Why are you still in Business?

There are millions of jobs and business's under threat today from changing geo-political environment(globalization, trade wars, protectionism), innovation(Artificial Intelligence, robots, self-driving cars, Genetic Modification), technology(different ways to do business, outsourcing, gig economy), retail apocalypse(online shopping), changes due to population explosion, climate change, and resource crunch(scarcity of resources).

Yet millions of people and businesses continue to do business as usual as if it is the 1960s.

Why are they still in business?

The prime example is retail where people line up to get food. Every day in most cities in the Westernized world, there are long queues of people waiting to get their lunch, indecisive customers who can't make up their mind, and then a second queue to pay. There are overworked and stressed employees, and one size fits all approach to all. A big hungry man can't get 1.5x of what a small person gets. If you want 20% more, why should a customer have to buy 2 of what he wants? All this inefficiency, long lines, and stress, just to get a bowl of rice.

Why can't people just pick up a plate and bowl, serve their own food to themselves from the buffet bar, take it to the pay station to pay by weight, and swipe their card or phone to pay? A few small independent outlets do it. It is a haven of speed, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Customers serve themselves exactly what and how much they want, pay by weight, and never have to queue.

Another example is the Apple Card. As soon as you pay using your Apple Card, you get immediate notifications and good transparency into your spend and cashback. Contrast this with apps and websites of all other credit card apps and websites that are still archaic, old fashioned, badly designed apps, no transparency into your account, intentionally designed to confuse you, and with long delays before you see what you spent.

Examples abound of outdated, fossilized, inflexible practices in real estate, law, education, government, pharmacies, medical, banking, airlines, cars, retail, food franchises.

Millions of demoralized, underpaid, ignored, un-empowered, exhausted, overworked employees work for millions of archaic, inflexible business managed by fossilized, politically savvy, manipulative, shrewd, incompetent managers. Customer value and experience is the last thing they care about.

They exist because they haven't been eviscerated by something better yet(automotive sector, food outlets), or because they have long term contracts with government or other larger entities(credit card companies), protected by complex laws and lobbying(medical, pharmaceutical, education, insurance), or they rely on government bailout(automotive sector in the USA, banks, farming).

That is why they are in business.

As the forces of innovation, technology, global changes, climate change, and resource crunch get stronger, these millions of employees and businesses are seeking government help via politicians and lobbying. Those who adapt are having to bail out those who didn't evolve. Why should this be?

What is the logic in Government using taxes(public money) to subsidize farmers so people can buy cheap food? What is the logic in Government using taxes(public money) to bail out the automotive sector that produces third rate cars, fossilized banks, and failing businesses? Politicians are happy to support this, the Government is happy to enable it, and the corporations are happy to administer it, all using your money. They all have their snouts in the trough and their two front trotters as well.

Natural evolution demands that we adapt our working practices and business's to changing environment, geopolitical realities, and changing customer demands, or let it die out just as steam engines and travel agents did. The government and politicians should not protect these outdated businesses at all costs as they do today. The consequence of money being used to subsidize people's incompetence and greed is that we have to live with outdated businesses, populist politicians, high taxes, poor quality products and services, broken infrastructure, big fascist governments, and worse.

Here is a question to millions of workers and businesses: Why are you still in business?


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