We like them short, educational and inspirational for business. Below are three YouTube Channels we absolutely love.
1. Company Man
This excellent channel consists of ten to twelve-minute videos explaining why companies either thrive or die.
Every story is a mini MBA case study with the narrator delving into consumer trends, financials and management.
The videos are especially good for young liberal arts majors with limited business experience or education.
TAKE-AWAYS: iHeart, Toys“R”Us, Costco
iHeart Radio and Toys“R”Us didn’t file for BK just because of shifting consumer trends. They both had way too much debt because of leveraged buyouts.
Also – Costco thrives because their overall labor costs are so low, even though they pay employees much more than other retailers do. This is because it takes far fewer employees to stock and move way more merchandise than it does at other retailers.
2. L2inc
I will never stop hyping this channel b/c it is so informative and entertaining at the same time. It is also another “must-watch” for business deprived liberal arts majors :).
The videos we love are the three minute “Winners & Losers” segments.
TAKE-AWAYS: MASTER DIGITAL REALM; BRAND NAMES DYING
A. Businesses of all sizes will absolutely die if they do not learn how to master the digital realms – customer interfacing, customer acquisition, data collection, customer follow-ups, reviews, etc.
B. The industrial advertising complex is dying. The mighty “Mad Men” used to be the most powerful people in America; the TV and print ads that supported their careers have been replaced by free reviews and cheap Google and Facebook ads.
C. Famous brand names are becoming less and less important because of the reliance on online reviews. Upstarts can take over entire channels in a few years if their reviews are good (on Amazon for example).
“C” is a great reminder for loan officers and Realtors, and a reason big banks (with their 1.5 star yelp reviews) should be worried. L2inc is also why JVM is pushing into digital so aggressively.
3. Dead Mall Series
This series features video footage of giant, luxurious shopping malls that are now abandoned and empty. What is so interesting is how powerful and thriving these giant icons of American commerce were only a few years ago.
They not only had their “cheese moved,” they got mugged, kicked and hit by a freight train. It is the most amazing example I have ever seen of how shifting consumer tastes, trends and technology can wipe out seemingly invincible business models.
Note: You only need to watch a few of the older videos to get the message.
TAKE-AWAYS: CHEESE WILL MOVE; REPURPOSING
A. Everyone needs to expect their cheese to move (another reminder); and B. Repurposing – some of the malls have survived by repurposing into offices or specialty retail.
Jay Voorhees at (925) 855-4491
Real Estate Broker, CA Bureau of Real Estate, BRE# 01524255, NMLS# 335646
