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I was at work today, thinking about this a bit... buying and selling on the internet is a huge business, and anyone can do it. I was thinking that it's killing the economy because it's putting stores out of business, retailers needing employees less. Usually economy is created by tech but in the case of the internet its the reverse. I have to wonder a bit how this trend will turn out.
Employment
Jobs
Economy
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 15
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It is not killing the economy, it's changing it. Some changes for the better and some for the worse.
My maternal grandfather has been a businessman since the early 1960s. His last venture was a struggling Ben Franklin store. He bought it, turned it around and built a very successful shop. During the later part of the '90s however times changed. Walmart and the internet decimated his business. My Grandparents retired some years ago, but they kept the store, simply because nobody wanted to buy it! Over time they adapted, and unlike many other mom and pop stores their stayed afloat. They were able to sell recently and completely retire.
On the other side of that, a lot of internet businesses are family run small time operations. Of course many aren't too. Amazon, Netflix and the like are huge forces to be reckoned with, when you're trying to do your own thing!
But my wife recently bought me a tomahawk for Christmas from this guy (he offers a military discount by the way.) http://www.2hawks.net/tomahawks/ When was the last time a guy could make a living as a blacksmith? The village blacksmith has been gone for over a 100 years. But this guy is able to make a living because of the internet. I believe that the internet is going to help bring ma an pa type outfits back. The village is now the entire world. A niche market that is never going to be big enough for Walmart to enter and drive you out of business is there for the taking because of the internet.
My maternal grandfather has been a businessman since the early 1960s. His last venture was a struggling Ben Franklin store. He bought it, turned it around and built a very successful shop. During the later part of the '90s however times changed. Walmart and the internet decimated his business. My Grandparents retired some years ago, but they kept the store, simply because nobody wanted to buy it! Over time they adapted, and unlike many other mom and pop stores their stayed afloat. They were able to sell recently and completely retire.
On the other side of that, a lot of internet businesses are family run small time operations. Of course many aren't too. Amazon, Netflix and the like are huge forces to be reckoned with, when you're trying to do your own thing!
But my wife recently bought me a tomahawk for Christmas from this guy (he offers a military discount by the way.) http://www.2hawks.net/tomahawks/ When was the last time a guy could make a living as a blacksmith? The village blacksmith has been gone for over a 100 years. But this guy is able to make a living because of the internet. I believe that the internet is going to help bring ma an pa type outfits back. The village is now the entire world. A niche market that is never going to be big enough for Walmart to enter and drive you out of business is there for the taking because of the internet.
Hardened Handmade Tomahawks
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LCpl Mark Lefler
i know people who are blacksmiths, i'm a leatherworker, i can make chainmail etc... honestly though i was just wondering what others thought of this, other perspectives, more then trying to start a debate or anything like that.
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SSgt (Join to see)
LCpl Mark Lefler Definitely didn't hurt my feelings, I'm just throwing my thoughts in the mix. Definitely rather trade ideas on this subject than on many others we could be bickering about.
I'm fairly handy. I can do carpentry, electrical, weld, lay block, you name it, but I don't have any traditional skills. I'd like to fix that.
I'm fairly handy. I can do carpentry, electrical, weld, lay block, you name it, but I don't have any traditional skills. I'd like to fix that.
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It is not killing the economy as SSgt (Join to see) mentioned it is evolving the economy. Business can reach more consumers without brick and mortar buildings thus eliminating positions but on the backend they have to take security of transactions and still have to ship the merchandise therefore they still have to employ people. Some of those people are going to be more than minimum wage but others not.
It assists the consumer in making sound purchases because they can research prices and sales and the best part if a consumer wants to make a purchase at 3AM they can because there are no "hours" on the Internet.
It assists the consumer in making sound purchases because they can research prices and sales and the best part if a consumer wants to make a purchase at 3AM they can because there are no "hours" on the Internet.
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With the amount of online shopping I/we do, and with the assumption we are not the only ones... I have to believe it is helping, changing, and enhancing it.
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