Good business, good will, sustained

Not sure when got me thinking about business… I never see myself will be a businessman, and probably will never be. However, as a consumer, I do dealing with businessmen pretty much everyday, I guess same as everybody. About 15 years ago, one of my best friend told me: "doing online business is burning your money to chase the smoke, but if you did not make a online business, you will perish like smoke". It turns out he is right. Look around what business is not doing online thing now a day? Even a food truck outside of my department as telling me to follow him on the tweeter and facebook! How long I have been doing online ordering? Well almost 99% of my flyfishing material came from online ordering… PS. I don’t have any local shop near me to support, and I don’t really fish local waters, sadly! I do, however, do my best to support the local shop when I went to my destination. (yeah, exchange the favors of local fishing report! ha).
So, no one can escape from the big brother “internet”. I probably spent too much time blogging and mumbling on the internet than what I should. What I have noticed is as the business expanding through internet, reputations also become important cause it speeding up and spread out like thunder and fire. You can ignore it, but people are not going to stop talking or tweetering. (good or bad reputations). Thus, I have found good reputations become more powerful in the online business. It’s just a matter of few hours, and suddenly everybody is talking about it! (online forums, blogs, facebook...) It’s really scary that I have so many things on the finger tips. Too much information and too quick!
Now, what is the good thing about the online business? What they going to impact on our environments ? Good online businessmen is doing good thing to our society and the power is far from we can imagine (allow me to put it up front here). For instance, the red shed fly shop (online web). I am sure if you are a member of speypages, you will noticed the red shed fly shop. MJC (a.k.a Poppy) is the shop owner. He always has something to say on the forum, something blunt, sharp, funny and wise. When he talk, everybody is listening. I think he probably is one of the important attractions in the speypages. Ha… we are fortune to have such wiseman around. The concept he is spreading is nothing short than the current conservation movement. Sustain and good will. He is the one 24/7 online, helping answer all sort of questions. Newbies should feel lucky to have him around! What is the return? Online business! I always order my fishing materials from him. Not only his material is the best, he also always give you some invaluable suggestions. I am sure many other people are doing the same like me, it’s mutualism. The future online business is base on this kind of mutual relationship. The other company I like a lot is Patagonia. If you have chance to visit their website, some youtubes interview, you will realize they have been doing good thing for several decades. And people appreciate that, support them, they return their good will (1% for the planet) to the society. It’s the same principle = mutualism. I still remember there is one interview to Yvon Chouinard (CEO, Patagonia). He is talking about several important turning points in his business. When he needed to make big decisions, every time, he made the decision toward environmental friendly. And it turns out they were the best decisions, even it cost more to begin with. (i.e Organic cotton, Green factory design). It seems this move is conflicting the cost/benefit rule in business world. But who knows that the good will has such power to return the effort in protecting environment "mojos" into cash!? And pour in good reputations! I might be a little bit too lazy in shopping clothes, but now, if I need anything for my clothing, I always look up Patagonia first. Costly? Hell no. I only shop twice a year! I still wearing a T-shirt that my brother gave me 20 years ago! I have 6 pairs of Jeans that I am still wearing EVERYDAY during the past 8 years. Yvon said “you don’t need that many, just a good one” I think for a business man leader talk like this!? My hat’s off to him! : )


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXCrYRuQl-M&feature=fvsr