100+ downvotes for suggesting that Amazon isn't good for small businesses..

[ambermill4]

I created a post on r/ireland, suggesting that Jeff Bezos and Amazon aren't good for local (Irish) businesses. For the exact same reason Amazon isn't good for local US/Canadian/European businesses etc...

I'm getting killed over it. I'd love to get the opinion of r/smallbusiness? Am i right or am i wrong?

https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/sm5krs/has_jeff_bezos_ever_seen_a_middleman_he_couldnt

NB: the pic is of an Amazon delivery van in Ireland. Up to now, it was local firms that did the Amazon last-mile deliveries...

 

[olivia_c128]

@ambermill4 Amazon is bad for small businesses and humanity in general at this point.

 

[theencourager1]

@olivia_c128 I don't understand how this is even being debated at this point. Amazon is an extreme threat to general work and business freedom and far surpasses corporate monopoly violations. As having worked in small business, no one (who wants good profit margins) even uses Amazon to source materials, all of that is direct wholesale or Alibaba/express for smaller businesses. Amazon purely exists for the fast shipping and wide array of products with high payment and refund security.

If I had had the capital and lawyers, I would have made an Amazon rival based on supporting local business by supplying those three factors by allowing a business-to-customer delivery service for small businesses when the pandemic started. I still can't believe no one has done that yet, and I imagine a few tried and were quickly shut down for reasons I can't imagine. But I also know Bezos would have and probably still does pull every string possible to take out rivals like that before they can even start.

Sorry for my rant, but we desperately need a real alternative that's like a combination of Amazon and Etsy that supports fast delivery and payment security for small local business for communities.

 

[barry56]

@theencourager1 What's the biggest way to improve your margins?

 

[theencourager1]

@barry56 I mean for me (I have very little experience in my own just fyi, but have many friends with successful businesses) I make sure my profit is at least double the amount it cost me to create the product and always keep track of my hours spent working/how much money I make per hour that I spend making or processing a product. My biggest ways I've improved margins are finding the best places to buy materials and ask for bulk deals to save on costs, and finding ways if possible to make the items faster, whether that's buying new tools or machines. I think my biggest draw to sales were bulk deals on bundling products and saving on shipping, and throwing in freebies the more items they bundled. This tips may not work for every business obviously though. I used to sell handmade stuff.

 

[613jono]

@olivia_c128 I kind of chuckle when I see people complain about Amazon to be honest. Its just the product of everyone's built in inherent greed.

 

[somer_222]

@613jono Right? Amazon is bad for small local business, the lifeblood of community.

Wait, I can save $1.25 having a new hammer shipped to my house? Add to cart!