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Steve Evans
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AMAZON
A Look at Bad vs Good Is Amazon ultimately a worthy company, deserving of our support? Or is it an evil corporation, serving its own interests at the expense of the greater good? Amazon’s stranglehold on the U.S. economy is growing ever tighter, with effects for the job market, both good and bad, says industry insiders. In 2019, online retail platform Amazon reported a net income of 11.59 billion U.S. dollars, up from a 10 billion U.S. dollar net income in the previous year. During the same fiscal period, the company’s revenue amounted to more than 280.5 billion U.S. dollars and has reshaped the way Americans shop and radically altered the job market. After years of undercutting other retailers by selling products at a loss, funneling its customers into its superconvenient Prime service and essentially perfecting the art of online retail, Amazon is now synonymous with online shopping itself. Taking into account goods sold through third-party retailers on its site, it is said that nearly $1 of every $2 spent online currently flows through Amazon. That’s had devastating consequences for retailers who simply can’t compete, both online and out in the real world. Most Amazon customers have already made the tradeoff between in-person service and the slick convenience the shopping site provides. However its utter dominance has had wide-ranging consequences. The researchers point out some other downsides to Amazon’s takeover of retailers, including fewer new products getting created or new businesses starting up. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos recently surpassed Warren Buffet as the second-richest man in the world. Overall, you don’t need as many people to sell goods online as you do to sell stuff in the real world.
Three reasons Amazon gives online shopping a bad name
Shopping on Amazon isn’t as safe as shopping offline
Shopping on Amazon requires users to input their personal information, which puts
shoppers at risk. While online privacy concerns are not an Amazon-specific issue, the company makes matters worse with its current privacy policy. (Not to mention varying Amazon smart products (Alexa, anyone?), which bring their concerns regarding safeguarding users’ security and privacy). The company’s privacy policy reserves the right to share consumers’ personal information with other companies, should it decide one day to do so. In fact, the company stood trial in Del Vechio v. Amazon.com as part of a class-action lawsuit for deliberately going against its customers’ privacy preferences and sharing its customers’ personal information with third parties without their consent – and against their wishes. Not to mention, there has been at least one instance where Amazon’s customer support team was accused of being tricked into handing over sensitive information, thus falling prey to the growing menace of social engineering hacking. Less worrying, but still of concern, is the fact that Amazon has long had and proactively uses patented technology that tracks both customers’ purchasing habits and information about the people its customers buy gifts for.
Too many advertisements
Amazon.com is riddled with ads, especially popup ads that each prompt the user to buy another product, based on the user’s unique purchase history. Not only are these ads annoying, but they also drive users to make unwanted and perhaps unbudgeted impulse buys. And while 84% of all shoppers have made impulse buys at one point or another, it may be easier to do on Amazon since it invests heavily in exposing shoppers to new products at every step of their Amazon experience – from first opening the homepage all the way through checkout. The economic consequences on consumers living beyond their means can be devastating; various studies, for instance, show that materialism correlates to unhappiness in relationships. Becoming a monopoly hurts shoppers With Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods, the company is becoming a monopoly on successfully merchandizing convenience, Continued on a following page >>
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AMAZON (Continued)
especially for busy Americans and screenreliant Millennials. Between Amazon Prime and Whole Foods, as well as other grocery stores, the company may account for a large chunk of Millennials’ discretionary spending. If Amazon becomes a monopoly, shoppers will ultimately lose out; monopolies kill competition and, once king, they can willingly change customer perks that made them so popular in the first place. Plus, the success of Amazon and its slew of digital endeavors, including cash-free grocery stores, cause salespeople and shop owners to lose their jobs. In fact, there are hundreds of thousands fewer retail industry jobs because of the successes of Amazon and other online retailers. And millions of jobs continue to be threatened as Amazon’s share of online purchases continues to climb. These findings will only keep rising, as Amazon expands to target other goods sectors, including providing delivery services for restaurantprepared meals.
Three reasons Amazon is great!
Streamlines the shopping and delivery process
The online marketplace sells a wide range of almost everything. Plus, during searches, users get the added bonus of being presented with similar products or products frequently purchased together. This makes Amazon’s comparison-shopping of brand vs. brand or product vs. related product fast and effortless. Another benefit of shopping on Amazon is the immediacy in which purchases are received. With services like Amazon Prime, the customer journey of “search – select – pay – possess” is near-instantaneous. Since Amazon has been delivering 26% of its own orders directly to consumers, it’s no wonder that the company is giving UPS and FedEx a run for their money, competition that will only benefit consumers. It’s much faster than most other e-commerce stores. Being
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the market leader that it is means that the standard Amazon adopts becomes the market standard, which, in turn, benefits all consumers. This can also be seen with Amazon’s PillPack acquisition, which highlights how its embrace of disruptive competition is a good thing for consumers. Pushing itself into the health care – pharma – industry will make much-needed pharmaceuticals more accessible to consumers and more affordable.
Gives a platform and exposure to small retailers
Amazon allows small retailers to sell on its platform, thus providing them incomparable online exposure. In fact, almost half of internet users in the US live in a household with an Amazon Prime membership, and the site gets more than 2.6 billion visitors every month. In addition to new consumers, small business can’t ignore the benefits that Amazon can bring them, like sales, marketing and branding pushes. It’s no wonder, then, that online sales platform BigCommerce found that as many as 73% of small business owners considered selling on Amazon in 2017, and more than a million small businesses in the US have already taken the plunge. However, it's at a hefty cost that's associated to the seller to sell their products on Amazon.
Pushes Innovation
What truly sets Amazon apart is its brand promise to be “Earth’s biggest selection and the Earth’s most customer-centric company.” Take its Prime video services, with original and awardwinning TV shows and movies, or its cloud computing service, which is so successful that it is now expanding to handle classified CIA data. If the promise of the internet is to provide users with what we need, when we need it – whether product- or service-related – then Amazon has proven that those who have the data can deliver on this promise. Also, Amazon’s influence pushes the whole consumer industry forward with innovation, even with the shortlived Amazon Dash and using delivery drones.
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SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS Communities Are In Need Of Your Support!
by John Stephens
Smaller and local businesses count on your patronage in order to stay afloat, especially now that every transaction is precious to them. So when deciding where to spend your hard-earned dollars on tonight’s dinner or a gift for a friend, consider the benefits of turning to local, independently owned businesses within your community.
• Local businesses are owned and operated by your neighbors! They care about and are invested in the well-being of your community and its future. • Local businesses are more accountable to their local communities and donate more money to non-profits.
• Supporting local businesses is good for the environment because they often have a smaller carbon footprint than larger There are far-reaching advantages to deciding to “shop local.” By supporting local companies. businesses, you are in turn supporting your It isn’t always the easiest or most local economy; significantly more money convenient option to visit a local stays in a community when purchases independent business rather than a large are made at locally owned – rather than national chain that might be down the nationally owned – businesses. The U.S. street. However, there are plenty of ways Small Business Association and the U.S. you can help support your local economy Department of Labor report the positive impacts of small, independent business on in Massachusetts by thinking local first: local economies. 1. Try the menu at a local restaurant for lunch or dinner • Local businesses are more likely to utilize other local businesses such as 2. Purchase a birthday present at a local banks, service providers, and farms. gift shop • For every $100 you spend at local 3. Join a local gym businesses, $68 will stay in the community. 4. Visit a local nursery or hardware store for your lawn and garden needs • Independent retailers return more than three times as much money per 5. Get your car serviced at a local dollar of sales to the community in which mechanic they operate than chain competitors. Independent restaurants return more than two times as much money per dollar 6. Visit a farmer’s market to purchase the ingredients for your family dinner. There of sales than national restaurant chains. are Buy Local groups advocating locally grown food products • Small businesses employ 77 million Americans and accounted for 65% of all So the next time you need to run out for new jobs over the past 17 years. some groceries or do a little shopping, seek out a local business and see what they have In addition to helping build the local to offer! You could discover some great economy, there are also notable products and services while helping to intangible benefits that come from build a strong and successful community supporting businesses in your local around you. community. boiMAG.com 19
HEALTH & WELLBEING Striving for Feelings of Gratitude
By Dr. Charla Waxman BS, MBA, EdD Community Liaison
During this tumultuous year, it may be difficult to think about feelings of thankfulness and gratitude. There is no question; it has been a rough year. A year filled with many anxiety-producing situations, many of them that directly affected us, yet were seemingly out of our control. There is a solution to feelings, but not always to the things that cause them; but feelings can be managed. There is real science behind striving for feelings of gratitude. Research at Harvard, Yale, and even the US Army among countless other medical and psychiatric settings, all point to how being thankful and finding gratitude, especially during tough times, offers improved thinking, focus, and physical health. Gratitude on a daily basis, not just occasionally or if something great happens, is the key. Look for the little things: be thankful for a bird feeder full of birds to watch, a great tasting treat, or even having a short drive-thru line at your local coffee shop. Taking the time to journal gratitude moments and to get in the gratitude habit can significantly increase physical and mental well-being and overall life satisfaction. Tap into gratitude and make it work for you. Start the practice of gratitude now and keep it going! Encourage others to do the same. It works!
Go back in time
Remember the things in the past that made you smile. Think about old friends, holidays, activities, jokes and conversations.
Be gratitude specific
Look for things in the present that make you feel grateful. Bring as much detail into your thought or writing as you can. “I am grateful for
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my friends� is great, but who and why are the extended questions that you should answer for yourself.
Look around you
Are there things that you have not recognized as gratitude-producing? Be thankful for those things: things in your home, your neighborhood, your community and globally. Stretch your gratitude muscles.
Schedule time for your new habit
Just like with any new habit or process, it can fall apart quickly without consistency. Maybe while your head is still on the pillow and before you put your feet on the floor, you can connect with a gratitude moment. Find other times in your day when you can add in gratitude.
Tell someone else
Invite a friend, family member, or coworker to join in. The more the merrier! Listening to others will generate excitement about being grateful and help identify new things that define gratitude.
Many other ideas for gratitude habits are out there!
Googling gratitude will provide a host of fun journals and many books to get started making gratitude work for you. Consider writing letters of gratitude to those who have made a difference to you. Start a gratitude box and put your written thoughts there once a day. Review them from time to time. Whatever you are willing to do, make it happen. There really is science behind it. Being grateful; walking in gratitude can absolutely be life enhancing.
We know you are grateful for the times in your life when you have felt supported and cared for. At Chicago Behavioral Hospital, it is our mission to provide care and support for those living with mental illness just when it is needed most. If you or a loved one need help 24/7/365, we are available to take your call. Contact us at 844-7568600 for a free and confidential, level of care assessment.
bad habits How To Break Them
Habits are the small decisions you make and actions you perform every day. According Duke University researchers, habits account for about 40% of our behaviors on any given day. Your life as you know it is essentially the sum of your habits--or at least a reflection of them. How in shape or out of shape you are is a result of your habits. How happy or unhappy you are is a result of your habits. How successful or unsuccessful you are is a result of your habits. What you repeatedly do (your thoughts, actions and behaviors) ultimately forms the person you are, the things you believe and the identity you portray. Everything from procrastination to productivity to looking better to eating better and beyond all starts with better habits. When you learn to transform your habits, you can transform your life. A big part of the habit-change game is paying attention to the habits that could be hindering your progress when it comes to health, fitness, career, relationships and life, in general. Here are some bad habits that can be holding you back…
Hitting the Snooze Button
You know what hitting the snooze button tells the world (and your subconscious)? According to Bedros Keullian, “It tells everyone that you value 10 minutes of extra sleep--poor-quality sleep, at that--over pursuing your passion and accomplishing your deepest desires.” But when you wake up and don’t snooze, you start your day with a big win, ready to dominate your day. Making Excuses. If you’re being honest, do you ever make excuses when things don’t turn out as expected? Have you ever tried to explain away why you didn’t, couldn’t, shouldn’t or simply wouldn’t do something? It’s easy to come up with excuses and justify not getting started (or finished). The longer you fill your head with rationalizations and empty excuses, the less time you have to take action. According to Jordan Belfort, “The only thing standing between you and your goal is the BS story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.”
Blaming other people
Sometimes it really is someone else’s fault that something bad happened. But what can you do? Blaming other people is a futile exercise that doesn’t solve anything. Instead, it creates anger and resentment, and it does nothing to push you forward. If someone wronged you, work on letting go of those bitter feelings. Forgive. Move on. Focus on your actions instead. When you start taking action, you take more responsibility for what happens in your life.
Multitasking
Research has shown that only 2% of us can really multitask efficiently. So, give up the lie already. Stop multitasking. Seriously. The cost of switching from one thing to another is extraordinary. You’re wasting time and raising the risk of making mistakes. Instead of trying to get multiple things done in a frantic, distracted manner, focus on doing one thing savagely well.
Worrying about things you can’t control
Stress, worry and anxiousness are especially prevalent today, with all the event happening in our lives and beyond (and the constant reminders in the news, social media feeds, etc.). When persistent, these can manifest as physical symptoms, many of which can be quite dangerous. While there’s an infinite number of things you can worry about, there are only a handful of things you can control, starting with your attitude, actions and behaviors. You can’t change what others say or think, and you can’t decide the actions other people take. What you can do is decide what your next step is.
Giving empty promises
There are few things more disappointing than when someone makes a promise and never delivers. Eventually, the person’s words lose their meaning, and the person himself becomes devoid of trust. If you want to help someone, think carefully about what that entails before offering to do so. Interestingly, the people that speak the loudest often end up doing the least. The next time you want to do something, take initiative and help out. Let the results speak for themselves. #Change That Up
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by Jack Santo
IoT (Internet of Things) Trends
These are some of the trends that will dominate the IoT app development ecosystem in the coming year 2020. According to industry experts, both the consumers and the industries will witness great advances in devices thus bringing a great difference in the lives of people. With the latest technologies available in the market, IoT devices will become more intuitive and convenient to use. More availability of options brings more data at risk. So, the business owners will have to design strategies for protecting their connected devices against malicious attacks and activities. In the midst of all these IoT trends and predictions, the future is definitely promising and certainly worth the wait. If you wish to create an app for your business needs, then you can hire iOS developer for building feature-packed IoT based mobile app as per your choice.
Better Data Analytics
Energy and Resource Management
There is a huge demand in the market for products that can fit well in the electrical panels. Energy can be managed in a proper manner if its consumption by the resources is monitored well. The IoT app tends can easily be integrated into resources. This helps in making the lives of people easier and more comfortable. Embedded features in smartphones send automatic notifications when the power threshold is exceeded. Other alluring features that can be added using IoT include sprinkler control, indoor temperature management, etc. can also be added.
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Greater Consumer Adoption
In the next 10 years, a drastic change will happen in the internet of things. The new trend will witness the growth of industrial IoT platforms and infrastructure. These trends of the Internet of Things will gradually evolve and will witness a greater adoption by consumers more than ever before. Companies like BetterView, Veniam, and Swift Navigation are based on IndustrialIoT will foster developments in the field of architecture, insurance, agriculture, transportation, or telecommunications. Industry experts will come up with great solutions using IoT in the future that will serve consumer’s interest and help in making things convenient for the consumers. Moreover, the internet of things will make things simpler for us.
Healthcare will see Increased IoT (Internet of Things) Adoption
One of the most important applications of IoT that will clearly dominate the IoT app development ecosystem in the next year is in the field of healthcare. As per a report by Frost and Sullivan, the internet of medical things could be expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 26.2% and reach $ 72,000 million by 2021. Healthcare devices well configured with IoT makes it easier to monitor the health status of the patients. It assists doctors too. Mobile health applications and virtual assistants to monitor the patient’s health at home and a series of other intelligent connected devices will help in reshaping the medical world.