By Santa John McDaniel
The View from the Bridge is an opinion piece that explores how societal changes can/will impact the future, especially as these changes apply to the Graphic-Products industry and small businesses in general.

Another WOW! What a month! On the pandemic front, it appears we are making progress. On the economic front, there is more help for small businesses.

On a personal note, Holley and I got our second Covid-19 vaccine shots Friday. Slight soreness in the shoulder last night, good to go today! Ours was the Moderna vaccine.

Looking Ahead

As we emerge from this pandemic, we are prompted to assess the economic changes we have all experienced and observed.

Covid-19 lockdowns have accelerated online shopping; many businesses have discovered some, if not all, of their employees can work from home. If you have a store in a mall, you may have already closed your doors. Malls and commercial office space are currently depressed.

Future Trends

1. Working from Home will increase. Fewer people will travel back and forth to an office.
2. Entrepreneurship will increase. More people will have the opportunity to become self-employed.
3. A basic minimum income for all will be enacted. Think Social Security for all.
4. Universal healthcare will come. Think Medicare for all.
5. Social Security and Medicare for all will stimulate the economy. Small businesses don’t have to provide health insurance, and no one needs to work for starvation wages.
6. Linux and Unix operating systems (Android and Chrome) will come to dominate home computers. Windows and I/OS will become niche operating systems.
7. Having some web-presence will become a business necessity.
8. Some businesses in the Graphic Products industry will become fulfillment centers. They receive orders from the web, produce product in-house, and ship it to the customer. No contact.
9. As we have mentioned before, transportation is going electric. Tesla is introducing the Model 2 sometime next year. It’s rumored price is $25k. Every major car maker is planning electric vehicles. Who needs gas, oil changes, tune-ups, etc., etc.?
10. Electric generation will become local. You’ll see it in your home, your subdivision, your city, your building, etc. Solar panels and batteries eliminate the need for high-powered transmission lines and transformers. The landscape will be much nicer once all those ugly power lines are removed for scrap metal.

 We will cover these trends, and how they will impact our industry in future articles. Next time Working from Home.

Homework

As we look to the future. It is important that we answer a couple of questions.

1. Is my interest in creating personalized products for Fun or Profit?
2. What do I do, or does my business do?
3. Who are my competitors?

In Short

Thank you for your attention. Keep in mind that we don’t know what we don’t know. So, don’t take our word for it. Meditate and find what is right for you.

As we’ve said before, working from home may become the norm. Commuting to an office, not so much or so often. (great for reducing air pollution, not so great for oil producers and gas stations.)   

The economic transformations COVID-19 has initiated will last long after the dis-ease is brought into balance (i.e., suppressed). We consider ourselves blessed to be here to witness and help in this transformation.

These changes will favor small businesses that work from home.