded.
What fuels income inequality between large businesses and those with 50 or fewer employees?
- Government policy
- Reduced access to capital
- No bid public contracts*
- Inability to finance lobbyists to protect their interests
- Anti-trust/restraint of trade activity by competitors and their trade allies
- Bankruptcy law
- No access to offshore tax shelters
Don’t allow your stubborn political leanings deter you from doing what is best for you and your business. Pick one or two items from the list above, do some research and urge your legislators or trade allies to level the playing field.
*Under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 30B, local governments can spend up to $5,000 at will with your competitors without soliciting bids. They may also spend up to $25,000 on supplies or services without allowing your business to bid. They merely need to seek (not obtain) three quotations from any three businesses they choose.
To learn how COCO+CO.’s blue chip Connections Process can help your business grow, call 800.374.4103 or 978.374-1900 or use the contact form.
Study: First to use social media wins
This is one time where timing beats strategy
Marcelo Ballve, writing in a recent issue of Business Insider, says your business will likely thrive on Facebook and other social media if you beat your competitors to it.
He says the “early adopter effect” is more important than trying to figure out your social media strategy.
“For most brands, earlier adoption equals more fans and audience success relative to other big brands. Simple scatter charts, statistics, and trend lines show there’s a clear relationship between early adoption and audience size on the top social networks. “
In a sense, there’s nothing new about rewards going to those who get there first. Many years ago, Al Ries and Jack Trout made the same point in their book, “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk.” Ries’ and Trout’s Law of Leadership said it is better to be first than to be best.
Success rates grow with ‘Cloud Control’
Sign-up today for collaboration and monitoring tools
Is your business taking advantage of COCO+CO.’s “Cloud Control” to define strategic goals, view projects, review proofs, monitor expenses and track outcomes?
It’s easy. All clients have to do is request an invite to begin using all of the free tools available. You may track everything from your Web browser or download the free iPhone or iPad app from the Apple Store.
Use the Dashboard to quickly see how many open projects you have, read comments from creatives working on your projects and view recently uploaded proofs.
On the Projects tab, click on comments to share your thoughts and influence outcomes. You may also upload files.
Use the Tasks tab to see how much time has been spent on your projects or the Expenses tab to see your costs for the month. You may also download and pay invoices.
For an invite, call 800.374.4103 or 978.374-1900 or use the contact form
Client Spotlight
COCO+CO. recently completed a television advertising campaign for the Law Offices of Joseph C. Edwards. Click to see the commercial on YouTube or, to learn
more about the Law Offices of Joseph C. Edwards, visit www.jcedwardslaw.com.
