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We need to get serious about B2B, B2C relationships with fellow Gulch members

Posted by BrettRocketSci 8 years, 1 month ago to Business
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How many of us are putting our money where are values are? In other words, how many of us are trading with people and companies who share our values and principles?
I'm in the process of establishing a new independent agency for insurance and financial services based in the Sacramento CA region. I will need and benefit from a comprehensive network of other professionals and services to support my own business and serve my clients.
Despite the many challenges, injustices, and threats that exist in our world today, we must recognize (and embrace) the benefits and opportunities that still exist. One of those is the ability to seek out and do business with people & companies who share our values - locally and anywhere through the web. If we each don't bother to take the time and energy to invest that effort and act consistent with our values, what the heck are we doing here, I honestly ask you?? (I mean here on Galt's Gulch online, and here on this planet to be blunt about it.)
I just finished looking at all of the businesses listed in the Marketplace and will be making some phone calls to explore exclusive or preferred B2B arrangements. Within the next couple of months you should find me there, but I'm writing this quick post to say don't wait for that. Make a conscious decision to seek out, qualify, and build relationships with others who share your values beyond the immediate and superficial transaction. I'm very thankful we have this Galt's Gulch Online and saw the power of it immediately. We must turn this community into more than an online forum for news, commentary, discussion, and commiserating. The urgency is now. The time to create our own Gulch - from wherever we live - is now. I'm not getting paid to promote the Marketplace on this Gulch, it's for my own selfish interests. I want to find a comprehensive ecosystem of businesses and partners there who can help me survive and thrive in the years ahead. Let's get seriously focused and productive people! With integrity - meaning, with other people here in the Gulch. Who else is committed to that?

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  • Posted by BrettRocketSci 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Uh, it was already in the theaters don't you know? Not in every theater like a major production, but it got into many.
    Anyway, I'll let you know when the bumper sticker is available. ;-)
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  • Posted by BrettRocketSci 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Two people in favor... shall I make a Teespring campaign? :-) Something else to promote here once I get my Marketplace account up and running.
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  • Posted by Ducky 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    We love Lincoln, too--Have you been up to their shooting range? My husband and I teach a 2-day rifle program, out at SacValley Shooting Center, an hour from here. I just love the region and its proximity to everything from Yosemite to the Monterey Peninsula (my home base).

    All of our business is now done over the phone and internet, having moved away from clients in Oregon to move to SoCal (for our kids to attend VanDamme Academy), and then again 10 years later, SoCal for Lincoln, to be near my mom.

    So how does your project of financial services/Insurance fit in with your Info Systems work?

    Ducky (aka Linda)
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  • Posted by Mitch 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    I’m just speaking from experience and analyzing reality, eyes wide open and always better then hopes and wishes. Why would you build a business where you limit you cliental? These objectivist ideas are openly accepted by a lot of people, just not overtly; or put another way, most people would love to purchase a good or service from a reliable source for a fair price.

    I’ve always had the opinion that we here need to be more accepting of others that might not toe the objectivist line but maybe agree with 80% of the objectivist ideas.

    Would have to say that I disagree with you on limiting your success and I caution you about cautioning others. (joking here)
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  • Posted by Jstork 8 years, 1 month ago
    I love the comments. I rub my hands together with anticipation of what could come of this. Trying to work legally with other objectivists within the constraints of the government makes me realize even more how they are slowly tightening the shackles that bind us.

    Thank you all for the encouragement.
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  • Posted by Jstork 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    "Individualists Unite." I can see that as a bumper sticker. Love it. Kind of like "Who is John Galt?" written on the back window of my car. Only a few people know what that means. I have only had two people in the last year or so honk or give the thumbs up because they know what it means. I am curious as to what might happen if the movie "Atlas Shrugged" hit the mainstream theaters. Would the philosophy pass by many? How many lives could it potentially change?
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  • Posted by Mitch 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Hey Ducky, very nice… I love Lincoln, enough small town but close enough to a large city. People here are great and usually a common mindset. I’m in Information Systems, specifically I build automation for cloud computing environments; my specialties is server based computing, Windows platform and automation on a budget.

    Mitch
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  • Posted by Wgingram 8 years, 1 month ago
    What is a B2B or B2C? Abbreviations mean nothing to some of us and you elitists love to show how cool you are by using such short cuts to conversations.
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  • Posted by philosophercat 8 years, 1 month ago
    Objectivism is the most powerful idea in 2350 years of human thought. Who doesn't put it to work? Objectivists. Look at BB&T Bank. They teach the virtues to each employee and they have honesty as a virtue as Bankers! WHat a great marketing tool. I met with branch managers and worked out ways to put these virtues to work in direct marketing to the high profit line of financial management for new customers. Lets say you know the VP marketing for a small regional bank which wants to grow fast. You put me and her together and I design their new "Trust Honesty" marketing campaign. Soon you are hiring and investing too.
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  • Posted by philosophercat 8 years, 1 month ago
    In my experience an insurance and financial services agent doesn't make a lot of money unless they establish the confidence of their clients in their ability to create investment opportunities. You participate and provide your services to the investment entity. That's how to make money. What you are doing is being the honesty and moral integrity connection between investors and what are hopefully honest Objectivist entrepreneurs or developers. I have several investible companies and development concepts from my days as an entrepreneur and development consultant. You as an honesty broker could license the right to sell them to your clients. They get innovation pretested for honesty you get fees and participation and I get to move breakthrough ideas that I don't have time for as a philosopher. In todays world truth, honesty, integrity, innovation etc are values that are worth a lot. What do you think?.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 8 years, 1 month ago
    I personally don't think that the Gulch is the forum for what you propose. If you wish to create a forum for Gulchers in the mode you describe, I suggest that you get together with other Objectivists and go to it. This blog was created by people promoting the Atlas Shrugged movie as well as all other things Ayn Rand. They've put much time and effort into it and it is a greatly appreciated place to meet and converse with other like-minded folks, but, I suspect that you would change the nature of it.
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  • Posted by Mygood 8 years, 1 month ago
    Hello everybody. We are in area as well. And what I was really curious about is to find out for our business about financial services that are not under FDIC. Services that can be used by Californians and not just by federal U.S. citizens.
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  • Posted by davidmcnab 8 years, 1 month ago
    Great thoughts. Would be good to have them backed up as a code of conduct, with 5 sections:
    1. General trading conduct
    2. Conduct of B2B suppliers
    3. Conduct of B2B customers
    4. Conduct of B2C suppliers
    5. Conduct of B2C customers
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  • Posted by lrshultis 8 years, 1 month ago
    The purpose of business is to create a product or service that others might find useful. The purpose is not to find some cushy collective of others to feel good within. During Rand's time, my great disappointment was the 'Collective' formed by her followers and seemingly accepted by Rand, thus giving a cult like existence to the first decades of Objectivism. Your job as a business person is not that cushy collective with either a religious or philosophical agreement among members and clients, but to produce something useful for your clients should they decide to deal with you. If you have a usable product or service people will beat a path to your place and give you a profit and you will be much happier than making some kind of altruistic attempt at somehow changing people, none of whom have any agreement religiously or philosophically with you, into surrogates of yourself. It is a waste of your time. Let the market rule and enjoy the results, good or bad.
    You would not like a Gulch where you could be ejected for the least little infringement, as were some in the Rand's Collective, of thought or action which would be less free than today's USA.
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  • Posted by $ TomB666 8 years, 1 month ago
    Over time as mention of novels pops up here I have bought them (Kindle edition almost always) because I have NEVER been disappointed with them. Your post about the market place made me realize that some of our fellow Gulcher's writings don't get mentioned so I did not know that there were several I'd not heard of. I have writings by Vinay Kolhatkar, Dale and Kalia Halling, Robert Gore, and Allan Ashinoff and am looking forward to purchasing others as I have the time to read them. This is one area where we can support each other rather easily in this digital age. As to other products, I'll make a point to check the Gulch in the future to see if one of us offers it.
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  • Posted by editormichael 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    "Individualists, Unite!" is even better than that line attributed to Emma Goldman: "We anarchists must get organized."
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  • Posted by BrettRocketSci 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Thanks. I caution you about your attitude. They become self-fulfilling prophesies. There is a term and concept called Attraction Marketing. By being bold, public, and confident about your brand and unique value, you will attract others who are sympathetic with and aligned with that type of person or company. Yes, it can be subtle and implicit as well as hit-you-over-the-head style. This is what I intend to put into practice and experiment with. You know that we Objectivists have some key phrases and sayings that will get our attention. :-) For instance, I can fill my ad copy with a few "per se"'s!! LOL There are more serious terms and concepts of course. But I intend to have fun with it. We have to enjoy the journey.
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  • Posted by handyman 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Thanks for the thoughtful reply, Unitedic. I concur with most of what you said. Searching for an online vendor/supplier is often not as satisfying as going to a known entity just around the corner. This could change, though, with all the increasing online businesses available.

    I do want to nit pick with your term "altruistic emotional thought." The term "altruistic" would normally denote taking an action with no thought of personal gain. The interactions I am promoting are done with the full intent of being self-serving in some way. Engaging in trade with entities that support your values would be one of them. The nature of that kind of selfishness is not immediate or even material. Supporting one's values in trades of this sort is consistent with the virtues of justice and integrity and necessarily longer range.
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  • Posted by unitedlc 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    I agree that my perception of Objectivists is embracing of independence, so it can be hard to gather for a common goal like this. I also agree that, all things being equal, it would be illogical to do business with someone who does not share your values if the inverse exists. I do think, however, that Objectivists may also be much more concerned about their own pocketbook and convenience to go out of their way to find an "inconvenient" vendor on a message board, as opposed to a local vendor that has a proven track record in their community of providing quality service at a reasonable price, regardless of their philosophies. This is an unfortunate side effect of our self serving nature. I would hope, that when an Objectivist has a moment of altruistic emotional thought (since we are human and all), that he would point that benevolence toward giving another Objectivist a shot at their business, as opposed to helping someone who does nothing to help themselves... ;)
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  • Posted by Mitch 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Lincoln to be precise…

    I don’t necessarily disagree with you, my only problem is that there isn’t enough of “people like us” to build a business on, well a serious business anyway. I’m just saying, limiting the participants to a small group is a sure way to failure. Might be better to build an automation model that enforces these business ideas on the unwashed masses, kind of like sneaking vegetables to your kids by hiding them in the mash potatoes.
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  • Posted by BrettRocketSci 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Thanks for speaking up Mitch. You are in Sacramento too?! Please confirm or clarify.
    Little trivia, before this Gulch formed I started an Objectivist B2B site through Squidoo. Didn't ever take off for various reasons... if you want to make a run at that let me know, but I would recommend we try it in the Marketplace here first because it already exists and we have a huge number of members already.

    How to bring up our philosophy tactfully and effectively with strangers, customers, prospects, casual acquaintences... this is something I am going to put conscious effort and experimentation into.

    Wouldn't it be great to build a self-sustaining business, career, and economy with people like us here? It's high time we stopped daydreaming and wishing for that day. It needs to get out of a novel and into reality. That doesn't mean I will offend or refuse anyone else. But if we don't make the effort, that guarantees it will never happen doesn't it???
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  • Posted by BrettRocketSci 8 years, 1 month ago in reply to this comment.
    Thanks handyman for joining the discussion. I had hoped that my post would stimulate more of it. It's an ironic and amusing battle cry, but I believe it is time for the individualists to unite!
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