Hi as I have been gathering information for my new blog post to expose what is happening with domination of the Google Search Results by Big Global Corporations, I literally stumble upon someone else who can say it much better than I.
I ran upon an article
How 16 Companies are Dominating the World’s Google Search Results
by Glen Allsopp
If you do anything with Google Search at all this is a must read, don’t hesitate
After you read this article, if you already own Authority Snooper kudos, if not I hope after reading what Glen has to say about world domination of Google Search Results by a few gets you motivated to use this tool to do your own domination of the Google Search Results 😉
I have a story of my own to add about how big Corporations can put the little guy at a disadvantage including out of business.
Years ago when the internet was just starting, I owned an Aquaculture business. I sold both fish and products that supported Aquaculture.
The product I sold was all the Krill and Plankton exclusively to every Zoo, Aquariums, Universities etc… in the USA.
It was good times for me. You have to understand that these places could not live without Krill or Plankton there was no substitute. They had to feed those million dollar animals, such penguins, flamingos, seals, and many other water animals it was required in their diets to stay alive, no substitute existed.
Every 15-20 minutes I spent on the phone with them meant $600-$1000 profit in my pockets, life was good then.
In addition my business extended to the pet retail business which was also extremely profitable.
My nearest competitor was a product that was more than twice the retail price with the dealers profit margin in the area of 20-15%. This company was really raping the dealers. In addition the product was extremely low quality. The only thing it had going for it was market reach, the company had the market sewed up as a Dominating Brand. (which by the way is what is happening with Google Today and the cause for this post)
I come along with a product half the cost with a profit margin much higher, the dealer was making more money per unit than what they were doing with the competitor. The only problem was market reach.
I had two things going for me. Price and the product had real ingredients. The ingredients real fish eat.
So I trained every dealer how to promote and sell my products. They listened because it meant more money in their pockets for every sale. Customers loved it because they were spending half and their pet fish just loved the food, a win win for everyone. Including me more money in my pockets.
This went on for a couple of years my product became so popular the competing product was only stocked at the bottom of shelves and only carried because those days in order to buy wholesale you had to buy a package deal to do business. That industry was controlled by coercion, what a way to do business forcing dealers to buy products they don’t want or need, WOW.
I was a breath of fresh air when I came along, not only did I add to their bottom line in trumps they only needed to order what they needed.
Eventually my competition started reacting. I was an independent and not controlled in the pet industry by the dominating companies.
Little did I know what was happening, till it was all said and done.
You have to understand my territory was huge I owned everything east of the Rocky Mountains and everything south of Canada in so many words half the United States, the territory was huge. I would spend 4 days on the road and 3 home to make arrangements for the next 4 days on the road. Life was good but very busy.
One thing learned about working for myself was always get in with both feet while the getting is hot.
While all this was going on, in the back of my mind I kept being reminded about a lesson from someone who was a mentor to me about business.
I remember him saying that certain industries are controlled by a few even thou they make you believe many exist. And they have very deep pockets and can make things happen out of your control regardless of what you do.
He had given me a title of a book to read, which I never did and eventually lost the name to it. I think this was one of my biggest mistakes I ever did not reading that book because that lesson had haunted me and still does today because it’s happening all over again but on the internet.
I’m going off on a tangent but a lesson that still haunts me.
Getting back to my blooming business, life’s good, money is pouring in life goes on.
One day on the road I think I was in New Jersey supporting my customers and the death blow finally happens.
I go into this retail pet establishment and everything change from that moment on.
My competitor, notice SINGULAR.
The competition had been very busy to the point they organized a hit team against me to put me out of business permanently.
Well I’m in this store and I ask where’s all the products that I had been selling to this dealer. None in sight.
The answer from the owner was I’m not allowed to sell your products anymore.
WHAT!
Explain that again but in more detail was my comeback. As you can expect I’m real confused on what is happening.
The owner started explaining in order for him to continue ordering his other products he needed to remove my products and in return they would compensate him with free products for one year, anything he wanted, just as long as I was removed from his store.
WOW!
At first I thought this was a one off, so I shook it off and explained in great detail how he was dealing with the devil my competitor.
Anyways my skin is quite thick, you need to have it if you do any type of face to face selling.
Off I am to my next customer.
The same thing, only this time this customer was given free freezers to hold his frozen food requirements including everything the previous customer had.
Just like domino’s, one customer after another on this route had signed their soul to the devil.
This trip turn into a nightmare and a wash no money made this trip.
When I got home to make arrangements for my next trip, every customer I contacted told me don’t waste your time coming they all had the same deal made to them.
Now this is really getting out of control. WHAT HAPPENED!!!
Remember how I got off on a tangent about my mentor, what haunted me came into reality.
Without dragging this on to much further, I found out my competitor was not the brand I thought it was. It was not a stand alone product it turned out it was a small piece of a Multinational Consumer Products Company.
The company at the time was Palmolive, it might be different now they eat each other in consolidations etc… it’s what huge business do.
Anyways life goes on, I was put out of business in less than a week and very flattered that I, as one person could threaten a Multinational Consumer Products Company enough to show up on their radar for them to take action against me. I was really flattered but made broke. 🙁
Huge lesson to be learned.
Getting back to my intent of this post.
It’s happening again, but this time I am better prepared I hope fingers crossed.
I designed Authority Snooper to help weave in and out of where these huge brands are and still make money.
Go and read the story of
How 16 Companies are Dominating the World’s Google Search Results
by Glen Allsopp
Someone else has really put some effort into the research of what I discovered years ago and it’s happening all over on the internet. You owe it yourself if you want to survive in business, don’t procrastinate like I did with that book that still haunts me today.
Now I really wished I had read that book, I think I will take this to my grave of one of the things I regretted not doing. Life goes on 😉
Ed Chiasson
Till next time