hawil wrote on Nov 5
th, 2011 at 8:08pm:
How can you assert, that the cake is much bigger due to the efforts of relatively few?
It is due to the efforts of Engineers and scientists who invented more efficient machinery, and other tools, and not many of them became very rich.
You also state greed is the driver of capitalism; I would agree on that point, but as the greedy want more and more, there will be fewer greedy who will have assets that the more greedy can take away from them, because the other 99% will have nothing to take from them.
Here is an example of how to get rich: A does a certain job for B and charges B $100.00 for the job, but B is only prepared to pay $80.00 for the job, and in the end does pay only $80.00/
Now reverse the situation, B does the same job for A, but charges A $120.00, and being tough, gets $120.00.
It is not hard to see who willl prosper, yet he/she does do not put more effort in.
Are you serious?
I have a cake, you the cake supplier charge me $25 for it, we've established a market at $8 a slice. We decide to test the market by adding a dollop of whipped cream and a few berries to the cake and discover the market is prepared to pay $9 a slice. The cake has 22 slices and the cost of the additional berries and whipped cream is $1/slice. So the product cost is $47 and income earned to me $198.
Through hard work, great customer service, marketing, appropriate capital allocation and cash flow management I build the business to the point I'm selling 50 cakes a week. Another local bakery wants a slice of the business (pun intended) and approaches me to purchase their cakes for $23, and to sweeten the deal (pun intended) adds a chocolate ganache and individually slices each cake prior to delivery. As an upside, the customer is now prepared to pay $10 per slice since it has the lovely ganache.
So now I've got reduced cost and increase profit, the cake costs me $45 and income earned to me $220
Out of loyalty to you, my original supplier, I offer you the opportunity to match the new suppliers offering, but in order to do so you need to update your ovens and buy a new mixer, so instead of biting the bullet and investing in your business you give me a cock and bull story explaining your position and decide to get "tough". Unfortunately through your own complacency you've relied heavily on my business and haven't bothered to obtain any new business since you're comfortable with your lot in life. Unfortunately you have no business as of next week and due to your tough stance decide that you will not compete against the new bakery in town and stay "tough" on your offering. You go out of business and blame me for your failure.
My customers suggest they would really enjoy a coffee to go with their cake, so I invest in the machinery and installation. Cups of coffee cost me 30c
and my customers are prepared to pay $3.00. They're pretty popular coffees and 90% of my customers order a coffee and cake.
After working hard I decide I'd like to have a couple of days off so give a couple of juniors a job on the weekend putting the cake in containers and making coffees.
The employees both join the union and demand, since they are putting in 2/7's of the labour, they are entitled 2/7's of the profit, yet take no risk or invest no capital.