I currently work for poorly managed organization. I guess I am the idiot still sitting here complaining about them, but I wanted to make a point with my complaint. My misery is forcing me to become self-aware of who I am, and I what I want to do with my life. I don't need someone who thinks they know business telling me how to be more productive or more efficient. That is why I am working on my own business plan!
The organization I currently work for has some major issues they need to deal with. I have voiced my opinions to the right people about the issues to no avail. It's ridiculous here!
I was exploring some articles on Google about the signs of poor management, and I found a great article I will add to the label on this article for everyone to take a look at. The article is about the 5 signs of poor management within an organization. It was crazy how the first two signs listed are the worst qualities my organization cannot deal change
First, this company has a lot of miserable employees (including myself). The article talks about employees being able to voice their opinions, but many employees complaining is another story. This organization has MISERABLE employees. I say that in capital letters because of how bad it is here! I have two business degrees with about 2 years of experience, and they pay 75-80% of their employees an hour wage no more than $17/hr. I wear glasses, but I haven't gotten an updated RX in 2 years as they do not offer vision insurance!!! They don't even help employees pay any health insurance, or contribute a cent to retirement! Crazy!! Do they really expect for employees to be happy?? The worst part these issues are examples from my other co-workers :(
Second, big egos can ruin an organization. The article states that the problem with big egos within a company is that those individuals are usually trying to promote personal agendas, and those individuals are using that ego as a defense mechanism of some sort. The organization I currently work for has so very much of this big ego stuff. One of the business operators believes that he can do no wrong. He makes changes without actually understanding the problems to begin with, he makes management changes without interviewing employees , and he makes promises knowing full well he cannot deliver. However, he takes credit for every one's work when it goes well, and displaces blame onto other employees that may have worked on projects with him during bad times.
I am not perfect, but I paid attention in my management classes! I read business periodicals and relevant magazine/internet articles everyday! A baby doll can be a better manager than anyone person who works in this organization. For all those trying to get into business, do the work, study, and research! Do not act like you know it all!!
Thoughts and Comments??
:) Jaymo
Grocery and Business Talk!
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Just Ingredients Does Not Get You Brand Equity!
The business models for Plated, Blue Apron, and HelloFresh are becoming very popular. I am fascinated at all the TV commercials these brands/organizations are spending money on to get their message to the public (waste of time).
It does really seem like a great idea. If you are not familiar with these businesses. you should look them up right away. The basic idea behind these companies is to delivery a box of ingredients to customer's front door to make a healthy meal.
Amazing! That seems very similar to grocery delivery services! I was also looking at an article on techcrunch.com where they dived into the valuations of these companies stating that many of them are in the millions already and bringing in billions worth of revenue. Investors are flocking to companies like this.
I guess I understand what the big deal is?? Maybe?? The idea behind delivering groceries is the same as these business models here. However, these companies are focused on healthy and organic choices. The problem with solely focusing on the healthy/organic market is you miss entire customer segments who cannot afford the services/items. I worked for an organic baby/toddler food company named Little Duck Organic, and I couldn't even afford the items I was selling and marketing. Sure the product was delicious, but grocery services should not just end with plain ingredients.
Delivering ingredients is a great business idea. However, the cost of just serving organic buyers is insane! Normal grocery shoppers cannot afford those things (yet) as the market still has not adjusted to making those health and organic items more affordable (maybe it is all the government regulation, but that is another story.) These companies are banking that healthy and organic will take a left turn and mystically become affordable. I do not see that happening any time soon.
Grocery delivery services should not be selective and restrictive in any way! I spoke about this in many of my other posts. All grocery delivery services today (including the companies in this post) do not offer customers anything they want. Instead, you can only get groceries from Whole Foods, Shaws, or Stop & Shop. Companies like Fresh Direct only deliver to certain areas only for certain order sizes/purchases. Companies like Plated will only deliver the ingredients in the box to make a meal. That is the most ridiculous thing ever!
Any new company should not put automatic stipulations on the services they are offering. Money, time, and expenses are very important factors as to why these companies are restrictive and selective in their services. However, I guess I am an old school marketing and business professional when it comes to this subject. Spending that extra dollar or going that extra mile for your customer (or employee) is not an expense (in the long-run). Doing all these extra things will lead to great customer loyalty and brand equity which is the main objective for any company. You want customers to see your logo or your company name and automatically know who you are, what you sell, and how great your organization is.
That is why I am in business, ladies and gentlemen! Making money is great, but the real reasons I am doing this is that it makes me happy, and I am offering something to people that is unlike anything else giving customers value. Give your customers value, and you will find that brand equity.
Don't just give your customers the ingredients!
Thoughts or comments??!!
:) Jaymo
It does really seem like a great idea. If you are not familiar with these businesses. you should look them up right away. The basic idea behind these companies is to delivery a box of ingredients to customer's front door to make a healthy meal.
Amazing! That seems very similar to grocery delivery services! I was also looking at an article on techcrunch.com where they dived into the valuations of these companies stating that many of them are in the millions already and bringing in billions worth of revenue. Investors are flocking to companies like this.
I guess I understand what the big deal is?? Maybe?? The idea behind delivering groceries is the same as these business models here. However, these companies are focused on healthy and organic choices. The problem with solely focusing on the healthy/organic market is you miss entire customer segments who cannot afford the services/items. I worked for an organic baby/toddler food company named Little Duck Organic, and I couldn't even afford the items I was selling and marketing. Sure the product was delicious, but grocery services should not just end with plain ingredients.
Delivering ingredients is a great business idea. However, the cost of just serving organic buyers is insane! Normal grocery shoppers cannot afford those things (yet) as the market still has not adjusted to making those health and organic items more affordable (maybe it is all the government regulation, but that is another story.) These companies are banking that healthy and organic will take a left turn and mystically become affordable. I do not see that happening any time soon.
Grocery delivery services should not be selective and restrictive in any way! I spoke about this in many of my other posts. All grocery delivery services today (including the companies in this post) do not offer customers anything they want. Instead, you can only get groceries from Whole Foods, Shaws, or Stop & Shop. Companies like Fresh Direct only deliver to certain areas only for certain order sizes/purchases. Companies like Plated will only deliver the ingredients in the box to make a meal. That is the most ridiculous thing ever!
Any new company should not put automatic stipulations on the services they are offering. Money, time, and expenses are very important factors as to why these companies are restrictive and selective in their services. However, I guess I am an old school marketing and business professional when it comes to this subject. Spending that extra dollar or going that extra mile for your customer (or employee) is not an expense (in the long-run). Doing all these extra things will lead to great customer loyalty and brand equity which is the main objective for any company. You want customers to see your logo or your company name and automatically know who you are, what you sell, and how great your organization is.
That is why I am in business, ladies and gentlemen! Making money is great, but the real reasons I am doing this is that it makes me happy, and I am offering something to people that is unlike anything else giving customers value. Give your customers value, and you will find that brand equity.
Don't just give your customers the ingredients!
Thoughts or comments??!!
:) Jaymo
Monday, December 28, 2015
Get a Job? How About Give Me My Money Back?
In one of my other posts, I wrote that the job market is rigged. I also feel the same about college!
I followed my sister by working my ass off to get two business degrees in 5 years (my highest degree is an MBA). All that hard work and hustle in the classroom for nothing. I agree that graduates coming out of colleges and universities all over the country are not always the best for employers.
But come onnnn!!! My degrees are not in Basket Weaving 101, Sociology, or Liberal Studies! I paid attention! I dissected the case studies for many different companies from Google to Sam Adam's (Boston Beer Company). I even wrote working business plans for many of these companies. And when I mean working, I mean the professors sent these publications into these companies for critique and some times even use!
I also understand that new graduates should not just be given things. I want to ear everything that is given to me!. I also want the same opportunity that my sister did (she is now a six figure sale's person for Avnet) when she left college. That is not possible for some reason. She knew a couple people who boosted her into an opportunity that I couldn't dream of.
Don't get me wrong, I am not asking for a six figure salary! All I want is a chance to show I can be worth that salary. Instead, I cannot get out of the $30K job with no real upward mobility, and a lot of two faced managers/executives! I cannot even get my eyes checked as they do not offer vision insurance :( !
Why will no one see that I created at least 25 business plans/working business plans?? Why will no one see I created about 5-6 different business plans out of nothing making fake/prototype products? Why will no one utilize my financial management skills I gained in college by comparing/contrasting financial ratios of companies we were studying, and making recommendations based on that research?
I do not want to sound like someone who is a whiner, but how can no one want to give me $40-$50K to show my worth?? That is nothing when it comes to salary!! I love and enjoy operations and the guts of what makes a business go!
I really want to walk into that college, give my pieces of paper back, and ask for my $80K. For all the sweat and hard work I did studying the ever changing business environment, why am I getting nothing for my return on investment?? I understand that business cannot be taught in certain aspects, but great business departments teach that very aspect to their students. I am not blaming my professors as I feel confident to start my own business. I am blaming the institutions as a whole and the state of many business HR departments and hiring strategies! My brother-in-law told me the other day that there really isn't a lot of talent out there to hire from. I said, "well companies do know how to hire anyway."
Why did I even try the job market? HR employees and hiring managers look right through me! They do not care about any of the examples I give them that I talk about above. I am not sure what they are looking for in the job market today!
Get a job?? HAHA! How about give me my money back??
Thoughts or comments??!!
:) Jaymo
I followed my sister by working my ass off to get two business degrees in 5 years (my highest degree is an MBA). All that hard work and hustle in the classroom for nothing. I agree that graduates coming out of colleges and universities all over the country are not always the best for employers.
But come onnnn!!! My degrees are not in Basket Weaving 101, Sociology, or Liberal Studies! I paid attention! I dissected the case studies for many different companies from Google to Sam Adam's (Boston Beer Company). I even wrote working business plans for many of these companies. And when I mean working, I mean the professors sent these publications into these companies for critique and some times even use!
I also understand that new graduates should not just be given things. I want to ear everything that is given to me!. I also want the same opportunity that my sister did (she is now a six figure sale's person for Avnet) when she left college. That is not possible for some reason. She knew a couple people who boosted her into an opportunity that I couldn't dream of.
Don't get me wrong, I am not asking for a six figure salary! All I want is a chance to show I can be worth that salary. Instead, I cannot get out of the $30K job with no real upward mobility, and a lot of two faced managers/executives! I cannot even get my eyes checked as they do not offer vision insurance :( !
Why will no one see that I created at least 25 business plans/working business plans?? Why will no one see I created about 5-6 different business plans out of nothing making fake/prototype products? Why will no one utilize my financial management skills I gained in college by comparing/contrasting financial ratios of companies we were studying, and making recommendations based on that research?
I do not want to sound like someone who is a whiner, but how can no one want to give me $40-$50K to show my worth?? That is nothing when it comes to salary!! I love and enjoy operations and the guts of what makes a business go!
I really want to walk into that college, give my pieces of paper back, and ask for my $80K. For all the sweat and hard work I did studying the ever changing business environment, why am I getting nothing for my return on investment?? I understand that business cannot be taught in certain aspects, but great business departments teach that very aspect to their students. I am not blaming my professors as I feel confident to start my own business. I am blaming the institutions as a whole and the state of many business HR departments and hiring strategies! My brother-in-law told me the other day that there really isn't a lot of talent out there to hire from. I said, "well companies do know how to hire anyway."
Why did I even try the job market? HR employees and hiring managers look right through me! They do not care about any of the examples I give them that I talk about above. I am not sure what they are looking for in the job market today!
Get a job?? HAHA! How about give me my money back??
Thoughts or comments??!!
:) Jaymo
Smartphones are the new Stores!
Let's change it up a little! Smartphones are becoming big players in the online shopping industry.
A professor I had during my undergraduate studies was obsessed with the fact that more and more online shoppers were using cell phones to make their online transactions. He was my Marketing Management professor, and he was able to notice this shift in online transactions years ago. Why don't others see this now?
I just opened the INC. magazine website this morning, and noticed that they had a great article on this very point. Smartphones are creating a lot of web "traffic" with regards to online shopping. Black Friday shopping from smartphones this year was up 21.5% from last year's figures (interesting point as online shopping was advertised for that day either). Cyber Monday transactions with smart phones are up 17.8% when compared to last year's figures on the same day. Web traffic coming from smartphones during this time period accounted for almost 50% of all the interactions/transactions. (I have added the link for this article in the "labels" section.)
This is exactly what marketers need to utilize. The attention of your customers is the most important resource that you can attract. Why aren't more focusing on this area?!?
Social media is important to business plans in this century! Smartphones are now being used more and more to buy things. My girlfriend now uses here phone to deposit all her pay checks into her bank account. Her mom used her tablet to order most of the presents she gave to her children from different department store's websites. I ordered a new charger for my laptop from amazon.com through my phone!
These are just a few of my examples. How many can you think of ?? Here is a quote from the article that is going to help me make this point. "As smartphones become more powerful and less expensive, marketers can expect to see more people using their smartphones for online activities."
I said this before, it is not brain surgery! The grocery industry needs to see this right?! Grocery should be no different. I get that fact that groceries are products that can go bad with expiration dates. However, we have phones in our pockets that can reach us across the globe. I am planning on showing people that groceries can be sold over the internet whether it be computers/tablets or smartphones!
Thoughts and/or comments?!?
:) Jaymo
A professor I had during my undergraduate studies was obsessed with the fact that more and more online shoppers were using cell phones to make their online transactions. He was my Marketing Management professor, and he was able to notice this shift in online transactions years ago. Why don't others see this now?
I just opened the INC. magazine website this morning, and noticed that they had a great article on this very point. Smartphones are creating a lot of web "traffic" with regards to online shopping. Black Friday shopping from smartphones this year was up 21.5% from last year's figures (interesting point as online shopping was advertised for that day either). Cyber Monday transactions with smart phones are up 17.8% when compared to last year's figures on the same day. Web traffic coming from smartphones during this time period accounted for almost 50% of all the interactions/transactions. (I have added the link for this article in the "labels" section.)
This is exactly what marketers need to utilize. The attention of your customers is the most important resource that you can attract. Why aren't more focusing on this area?!?
Social media is important to business plans in this century! Smartphones are now being used more and more to buy things. My girlfriend now uses here phone to deposit all her pay checks into her bank account. Her mom used her tablet to order most of the presents she gave to her children from different department store's websites. I ordered a new charger for my laptop from amazon.com through my phone!
These are just a few of my examples. How many can you think of ?? Here is a quote from the article that is going to help me make this point. "As smartphones become more powerful and less expensive, marketers can expect to see more people using their smartphones for online activities."
I said this before, it is not brain surgery! The grocery industry needs to see this right?! Grocery should be no different. I get that fact that groceries are products that can go bad with expiration dates. However, we have phones in our pockets that can reach us across the globe. I am planning on showing people that groceries can be sold over the internet whether it be computers/tablets or smartphones!
Thoughts and/or comments?!?
:) Jaymo
Grocery Shopping Should be Easier!
The title of this post is not brain surgery. In the years 2015/2016, why are people still going to grocery stores?
I have been asking this question for months now. We are about to end 2015, and there still no companies out there really giving consumers a better option to shop online when it comes to groceries. I mean sure there are companies like Pea Pod, Fresh Direct and Insta-Cart who are trying the delivery of groceries in their own sad ways. Those business models will not last at all! These organizations are very selective and restrictive when it comes to what they will deliver and who they will deliver too! This is not what I am talking about when I say better options to shop online for groceries.
What is the big deal? Well I will tell you! In the grocery industry, you have many different players. I bet many of you (Northeast bloggers :D) reading this article have seen ads for current grocery stores like Hannafords or Market Basket trying to talk about the "on-the-go" options of picking up groceries. These grocery stores think they can compete with delivery companies by picking orders and having them ready for customers. Even Amazon is trying to deliver more efficiently with drones, and they are already a very great distribution organization!
Why do grocery shoppers choose to go into the store? I have spoken to many of my close friends and relatives who still enjoy the grocery market. I know many of you out there hate going grocery shopping like most people! Those who who enjoy the store feel that the experience is better inside the store when compared to ordering something online. When I worked for Wegman's Food Market, I saw some real great customer service in action. I feel Wegmans is best when it comes to real customer service. I also worked for a vendor business that sold products to almost every grocery store in the nation. Wegmans is the only true customer service grocery store. The fact is that most stores and grocery chains have no idea how to give real customer service. Wegmans used to do a lot of in-depth training to get all employees on the same page. (Not sure if they still do as their customer service has lagged in recent years.) Grocery shoppers go into the stores to be able to see and touch the item before they buy it.
Why do you need to see and to touch something you get every week or weekend? Its not like buying a car or a pair of shoes every so often. Individuals buy groceries at least twice a week, and they spend hundreds($$) (maybe thousands$$) on groceries every month. Customers go to the same stores because they have had great experiences in the past, and they is where their loyalty lies. This is the same idea when it comes to consumers wanting to go into the store instead of buying online. Those same grocery buyers are comfortable with those great experiences in the stores they always go to. Lets reverse the example.
In today's world, we also have consumers who will only buy items online, never in a store because of their loyalty. The same great experiences they have online create that sense of being most comfortable making purchasing decisions this way. Grocery stores need to create great experiences for their customers. I am sorry, but those experiences in stores are dying off year by year. These stores are the front lines to feeding middle class families every day/night. , and should give better options and service to their customers.
The grocery industry needs to make shopping easier. Walk down the street and tell me where each individual person is looking?? Meaning where is the bulk of everyone's attention going? Phones, iPhones, iPads, and other tablets. You can even look at the act of driving. Tell me people are not looking at phones ALL the time?!? Attention is everything! Why is the grocery industry so far behind when it comes to this phenomenon?
This leads us right back to the question of why do so many people hate grocery shopping?? A lack of customer service maybe?? Taking up to much of their time and attention??
Thoughts, and/or comments??
:) Jaymo
I have been asking this question for months now. We are about to end 2015, and there still no companies out there really giving consumers a better option to shop online when it comes to groceries. I mean sure there are companies like Pea Pod, Fresh Direct and Insta-Cart who are trying the delivery of groceries in their own sad ways. Those business models will not last at all! These organizations are very selective and restrictive when it comes to what they will deliver and who they will deliver too! This is not what I am talking about when I say better options to shop online for groceries.
What is the big deal? Well I will tell you! In the grocery industry, you have many different players. I bet many of you (Northeast bloggers :D) reading this article have seen ads for current grocery stores like Hannafords or Market Basket trying to talk about the "on-the-go" options of picking up groceries. These grocery stores think they can compete with delivery companies by picking orders and having them ready for customers. Even Amazon is trying to deliver more efficiently with drones, and they are already a very great distribution organization!
Why do grocery shoppers choose to go into the store? I have spoken to many of my close friends and relatives who still enjoy the grocery market. I know many of you out there hate going grocery shopping like most people! Those who who enjoy the store feel that the experience is better inside the store when compared to ordering something online. When I worked for Wegman's Food Market, I saw some real great customer service in action. I feel Wegmans is best when it comes to real customer service. I also worked for a vendor business that sold products to almost every grocery store in the nation. Wegmans is the only true customer service grocery store. The fact is that most stores and grocery chains have no idea how to give real customer service. Wegmans used to do a lot of in-depth training to get all employees on the same page. (Not sure if they still do as their customer service has lagged in recent years.) Grocery shoppers go into the stores to be able to see and touch the item before they buy it.
Why do you need to see and to touch something you get every week or weekend? Its not like buying a car or a pair of shoes every so often. Individuals buy groceries at least twice a week, and they spend hundreds($$) (maybe thousands$$) on groceries every month. Customers go to the same stores because they have had great experiences in the past, and they is where their loyalty lies. This is the same idea when it comes to consumers wanting to go into the store instead of buying online. Those same grocery buyers are comfortable with those great experiences in the stores they always go to. Lets reverse the example.
In today's world, we also have consumers who will only buy items online, never in a store because of their loyalty. The same great experiences they have online create that sense of being most comfortable making purchasing decisions this way. Grocery stores need to create great experiences for their customers. I am sorry, but those experiences in stores are dying off year by year. These stores are the front lines to feeding middle class families every day/night. , and should give better options and service to their customers.
The grocery industry needs to make shopping easier. Walk down the street and tell me where each individual person is looking?? Meaning where is the bulk of everyone's attention going? Phones, iPhones, iPads, and other tablets. You can even look at the act of driving. Tell me people are not looking at phones ALL the time?!? Attention is everything! Why is the grocery industry so far behind when it comes to this phenomenon?
This leads us right back to the question of why do so many people hate grocery shopping?? A lack of customer service maybe?? Taking up to much of their time and attention??
Thoughts, and/or comments??
:) Jaymo
Introduction of Frustration
Hello Everyone,
I am very new to this, but I have seen blogs become very successful for other business professionals. I am going to give it a shot, and see if I can create a buzz. I created this blog to see what kind of a dialogue could be started about a better grocery delivery service. I am in the midst of creating my very own business centered around this concern.
Grocery shopping should be easier! As I sat through my business management courses from 2007-2012, that thought continued to flow through my mind. When I was obtaining my MBA, I could not get the thought out of my mind. Being a scared little business graduate, I followed in my sister's footsteps to try the job market. WOW, what a bad idea!
Let me tell you something about the current state of the job market, especially for a recent college graduate. IT IS ALL RIGGED! I have never failed so bad at trying to impress people who could care less about any of the words coming out of my mouth. If you do not know someone, if you do not have an "in", if you do not have experience with a given company; you do not have a damn chance!
That has brought me to where I am today! I am sick and tired of working jobs that will get me no where in my professional career. I am sick and tired of listening to people who "think" they know what business is all about. I have business education experience that speaks for itself. Only problem, no one listens! Well I am going to stop listening to them!
In the end, this blog will be centered around grocery delivery services, but I do not want to limit it. Any business ideas, strategies, theories, or so on are welcome here on this blog. I want an open dialogue here for people to be able to discuss and/or debate different ideas throughout the business realm.
In the next month or so, I will be implementing and executing a business idea on delivering groceries to consumers in North Central MA and locations surrounding Worcester, MA more efficiently and effectively than any other company currently. I am looking for some input through this blog!
Please leave your ideas, thoughts, or comments. I will try to post every other day or so. Sorry about rambling or whining, but I feel this is a reality for a lot of business professionals (especially those fresh out of college.)
I appreciate the attention and your time!
:) Jaymo
I am very new to this, but I have seen blogs become very successful for other business professionals. I am going to give it a shot, and see if I can create a buzz. I created this blog to see what kind of a dialogue could be started about a better grocery delivery service. I am in the midst of creating my very own business centered around this concern.
Grocery shopping should be easier! As I sat through my business management courses from 2007-2012, that thought continued to flow through my mind. When I was obtaining my MBA, I could not get the thought out of my mind. Being a scared little business graduate, I followed in my sister's footsteps to try the job market. WOW, what a bad idea!
Let me tell you something about the current state of the job market, especially for a recent college graduate. IT IS ALL RIGGED! I have never failed so bad at trying to impress people who could care less about any of the words coming out of my mouth. If you do not know someone, if you do not have an "in", if you do not have experience with a given company; you do not have a damn chance!
That has brought me to where I am today! I am sick and tired of working jobs that will get me no where in my professional career. I am sick and tired of listening to people who "think" they know what business is all about. I have business education experience that speaks for itself. Only problem, no one listens! Well I am going to stop listening to them!
In the end, this blog will be centered around grocery delivery services, but I do not want to limit it. Any business ideas, strategies, theories, or so on are welcome here on this blog. I want an open dialogue here for people to be able to discuss and/or debate different ideas throughout the business realm.
In the next month or so, I will be implementing and executing a business idea on delivering groceries to consumers in North Central MA and locations surrounding Worcester, MA more efficiently and effectively than any other company currently. I am looking for some input through this blog!
Please leave your ideas, thoughts, or comments. I will try to post every other day or so. Sorry about rambling or whining, but I feel this is a reality for a lot of business professionals (especially those fresh out of college.)
I appreciate the attention and your time!
:) Jaymo
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