Is Amazon a menace to small businesses? It depends on who you ask. A report from the House Judiciary Committee accused the company of unfairly "disadvantag[ing] competitors" and holding a "monopoly power over many small- and medium-sized businesses" — claims the company has sought vigorously to refute.
But regardless of small businesses' monopolistic concerns, there's one huge benefit that Amazon offers to everyone: a powerful example. From its 1994 founding in a garage to its current $1 trillion-plus market cap, Amazon has clung to several business principles that all small businesses should imitate.
1. Thematic Unification Around the Customer.
Amazon has more than a million employees and dozens of subsidiaries across many verticals — but a simple and clear mission that hinges on the customer. According to the company, “Amazon strives to be Earth's most customer-centric company, Earth's best employer, and Earth's safest place to work." Unparalleled customer-centricity (and Web retail dominance) were part of Jeff Bezos' vision for the company long before anyone might have thought it realistic, but the lesson for small businesses is not to be overly aspirational: It's to be clear about your overriding focus and to stick to it.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
As Amazon grew, having a clear thematic focus and relentless customer-centric attitude allowed disparate teams across the globe and across business lines to remain aligned and supportive of one another. Small businesses, even more so than Amazon, cannot afford to have resources be at cross purposes with one another. Thematic unity provides a framework for all players in a business to make the right decisions for the company in the long term.
Businesses of all sizes necessarily spend plenty of time thinking about proximate goals and tactics. But every business must also have a clear overarching mission. And, like Amazon, every small business should put the customer at the center of that mission.
2. Diligent Building of Relationships.
A certain aspect of our current economy is often referred to as a "subscription economy." Recurring monthly payments — your razor blade refills, streaming services and automatic dog food deliveries — actually constitute pieces of the relationship economy.
In this way, Amazon's customer-centricity goes beyond merely offering a superior service at any given point in time. The company thrives by paying careful attention to the full customer journey and by carefully fostering a wide-ranging relationship with each of its customers. The result, in Amazon's case, is that the company seems to know what you want even before you do.
The strength of Amazon's customer relationships may seem impossible for small businesses to match. But in imitating Amazon's commitment to tailoring a full customer journey and relationship, small businesses will find that they have valuable assets that Amazon cannot match: a true community presence and an immense amount of goodwill that stems from the alignment of local interests and the power of real person-to-person relationships.
With the deployment of simple tech tools, small businesses can build out nurture sequences that help build stronger customer relationships than Amazon could within its vertical.
3. Relentless Unification and Activation of Data.
Data is the great enabler of much of Amazon's success. The company not only collects immense amounts of data, but also organizes it effectively and applies it across vastly disparate business lines. This allows it to routinely take data from any corner of the business, such as online retail, and put it to great use in a different corner of the business, such as a fulfillment center.
Small businesses may collect several orders of magnitude less data, but they still have more data than they can track in a spreadsheet and meaningfully deploy. Modular, no-code data platforms can help them cost-effectively organize and unify their data, while intelligent automation interfaces can seamlessly put that data to work across the business. Amazon would never leave the value of data on the table, and neither should a small business.
In the near future, true artificial intelligence will help close the gap between data-rich and data-poor companies by lessening dependence on huge data troves in the first place. When that happens, the small businesses that are well situated with organized, unified data will be best situated to succeed.
-
House GOP Bill Aims to Abolish the IRS and Rewrite the Tax CodeTax Policy The stability of the IRS faces yet another challenge as the U.S. presidency changes hands.
-
More Taxes Could Slam New Yorkers Over MTA Budget ShortfallState Taxes Lawmakers warn that New Yorkers may need to brace for more taxes.
-
Irrevocable Trusts: So Many Options to Lower Taxes and Protect AssetsIrrevocable trusts offer nearly endless possibilities for high-net-worth individuals to reduce their estate taxes and protect their assets.
-
How to Organize Your Financial Life (and Paperwork)To simplify the future for yourself and your heirs, put a financial contingency plan in place. The peace of mind you'll get is well worth the effort.
-
Financial Confidence? It's Just Good Planning, Boomers SayBaby Boomers may have hit the jackpot money-wise, but many attribute their wealth to financial planning and professional advice rather than good timing.
-
Will You Be Able to Afford Your Dream Retirement?You might need to save more than you think you do. Here are some expenses that might be larger than you expect, along with ways to ensure you save enough.
-
Three Steps to Simplify Paying Your Taxes in RetirementOnce you retire, how you pay some of your taxes can change. Here's how to get a handle on them so you don't run afoul of the IRS and face penalties.
-
More SECURE 2.0 Retirement Enhancements Kick in This YearSaving for retirement gets a boost with these SECURE 2.0 Act provisions that are starting in 2025.
-
Saving for Your Emergency Fund: As Easy as 1-3-6An emergency fund that can cover six months' worth of expenses is far easier to build if you focus on smaller goals at first.
-
The Wrong Money Question to Ask After Trump's ElectionIf you're wondering what moves to make with a new president moving into the White House, you're being dangerously shortsighted. Here's what to do instead.
