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In what seems to be faster than a speeding bullet, superman the world is changing. Not only is technology moving faster than I am able to assimilate, but we are seeing a great change in the landscape of our society.
Large scale brick and mortar retail is dying right before our very eyes. My family and I had a conversation recently wondering what is going to happen to all the mall real estate, but then an article about this "Retail Apocalypse" popped up with a bunch of great ideas.
The biggest cause of the Retail Apocalypse, in my opinion, is the internet and Amazon in particular. Do you remember when Amazon only sold books and as a company was not profitable for years? I do. Now the word Amazon is synonymous with 'shopping' and they are this behemoth mall in the Cloud.
How they created all these partnerships or how they make their money when brokering all these products is literally amazing. There is nothing you cannot find at Amazon (notice how the words 'amazon' and 'amazing' are linked?). LOVE IT!
Subscription mail order services are also picking up the slack for large scale retail and are available for everything from clothing to dog treats. There are makeup and shaving clubs as well as healthy snacks.
You can order monthly children's science projects or you can order smoothie ingredients. If you like, you can subscribe to lingerie or workout wear programs and to meal plans of every shape and size. There really are more subscription services than I can list!
I belong to the Butcher Box subscription program (
www.butcherbox.com
) where I get regular deliveries of grass fed/grass finished beef -- it is delicious and it is so easy - and this meat contains no hormones or antibiotics. Cost-wise per pound, it is comparable to grass fed in the grocery store so the convenience can't be beat.
Another way in which society is changing: heirlooms no longer matter. I experienced this firsthand when I went through my downsizing "frenzy of 2015". Antique Depression glass, my collection of Spode Christmas dishware, family photos and items passed down from my grandparents -- my kids wanted nothing.
They said it was all 'clutter' and they have no space but what they really have is little sentiment. I'm not sure exactly what has caused this phenomenon; however it is certainly not unique to my family. There was an article just last week in the Boston Globe about how Boomers are downsizing and their kids are simply not interested.
So when I decided to get rid of all these 'heirlooms' and the kids said no; I sold them at a fraction of their value or donated them to resale shops.
The problem now is that the antique stores and retail shops are flooded with all these old items. Prices have fallen and kids today aren't even looking to buy. Like retail floor space, I am not sure what is going to happen to all these antiques.
Maybe the problem is that everything is so temporary now. If you prefer Solo cups to glass or paper to china, why would you care about either? If you never cook, why would you need a banana split boat or a gravy boat for that matter? Do you even know what those are, or am I showing my age again?
The wonderful thing about life is it is ever changing and I can only imagine that our parents and grandparents felt like I do right now. Instead of free love (hippie culture) or rock N roll, our whole society is evolving to support a technology-based experience.
It makes me wonder, are we obsolete? Do we matter and if not now, what about for our grandchildren and great grandchildren? Will they want anything by which to remember us other than digital photos that are never printed?
Kids today are born with an iPad in their hands. By that, I mean, technology is an extension of them and they know nothing different. While there are many wonderful and exciting changes coming due to technology, there are also drawbacks.
What is going to happen to the kids of tomorrow? They'll be smarter; sure, I can see that already. Life will be easier in a lot of ways but what about human interaction? What will happen to that?
The point I'm trying to make is that life goes on. It will not look the same but that is okay. New industries will be created as old ones become passé'. We, as business owners, must find a way to adapt to these changes in technology and in society. We must find ways to reinvent ourselves and to stay relevant. If not, we will become obsolete and none of us want that!
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Blazing a Trail!
When Executive Errands® first started, the whole concept of lifestyle management was nearly non-existent. The idea of concierge services was just beginning to come out of hotels and move into mainstream.
It was a tough sell at the time and it took three years (literally!) of constant marketing and education to get people to understand the concept. If I had a nickel for every time a potential client said 'but I don't know what I would ask you to do', I would be a millionaire several times over!
Then, and I'm not sure exactly when this happened, society shifted and outsourcing home care and personal services became the norm. As individuals we no longer do the big things (housekeeping, windows, lawn care, auto services, handyman) and we rarely do the small things (walk the dog, pick up pet waste, go grocery shopping, run errands) mostly because either we are too busy working or because we want to take advantage of free time for fun (or both!)
Either way, Executive Errands® was on the forefront of this societal change and we are excited to be providing value-added and life-balancing services for more than 11 years! We can provide or coordinate for you just about anything you might need.
As is the case with all changes in societal norms, new services have cropped up in support of this shift. There are many new mobile services that provide more personalized customer service by bringing the service to you instead of you going to get the service.
Mobile dog groomers, mobile manicurists and spa services, mobile photography, mobile jewelers, mobile dentists, concierge doctors, personal trainers... seriously you can get just about anyone to come to your home to do anything! And as you might have guessed, Executive Errands® can facilitate these services for you!
And here in the desert, where we have a preponderance of vacation homes, Executive Errands® provides absentee home care. We can check on your home even if you're gone for just a weekend or for a lifetime (yes, we have homeowners who never visit!).
I absolutely love society's focus on personalized, quality, value-added services that help simplify lives. It gives me great pleasure and pride to be a part of this industry!
If you need anything, anything at all, we are just one simple phone call or email away! Call us to see how we can help! 760.898.9604 or send us an email or visit us on the web.
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June is National Zoo and Aquarium Month!
This month is a good time to visit and explore your local zoos and aquariums! Don't know if you have one close to you? The Association of Zoos and Aquariums
includes a 'find' feature as well as animal preservation resources.
Like so much of what we've been reading about today, in our local community, there are at least two mobile aquarium and pond companies who will set up and maintain aquariums in your home or office. Perhaps there are mobile aquarium companies in your neck of the woods too.
If you live local, I'm sure you know it's going to be super-hot next week (110°-120°) so delegate your errands and tasks to us and take your family to the zoo or to one of our local aquariums! We especially like the Long Beach Aquarium!
Have a great time knowing all your weekend chores are being done while you're cooling off at the beach!
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The #1 Thing to Know Before Starting a Business!
Do you know what the #1 thing is you need to know before starting a business of your own? No? Then join us Wednesday at 3pm PST for our Facebook Live broadcast of X's and O's, the Game of Small Business where we will share this most important piece of information.
Once again, here is an opportunity for learning and it comes to you, free of charge! More important than free; it is valuable, real world information that can help propel you along the entrepreneurial path to financial freedom and success!
To join us on our Concierge Business Solutions® Facebook page,
click here
tomorrow, Wednesday June 21st at 3pm PST and every Wednesday for all sorts of topics that benefit you, the business owner
.
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With all this change comes the need to innovate. We must be constantly aware of changing norms, societal shifts and the current expectations of the public.
We must evolve and be flexible; recreating and rebranding ourselves as necessary to stay current, relevant and necessary.
This is especially true when we are in business for ourselves but also true for us as human beings. If we strive to be the best possible version of ourselves, and if we are constantly growing and learning and changing, then we must adapt to these ever changing times.
The last thing I want is to become obsolete. If I'm really lucky, I could have 40 more years to witness the evolution of our society and hopefully will be a positive contributor for a good portion of that time. If the insurance statistics are accurate, then it is more like only 20 years. I'll take whatever it turns out to be and give thanks every day that I get to live in such interesting times.
My challenge for you this week is to look for ways to innovate and then to take just one idea, apply it to your business or yourself and let's see what happens (and email me to let me know!)....
Until next time, stay relevant, be happy and put love and light into the World....
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Leslie Spoor
Executive Errands®
CL#944447
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For a list of our most popular services, please see our brochure here:
Last year, after traveling to Cuba (another beautiful country!), I wrote a travel guide! To download our
American in Cuba e-book travel guide, please
click here.
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