Skip to main content

I DON'T UNDERSTAND BUSINESS




I remember the time that a brewery opened in the early nineteenth century. They were fantastic because they swore on that day that they would never sell their business for millions of pounds in the future because they....

Wait, sorry, have I remembered that incorrectly? Sorry. You must forgive me - y'see, I don't really understand business.

I do, however, remember a brewing business opening in 2011. Their focus was on the quality of their beer and they swore on that day that they'd never value it at £250million. They never wanted to make money, even on the day that...

What's that? Sorry, is that wrong again? Oh, you must forgive silly me. Y'see, I don't really understand business.

However, I do remember speaking to a recent man of business. Whilst he was busy businessing he said to me that his business often paid £250million to businesses to never change them or gain any profit from them and to not infiltrate the market that they held at all in any w....

Eh? Have I not got that one right? Boy oh boy, I really do not understand business.

That's the problem with business - it is far too complicated for laymen like me to wrap our heads around. There are all these pesky details in the way; all those big numbers and detailed contracts. I try to understand it - I really do - but I just don't get it.

Because I'm such a fool I sometimes get these ideas in my head that not all business acquisitions and market moves can be viewed as positives. I sometimes reference history - which I really shouldn't because, *hits head with palm* when has that ever taught us everything - and that makes me think I should side with caution. Caution isn't okay. Caution is for the weak. Caution is for those afraid of capitalism, progress and "The City." Caution is for those who don't understand business.

And if we have learnt anything from this last week it is that people like me really really do not understand business.

People actually say it. They say that in little posts they write. And people share it. In its finality. If you actually question this... if you do not see this as anything but a positive... if your puny brain cannot comprehend... if you even tried to pretend you understand business.... 

Business.



Imagine having the actual hubris to not hold the same opinion of somebody else when it comes to business. Imagine not thinking that anything but progressive capitalism is positive. Imagine siding with that caution. Imagine just wanting to take a step back and question the motives of bigger conglomerates.

But, actually, don't imagine. Because there are not two sides to this business. There is one side; one view. There is one opinion to have. And if you don't have that opinion then....

Shall I tell you about another business? Beer writing. Beer writing is business. People have to earn money. Some of that money comes from big southern breweries who "sponsor" numerous writers and publications and Dark Orders in return for nothing but decent content. They help support those writers for no gain of their own. Winning Brewery of the Year is entirely unrelated.

But maybe I've got that wrong because I don't really understand business.

So I'll continue to write not understanding business and comment on business that I don't really understand and mention beer that I will still get to love even when it is back to being owned by a single digit number of businesses.

That I wouldn't even understand anyway.

Business.

Tupac Shakur Rest in Peace. He was the Best. My Respect. Yeah. C'mon.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"They Had Their Issues, So..."

      There’s a set of garages to rent as storage units near my workplace. One of them is taken by a local florist that uses it to store flower arrangements for various events, that are more often than not funerals.   As such, at least once a week at 8am I will pass a car being loaded up with flowers arranged into heart shaped patterns or the letters M U M. It is a grounding reminder that, as I mentally grumble my way through the upcoming arbitrary grievances of my ordinary working day, a group of family and friends locally is going through the hardest time. It provides much needed perspective on days when I could do with being reminded of all that I have to be thankful for.   These little moments explain to me why it is possible for us to share a communal loss when a celebrity passes away. Grief is often a personal and lonely experience, shared between a minority of people in your life. When a co-worker loses a relative or friend, it has little affect on me, bar signing of
Post a Comment
Read more

LIVERPOOL - the City that Craft Beer Forgot Part II (and found...)

After visiting Liverpool, one of my favourite cities, in February this year, and not impressing people with my rather hasty but honest verdict on the city’s lack of craft beer, I jumped at the chance to return last week and hoped to come out with a more attractive judgement. A couple of friends and I visited on a day out, with neither of them having been drinking in the city before. It was left to me – or rather, I volunteered – to plan the day’s itinerary and places to visit. I had a couple of new or unvisited places in mind myself, but knew it would be unfair to miss out on some of the city’s famous gems. With around 10-12 hours in which to fit in an entire city, I opted to concentrate on the famous Georgian Quarter and see if we had time for the Dale Street end later on.    We planned to arrive in the city for around 11a.m. just in time to walk up Mount Pleasant to the new-on-me, though I believe it has been opened three years, Clove Hitch on Hope Street for breakfast.
Post a Comment
Read more

Advent Calendar Window 14 - La Goudale de Noel

"Keep my distance, but you still catch my eye, Tell me, baby, do you recognise me? Well, it’s been a year, that doesn’t surprise me" La Goudale is an interesting French enigma. I searched for this under the label Brassee a L’Ancienne believing this to be the name of the brewery. After some fruitless searching, I learnt that this is not the name of a brewer, but rather a French saying that, roughly translated, means “Brewed in a Traditional way.” La Goudale is actually from the Brewery Gayant based in Douai, North-east France that aleso houses other well-nown brews such as Amadeus and La Biere Du Demon.  The real reason I find them an enigma though is for the discovery the other day that two of their beers – the Abbey and Wit – are sold in Aldi. They are in 750ml bottles and are £2.49 and £1.99 respectively. Housed here, the repugnant snob in me thinks they look cheap and unappetising on these shelves and managed to slightly put me off my La Goudale
Post a Comment
Read more