A German Business Concept

Audi quattro concept

Audi quattro concept (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is there a German business concept?  Yes, it’s Mittelstand.  It’s believed that the reason Germany’s economy is healthy is due to this concept.  The global company Audi uses this concept.  The reason it’s called Mittelstand is due to the fact that there is no English word for it.  It’s was fascinating, Eric Campbell reported on it for Foreign Correspondent.  So what is the Mittelstand ingredient?

  • It’s an ingrained German tradition where family owned businesses make niche products that are export oriented
  • They usually have a long history of craftsmanship
  • Have long-term business goals
  • They don’t spend or invest in what they can’t afford
  • They foster staff loyalty by keeping them on during the good and bad times
  • Work with the workers and treat them like family
  • Work with unions in partnership to create a successful company to keep people there or to increase employees
  • Managers are highly motivated by their product’s quality
  • Build trust with customers and treat them like friends
Revenue growth and total shareholder return

Revenue growth and total shareholder return (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now most public companies are paying millions of CEO’s to boost quarterly and annual shareholder returns.  In order for the CEO’s to meet shareholder’s returns they need to strip staff, smash unions  and cut costs where possible.  This is a recipe for disaster.  Businesses need to merge some Mittelstand points into their business strategy.  Here is why?

Unions need to work with businesses at the end of the day to help create a successful company so that people have jobs or to increase employees.  The management doesn’t need to have high overheads but do need to work with the employees to foster staff loyalty.  The business products or service quality fosters customer trust.  Then if companies do this, these loyal experienced workers will enable the business to come out faster and stronger after a crisis.  Shareholders need to understand that the business needs to focus on building for the next generation.  Will your government support the Mittelstand concept?  Can you use any of these Mittelstand points in your business?  If you can, which ones?

You can watch the story here:

Tagged with: , , , ,
Posted in Business, Ideas, Management

April 29, 2012

I really excited about people from different countries reading my blog site.  I find it fascinating that we have so much interests in common.  I can’t believe it’s the simple things that we have in common, things like music, sports, governments and entertainment.   But, I must thank Google for their translation application.  It makes a person like me more open to their views on life and breaks down some of the barriers.  Thanks Google for helping me reach out and help some of these people.

Posted in Journal

April 27, 2012

Having trouble getting my thoughts down when I write articles.  Need to work out a way to focus on what I want to say in the articles.  The problem I have is trying to put my thoughts into my articles.  Sometimes I find it a breeze other times I struggle.  Maybe I need to research some more to get more inspiration.

Posted in Journal

What is Coles Planning?

Nederlands: Logo van Coles. English: Coles Sup...

Nederlands: Logo van Coles. English: Coles Supermarkets logo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What is Coles planning against Woolworths?  Who is Coles?  Who is Woolworths?  These two companies dominate the supermarket industry in Australia.  Together, they own about two-thirds of the market share.  Woolworths is the market leader at this stage with Coles breathing down its neck.

These two supermarket chains regularly dominate the Australian media landscape.  So when the story broke last year that Coles was going to put out its own clothing line.  The company refused to comment on the matter at that time.  Then it launched its Mix label which was to bring men’s and women’s fashion to the grocery aisles in a supermarket, a first in Australia.

Coles Supermarket - Chadstone Shopping Centre ...

Coles Supermarket – Chadstone Shopping Centre – by Julia’s dad (Photo credit: avlxyz)

Now, what people don’t realise is that Coles had planned some other things.  The clothing apparel was only the tip.  So what else are they planning?  I know from their advertisement that Coles is going to offer new products in certain areas.  They are going to seize new sales opportunities in their new large format stores.  So what area are these new products in?    It’s in Home Textile, General Merchandise and Outdoor Leisure.

For Ian McLeod, the Managing Director of Coles, this is only the beginning.  He was the Chief Merchandising Officer on the Executive Board of WalMart Germany.  This man was also a director of nearly every supermarket department in Asda.  He has begun his planning, by taking ideas from Walmart and Asda.  He is reshaping Coles by using his experience from those two companies.  What can Woolworths do?  Can Woolworths  introduce new products?  Only time will tell if Woolworths have a strategy.  Who will win?

Tagged with: , , , , ,
Posted in Business, Ideas, Strategy

April 20, 2012

Ahh…..!  Some of the comments that I receive makes no sense.  It’s hard to understand the English translation of the comments.  I have sat on a comment that’s translated from Russian because I only understand part it.  The other half is driving me nuts.   I wonder when they read my site in their language, if they understand what I’m saying. The easy solution is editing, but the question is do I?  Hmmm.  Decided not to post second article as it wasn’t up to scratch.  Trashed it!  So, only posting one this week.

Posted in Journal

April 15, 2012

An interesting week, enjoyed receiving news that I have helped people.  I realised in how to build my navigation menu for the site, I didn’t explain how I made some menu headings into static.  Got to Custom Menu Support and the section called “Adding a Static Top-Level Tabs“.  This helped me to organise my links.  If your lazy here’s how.  Dashboard=>Menu, then go to the “Customs Links” box on the left.  Add # in the URL section and type in the top menu label that you want static e.g. “Guidelines”.  Select “Add to Menu” and move it into place for your navigation menu.  It should say  Custom on the right side of the bar.  Simple isn’t it.

Posted in Journal

Twitter’s new business direction

Direction Watch1

Direction Watch1 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Is Twitter heading in a new direction?  No.  It has tried to head in this direction for a while.  This direction is simple to explain.  They are trying to generate revenue from their platform.  If you think that they are already making money, think again.  It’s reported that Twitter has made losses for several years now.

David Clarke in his article on Mashable refers to three rumours  linked with Twitter.  In it he talks how Twitter will try to allow third-party developers access to their platform.  What this means to us is that it allows the building of apps,  that can function on Twitter, similar to your mobile apps.  Secondly he talks about how Twitter commerce (T-commerce) with mobile  devices could be combined with Square to enable the consumer to shop from a traditional website.  Lastly, he mentions contests and sweepstakes.  The fact that businesses today use Twitter to run contest and sweepstakes isn’t new.  Where will the game changer come from in this area?

My guess is that it will come from Posterous.  Why I choose them is for the simple fact that Twitter acquired Posterous to add a digital media sharing interface to its platform.  With this, the use of mobile devices will be more dominant.  People will be able to use it like videos and digital images in Facebook.  Companies will be able to run digital contests and sweepstakes on Twitter.

Now, Twitter isn’t taking on Facebook.  It’s positioning itself, as the  platform of choice for the mobile device market.  This is due the fact that over 50% of Twitter users access it on mobile devices.  But, from what the Twitter rumours indicates to me is that it is becoming very similar to Weibo.  That’s right Weibo!  This chinese owned platform has launched an international version recently.  Weibo has been able to do something that Twitter isn’t able to do, generate revenue.  I wonder if Twitter is strengthening its position against Weibo?  These two companies look like they will be going head to head.  Who will win?  Is Twitter heading in the right direction?

Contributing Article

Tagged with: , , ,
Posted in Social Media, Trends

The House of Straw that Joost Built

Decorative straw bales at the Calgary Stampede.

Decorative straw bales at the Calgary Stampede. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Why would anyone want to build a house of straw?  Who’s Joost?  These are normal questions that people would ask.  However, Joost (pronounced “Yoast”) is not a normal person.  This article is dedicated to this man’s dreams and shows what  people can do when they think outside the box.  He is leading the way in how we can manage waste.

Joost Bakker - Greenhouse by Joost Exterior

Joost Bakker – Greenhouse by Joost Exterior (Photo credit: christianocious)

Joost Bakker is a Dutch-born fifth generation tulip farmer.  It was his creative spirit as a florist to combine imperfect flowers and waste products that led him to  become a sustainable architect.  This man decided to use one of the biggest waste products on earth, straw.  Now, straw can be used for paper, cardboard or toilet paper.  But Joost decided to build a house out of straw bales instead.  That’s normal right?

This straw bale house is then clad with china cheap sheets of fire-proof magnesium oxide wallboards.  Then under controlled CSIRO conditions it’s set on fire and withstands bushfire conditions.  Now, you may not think this is important but in bushfire countries like Australia and the United States, this affordable fire-proof house is a miracle.

Joost has always wanted to inspire people to create different things.  He believes that as human beings we have an amazing gift to solve and fix problems.    There are a lot of problems in the world, but if we all work together we can come up with plenty of solutions as well.

Joost Bakker - Greenhouse by Joost Interior

Joost Bakker – Greenhouse by Joost Interior (Photo credit: christianocious)

With Greenhouses already established in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.  Joost has been offered invitations to build these Greenhouses around the world.  So, next time you enter a Greenhouse with straw bales in London, Copenhagen, New York, Shanghai, Auckland or South America.  You can turn to your mate and say “This is the house that Joost built.”

Joost has set a challenge.  You can make a difference!  What problem in the world would you like to fix?  Or What problem would you like to work with other people to solve?

Special thanks to Reporter Greg Hoy and Presenter Chris Uhlmann.

Further Information:

Tagged with: , , , , ,
Posted in Ethics, Whoohoo

April 12, 2012

It’s done!  I’ve added “Coming Here” (page) and “Social Media Strategy” (post – need to change to page).  The social page took longer than I thought.  It’s tough condensing and simplifying it.  Note to self, redo the last section.  It’s taken a while to get the link right, finally got it.  I’m 96% in completing my site.  Just realised that people with mobile devices won’t be able to experience what this weblog has to offer.   Oh well!  Game on!  I wonder if anyone can get the right sequence on their first go.

Posted in Journal

April 9, 2012

I’m getting good comments.  However, when I see their sites I get annoyed.  Are they genuine or not?  This is due to the nature of their sites.  Especially if the names have a call to action like Increase or create.  For now I’ll allow their comments as I don’t want to judge them.  If their product or service benefits people on social media then they will survive.  Making a quick buck doesn’t gain you anything.  Helping people builds your business.

Posted in Journal

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

© Christopher Seeto and Aqua Black Cat, 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Christopher Seeto and Aqua Black Cat with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Categories