Natives are making a bigger and bigger impact in Canada

Recently, Winnipeg received its first Native mayor; Brian Bowman stepped into position as the mayor of Winnipeg, but became more than just a politician. He was seen as a milestone for all the Native people across Canada. There is always a lot of controversy over how Canada treats its Native people and people are always debating on whether there is discrimination or not. However, at least with the introduction of a Native politician, the Native population sees that there is hope for Native Canadians to be viewed equally and given the same opportunity. Native Canadians are starting to show up in the political scene and that is a major breakthrough for Natives across Canada; not only are Natives given the same jobs as others but they are also becoming supported by others as figures of leadership in Canada. I feel that this is a very important issue that deserves attention because while the treatment of Native Canadians may not be lacking, they will still feel discriminated against if they do not see their people in positions of power or influence. Canada needs to start promoting Native representatives for all types of important positions and jobs to diversify and show the Native Canadians that Canada is a country of equality.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/winnipegs-first-native-mayor-seen-as-bridge-builder/article21514131/

In his short but very powerful post, Seth uses sarcasm to mock current businesses and how making profit is the only thing on their mind; modern businesses don’t care about any morals or any old values. Instead, businesses cut corners, cheat, and try to do whatever it takes to spend less and make more. By trading in their “standards” as Seth says, modern businesses are getting “short-term attention” and “quick clicks”. Seth writes his whole post in sarcasm and views modern businesses with disgust, describing their new business strategies as ways for them to “crawl to the bottom”. Seth mockingly states that with so many businesses crowding at “the bottom”, it would be more beneficial to spend that effort trying to climb to the top. I chose this post from Seth’s blog because I strongly agree with his message; companies should not be so materialistic and focus on the quality of their service. It may not be as profitable to spend more time and money on customer satisfaction or keeping customers, but it is more expensive to try and gain new customers. If companies focused more on establishing a reputable business instead of trying ploys to create an explosively popular business that would make them rich overnight, then people would be so much happier. If modern businesses spent the time they use on cutting corners to trying to figure out improvements to their company, they would likely become more profitable.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/11/clawing-your-way-to-the-bottom.html

In his post, Milton Leung describes how the online franchise Amazon is considering a change to their business plan and begin opening up stores. Amazon, who has been successfully operating online, is considering the expansion because they believe they can profit more with actual stores and physical locations where customers can go and browse their products. Milton Leung agrees with the article and states that with Amazon’s current operating structure, it’s no surprise that they aren’t making much profit. However, I believe that Amazon should reconsider their approach if they want to increase their revenue. Their current plan of building physical store locations is the hopes of increasing traffic to their brand, but an alternative way to increase traffic to their brand could be promoting on different forms of social media i.e. video game forums and other places of high traffic that people visit. With physical locations, there runs the risk of not enough people going to the store or not enough people buying items from the store, and because Amazon is a brand that sells so many different items, the stores would only be able to hold a tiny fraction of the items that customers are looking for online. The majority of the customers of Amazon would stick to the convenience of searching for items online from a catalogue that has a greater variety of items than a Amazon store could ever have.

Amazon Needs Physical Presence

In his blog post, John Kim describes Ello as a new exclusive invite only social networking site that has just emerged on the market. With a promise to have no advertisements and to not sell and user information, Ello is going to depend on their “free-mium” structure for revenue. Users can use the basic functions for free or they can pay for an upgraded experience with more features and greater access to content. John Kim believes that Ello’s business plan is not effective and the “ad free” and “free-mium” aspects are hindering their growth. However, I would have to disagree because on the contrary, I feel that since the site is an invite only social networking site, people will feel that it is very exclusive and it is part of human nature to want to fit in and not be left out. No matter how important or insignificant the site is, the fact that some friends and peers have access to the site and you don’t, is very frustrating. As a result, people will try to get access to this site through their friends and also pay for the premium if their friends have premium. The site has great potential for becoming profitable because it takes advantage of human nature to fit an and keep with the trend.

FreEllo?

Trust is often necessary to succeed

Nicole Gray is a single mother who had her child when she was only 17. Every time she asks the government for financial aid she feels like, in her words, “a beggar”. There was an idea that was proposed that would potentially help Canadians like Nicole: a grant of $20,000 a year for everyone in Canada. Seemingly ridiculous and impractical, such a large amount of money would surely go to waste if given to every single person in Canada that needed money. In theory, it seems like a good idea to allocate the money that the government would eventually spend on those in poverty to the individuals directly, for many reasons; people would be able to spend that money to improve their lives in a more relevant and efficient way. However, that is only pure theory because I don’t believe that most of the people will use that money wisely. There are many way these people can waste the $20,000 such as on drugs and alcohol or other harmful substances. Most people in poverty haven’t had a large amount of disposable income and as a result, if they were suddenly given a large amount of money, they will not know what to do with the money. This policy seems like an idea that could benefit people in poverty but is unrealistic because of human nature and the characteristics of people in general.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/to-end-poverty-guarantee-everyone-in-canada-20000-a-year-but-are-you-willing-to-trust-the-poor/article560885/

The pipes will make money for Enbridge but will affect the First Nations people negatively.

The Nak’azdli people have been living peacefully with nature for many years, however, Enbridge is planning to invade their territory. With the launch of their project, Northern Gateway, Enbridge plans to build a pipeline from Bruderheim, Alberta to Kitimat, British Columbia. The pipeline will run through the land of many First Nations people and as a result, the pipline has brought up a lot of controversy. Enbridge is faced with both political and social obstruction because the Canadian government has made a promises to the First Nations people in the past and therefore cannot allow companies to do as they please when they are on First Nation territory. Additionally, the social pressure from the First Nations communities are overwhelming enough to make Enbridge reconsider their actions. Adding on, the social pressure of First Nation supporters who go and rally and protest will cause a lot of social pressure. Enbridge is a very good example of what companies may have to deal with when they are expanding around First Nation’s land or territory.  In the case, Enbridge wanted to save money to cut costs but they probably paid more than they saved; many companies try and cut costs but end up being fined more than they stole. The First Nations people want to protect their sacred land but Enbridge wants to make more money, so in the end, Enbridge will probably push the First Nations people until they give up or are financiially unable to continue the case.

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/There+will+pipeline/10122968/story.html

Bitcoins are becoming more and more popular as a source of currency and as a result, more Bitcoin banks are opening up.

Bitcoins have been growing in popularity recently and may even become more mainstream than anyone could have ever predicted. A new bank for Bitcoins which will run under the name “Circle” has just opened up for business. Although there were already many Bitcoin banks that existed, Circle brings a much more competitive business model to the table. Contrary to the former Bitcoin bank “Mt Gox” which went bankrupt and caused its clients to lose their online assets in its collapse, Circle is insuring every client’s deposit which essentially erases the risk of users. Additionally, Circle is attempting to draw clients through a simple and user friendly interface which increases the probability of new technologically illiterate users joining. Circle’s use of a “focus differentiation strategy” sets it apart from the other existing Bitcoin banks through Circle’s unique insurance policies as well as the user experience. It is very likely that Bitcoin users who are currentlly with other Bitcoin banks will switch over to Circle considering Circle doesn’t charge a price that is too overwhelming in respect to the service they provide. Many successful businesses have found their success through using a focus differentiation strategy because often times clients want a service or good that is unique and is better catered to their taste.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/sep/29/bitcoin-circle-cryptocurrency-jeremy-allaire

Make your voice heard!

Recently New York hosted the climate summit at which many important figures attended; among them was Leonardo DiCaprio. Being a well known figure, Leo’s presence was very influential. His performance was a prime example of the power one individual can have in the big picture. In today’s society, most people have the tendency to overlook the potential they have to change the outcome of something. We never believe in ourselves and what we can do to leave a lasting impression on others because we don’t realize our potential. Activists like DiCaprio have discovered the power of their voice and are speaking for a cause that they feel passionate about. If more younger people realized the fact that many of their problems can be solved if they all voiced their opinions and took action, then perhaps there would be a greater efficiency in our society. Becoming an activist is not a difficult matter; one has to gain the courage to step up and challenge the current circumstances and propose a better alternative. The truth is, many people who are unsatisfied with something, already have their own idea of how to change it or improve the situation. Activists have a huge impact on how a situation turns out because if the louder their “voice” is the more likely something will change. If you’re tired of watching nothing being done, take action and make an effort to change what you aren’t satisfied with!

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/sep/27/i-am-all-for-a-list-activists-in-the-right-role

The internet connects us.

In today’s day and age, the internet has become such a key component in our lives that sometimes we should stop and think of what exactly the internet means to us. It is a mind boggling concept that people can transmit information across the world as well as receive all forms of communication through an arbitrarily defined concept of “cyberspace”. Although it is true that the internet enhances our lives almost indefinitely, once must also consider the possibility that the internet can be used against us. The nature of people has remained the same and the internet has definitely not changed them; there are people who still want to inflict harm onto others. Hackers are using the internet as a way to retrieve important and personal information about individuals, corporations, or even countries. There are constant threats and insults that are transmitted over the internet at any given moment of the day. People who harm others are just using a more convenient way to hurt their victims; in their hands the internet is a dangerous weapon. Although the internet has been incredibly useful for individuals, businesses, as well as anyone who wishes to communicate, research, or share their ideas effectively, the internet has also been a more effective and efficient way for people to hurt one another.

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/commentisfree/2014/sep/26/internet-changed-everything-nothing-serious-business

CVS Caremark, the country’s largest drugstore chain in overall sales, announced that it will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products by the end of October. This decision could have been influenced by the pressure that they received from the general public and the government regarding the safety of these products. In terms of business ethics, CVS has faced a lot of controversy and negative feedback because they have been the leading store that has these products available. The company wants to make revenue and profit, so they want to sell as much as they can; however, because these products are not healthy and will create negative externality, the selling and distribution of said products is heavily regulated. Although the decision to stop selling cigarettes and tobacco products will cause CVS an estimated two billion dollars in lost sales, there have been too many complaints and too many negative responses from the public. In an attempt to fix any damage CVS has caused to its consumers, they are sending 26,000 pharmacists and nurse practitioners to help patients manage their chronic problems that they had developed through their consumption and use of cigarettes and tobacco products. This is a prime example of how important and influential business ethics can be to a company or to society.