Business Trends

The Importance of Doing Absolutely Nothing

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

Having too much to do is a national epidemic and, in many ways, a status symbol. Americans work more hours than citizens of any other developed nation in the world, according to the International Labor Organization. On average, we annually work 137 hours more than the Japanese, 260 hours more than the Brits, and 499 hours more than the French. We’re so busy that many of us don’t even take time for vacation. According to a study by the US Travel Association’s Project Time Off, 54 percent of Americans didn’t use all of their vacation time last year, resulting in 662 million unused vacation days. “We are working more and more,” says Katie Denis, Vice President of Project Time Off. “Being the last car in the parking lot is no longer the metric. Now it’s who answers email fastest and latest.”

I am actually quite good at doing nothing.  Read the entire article here.

Hormel CEO Shifts Focus to Non-Meat Brands

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

VegNews.Spam

Source: Hormel CEO Shifts Focus to Non-Meat Brands

Insects for food.  The manufacturer of a canned animal byproduct manufactured for human consumption is steering his company to non-animal proteins.

Just what the hell is going on?

I’m not quite sure what is happening but it’s clearly happening.

Amazon wants to become Walmart before Walmart can become Amazon – TechCrunch

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

Source: Amazon wants to become Walmart before Walmart can become Amazon | TechCrunch

Source: Amazon, the Death of Brick & Mortar, Buys into Brick & Mortar | Wolf Street

Source: Amazon’s Grocery Ambitions Are Far Bigger Than Whole Foods

Three interesting viewpoints…

Make that four.

Source: “Major Deflationary Disruption” Says Cramer About Amazon Purchase of Whole Foods | MishTalk

Amazon did not just buy Whole Foods grocery stores. It bought 431 upper-income, prime-location distribution nodes for everything it does.

Dennis K. Berman

How These Remote Workers Convinced Their Bosses And Clients They Can Work From Anywhere

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

“Managers know who is a high performer and who is not—it’s not a secret.   If you have people that you’re afraid if they’re working out of your sight, then they aren’t getting work done, why are they working for you in the first place?  That’s not a ‘work remotely’ problem. That’s a management problem.”

Erica Warren

Source: How These Remote Workers Convinced Their Bosses And Clients They Can Work From Anywhere

Lunch Traffic Lowest in Four Decades: Out for Lunch a Dying Tradition? Demise of the “Gourmet” Burger? — MishTalk

/ SupremeCmdr / Leave a comment

“I like Five Guys, but I can buy ground beef and one onion and get pretty close to the same burger for half the cost,” said Mr. Cockerline, who rarely goes to Five Guys anymore. “A hamburger, to me, is not a luxury,”

Brian Cockerline 20 years young Rutgers University student

Source: Lunch Traffic Lowest in Four Decades: Out for Lunch a Dying Tradition? Demise of the “Gourmet” Burger? | MishTalk

Clearly what we have is the End of Affluence.  When I was a kid going out to eat at a restaurant was the occasional treat.  Not many families could afford eating out more than once a week.  The family cooked and ate most of our meals at home.  I’ve lived in Oklahoma for a while now.  We have basic burger platters for around $10.  But when you add in drinks and tip the cost starts to add up.  Eat out five days a week and you’re incurring substantial expense.

I’m hardly surprised at the traffic numbers.  Despite government statistics the economy is anemic.  Today’s kids are graduating from college with massive debt and a job market that is unkind.

What’s next?  Car sharing?  Multiple roommates?  Tiny homes?