Happy Friday, dear friends! Do you ever notice how easily you jump out of bed on Friday, knowing that the weekend is a mere work-day away?
We have loads of plans this weekend, including a beautiful wedding for a very sparkly couple, that we love dearly, and it is also our 27th wedding anniversary, so you know, it is going to be a very happy time for us here in our space of love!
So grab that coffee and sit right down to share some news with me!
Today we focus on many aspects of the current business environment, and if we have any more room, we will go from there!
Book giant Amazon shows a huge loss in the third quarter.
Amazon innovated the online book industry a number of years ago, but we discussed recently that it’s bad working environment, and over-use of temporary labor brought them into court. After promoting a new smartphone, the Fire as a competitor for the iPhone that flopped, they show significant losses, and project even bigger ones in the 4th quarter.
Amazon posts $437M loss in third quarter by Jefferson Graham for USAToday
Coke and McDonald’s tank, taking a big bite out of Warren Buffet’s pocketbook.
Warren Buffett, of Berkshire Hathaway fame, is heavily invested in brands that typically sell quantity over quality, as well as brands that show little innovation or response to consumers needs. This week, with third quarter earning reports released for major companies, he took a bath when Coke, McDonald’s and IBM all took major losses. James Quinn, of Investment Watch, also adds some key editorial thoughts to the situation.
Warren Buffett loses another $700 Million Today by James Quinn of Investment Watch
Banking on blood and innovation, made this 30-year old a billionaire.
The practice of phlebotomy is over 3,000 years old, and many of the blood drawing practices have not changed that much in the last 100 years. Elizabeth Holmes is a college drop out, who took her tuition savings fund and created Theranos, a company that has completely revolutionized blood testing. The tests can use only a single drop of blood, instead of a larger volume, to get accurate and rapid results. Her team had to completely rework all the chemistry involved in the process, and they look to continued innovation in the field. She laughingly states that her initial inspiration was a phobia of needles. I would much rather have a finger prick than a vial of blood drawn!
She’s America’s youngest female billionaire – and a dropout by Rachel Crane for CNN Money
An interesting fact that an investment guru shared with investors.
The Motley Fool shares tips on investing and many folks listen to their suggestions. Anyone can tell you that investing is the same as playing slots at the casino, but some folks seem to have a knack for it. Seems the Motley Fool is sharing that corporate culture goes a long way towards the bottom line in companies. Most companies that treat their employees well have outperformed other companies who are only interested in cost cutting and high profits.
They looked at an index they call FoEs or Firms of Endearment, based on the book by Raj Sisodia, which is considered a major resource in corporate philosophy, and it shows that both US and international companies that treat their employees well,outperformed the S&P 500 significantly over a 15-year period. The key issues were not big paychecks or working for a high-status company, but creating an environment where workers felt proud of what their company was doing in the world, and were happy to go to work every day. It’s also interesting to see Warren Buffett mentioned in this article, viewing emerging trends as an enemy to his investment portfolio, because we mentioned his significant losses doing it old school, above.
1 Little-Known Advantage Most Investors Miss by the Motley Fool for NASDAQ
A few companies who believe in treating their employees right.
Kip Tindell, of the Container Store, believes in the policy of 1=3. He says that one great employee does the work of 3, so he is actually saving money, by only paying them double what other retail stores would pay. Yes, the average Container Store employee makes $50,000 a year, increasing retention of excellent retail employees, and creating a work dynamic where everyone gets to contribute with other great people.
Kip Tindell is also taking the reigns of the National Retail Federation later this month, and hopes to moderate their stance on opposing a US national minimum wage jump. His policies have affected his bottom line, certainly, as he started out with a $35,000 investment in 1978, and now shows sales of over $800 Million a year.
Why The Container Store Pays Its Retail Employees $50,000 A Year by Aaron Taube for Business Insider
Starbucks has always been on the forefront of friendly employee relations, and even offers health benefits to its part-time employees, as seen in this article by Brian Martucci of Money Crashers, which also lists 10 other companies who treat part-time workers well. Starbucks is now increasing it’s employee perks, with higher pay to it’s partners, and they consider every employee a partner in the company, a more lenient dress code which allows for tattoos, and free coffee. Wait, not just a free cup of coffee, but their first year harvest from their new coffee estate in Costa Rica, where they are working on their grower-support system, and testing disease-resistant coffee plants.
Starbucks Workers Get Pay Bump, New Coffee, Tattoo Leeway by Leslie Patton for Bloomberg News
Wow, that was a lot of business news, so let’s leave off with something amazing!
Wonderful news out of England and Poland, as paralyzed man walks again, after having cells used for the sense of smell implanted in his spine!
Darek Fidyka was paralyzed from the chest down after a stabbing incident. Over the last several months, a miracle has been unfurling for him, which has enabled him to walk again using a walker. Fidyka, who is 38, underwent surgery to remove an olfactory bulb from his brain, which was then used, along with nerve cells from his ankle, to seed nerve bridges in his spine. The surgery worked, and a few weeks later his muscles began to get stronger, and he developed lower body sensations. The cells were initially discovered in 1985, by Geoff Raisman, at the University College London, and he successfully used them to treat spinal injuries in laboratory experiments in 1997. Fidyka, who’s surgery was performed by a team in Poland, is the first patient to undergo this treatment, and his recovery will assist researchers in perfecting the process so it can be offered to more individuals the world over. Now that is what I call a medical miracle!
Paralyzed Man Walks After Cells for Smelling Placed in Spine by David Wainer of Bloomberg News
That’s the news for today! I hope you have an awesome weekend, and come back to join me for more news tomorrow!
Be Well. Be Joy. Be Love!
Alex