.
LIZ: WHEN YOU THINK OF THE
AMAZON EFFECT, YOU MIGHT THINK
OF HOW THE E-COMMERCE GIANT, IF
YOU'VE HEARD, MAY BE TRASHING
BIG CHAIN RETAILERS AND STOCKS.
OTHERS COMPLAINED AMAZON
CRUSHED THE MOM AND POP SMALL
BES AS WELL.
THEY SELL AND SELL BIG ON
AMAZON'S SITE.
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.
THERE ARE MORE THAN 175,000
SMALLER RETAILERS ON AMAZON
FROM CALIFORNIA, FOLLOWED BY
NEW YORK AND FOLLOWED BY
FLORIDA WITH 175,000 SMALL
BUSINESSES WHO MOVED WARES AND
PRODUCTS ON AMAZON DOES.
YOUR COMPANY WANT IN OR ON
AMAZON'S SELLING SITE OR ON THE
SHELVES OF BIG CHAINS LIKE
WALMART.
WE BRING IN THE AUTHOR OF THE
1% EDGE, SUSAN, GOOD TO HAVE
YOU HERE.
SMALL BUSINESS IS THE BACK BONE
OF THE U.S. ECONOMY AND MANY OF
THEM ARE LISTENING RIGHT NOW.
HOW CAN THEY MAKE THE LEAP TO
START MOVING THEIR PRODUCT
THROUGH AMAZON?
>> QUITE EASY LIZ TO SIGN UP
FOR THE AMAZON MARKETPLACE AND
BRILLIANT FOR AMAZON TO DO.
THIS A LOT OF PEOPLE CRITICIZE
AMAZON FOR THIS, AMAZON GIVES
THE SMALL BUSINESS A GREATER
MARKET AND OPPORTUNITY TO REACH
NEW CUSTOMERS SO REALLY VERY
EASY.
IF YOU WANT TO SELL A LOT ON
AMAZON, THERE'S A PROFESSIONAL
FEE, ABOUT 40 BUCKS A MONTH OR
AS AN INDIVIDUAL ACCEPT THE
AMOUNT OF PRODUCT THAT YOU CAN
SELL.
HURTLE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES IS
A LOT OF THEM THINK I'M ON
AMAZON, I'M TURNING ON THE
MONEY SPIGOT.
YOU HAVE TO PROMOTE IT, YOU
HAVE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW YOU'RE
THERE, AND THE MORE YOU GET,
THE MORE YOU SHOW UP ON THE
RANKINGS ON AMAZON.
LIZ: TELL US HOW BUSINESS
OWNERS ARE DEALING WITH THE
WE'RE ON MUCH FIRMER FOOTING,
MAY HAVE DRY POWDER IN THE FORM
OF TAXES THAT WERE CUT FOR
THEM.
HOW ARE THEY SPENDING THAT
MONEY OR DO THEY GET BIGGER TAX
RETURNS?
WHAT IS THE TRUE STORY FOR
SMALL BUSINESSES RIGHT NOW?
>> IT'S A MIXED REVIEW,
PERSONALLY, I BELIEVE THAT THE
TAX REFORM IS GREAT.
WE WERE HAPPY TO SEE IT.
IT'S NOT THE END ALL AND BE
ALL, THE PASS THROUGH ENTITIES
PROBABLY DIDN'T GET EXACTLY
WHAT THEY WANTED.
WHAT IS TELLING TO ME, FOR THE
FIRST TIME, WE'RE SEEING
HISTORICAL HIGHS IN TERMS OF
THE NUMBER OF JOB CREATION FROM
SMALL BUSINESSES.
THAT SAID, HEY, WE HAVE A GOOD
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK.
MAJORITY OF THEM SAY WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE BETTER REVENUES
THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR.
OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE
HOLDS BUT HAVING A HARD TIME
FINDING QUALIFIED APPLICANTS.
>> I HAVE THE BOOK, THE 1%
EDGE, AND THE BEST EXAMPLE OF
THIS AND WE WERE READING IT.
YOU BROUGHT IN BUILD A BEAR
WHICH IS THE CUSTOMIZE YOUR
TEDDY BEAR COMPANY.
WHAT DID THEY DO RIGHT, THE 1%
EDGE?
>> THE 1% EDGE HELPS COMPANIES
BUILD INNOVATION PROCESSES IN
THE COMPANY'S DNA.
STRATEGIC PLAN IS DEAD.
YOU'VE GOT TO BE MAKING REAL
TIME DECISIONS AND BACK IN THE
DAY, WE USED TO SHARE MESSAGES
WITH AUDIENCES AND WE WERE
TOSSING IT OUT.
NOW IT'S A TWO-WAY STREET.
YOU HAVE TO ENGAGE THAT
CUSTOMER, AND YOU REALLY HAVE
TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SELLING.
YOU'RE NOT TELLING WHAT YOU
THINK YOU ARE, YOU ARE NOT
SELLING THAT WIDGET.
WHAT I LOVE WHAT MAXINE CLARK
DID, I COLLECT TEDDY BEARS, BUT
YOU BUY THEM PRETTY MUCH ALL
THE SAME WAY.
I CAN GO ONLINE OR INTO A
DISCOUNT STORE AND PAY TEN
BUCKS FOR ONE.
GO TO GERMANY AND PAY HUNDREDS
FOR A STIEFF BEAR, SHE IS
SELLING EXPERIENCES AND
MEMORIES, THAT'S WHERE YOU TAKE
THAT SPECIAL PERSON IN YOUR
LIFE.
LIZ: THERE IS STILL A LINE OUT
THE DOOR ON FIFTH AVENUE AT
BUILD-A-BEAR THESE DAYS, I HAD
A KID'S BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR MY
DAUGHTER.
IT'S AN EXPERIENCE, NOT A TEDDY