Discuss

I've been tinkering with this idea, hopefully it will be a precursor to change.

The 99% can beat them at their own game: capitalism. It's not all worked out yet, but that's a good reason to post - to evolve and flush out the weaknesses.

Basically it's a conglomerate. A corporation composed of subsidiaries owned by individuals like you and me. The long-term goal is to return power to the people.

Do you own or want to start a lawn maintenance or painting business? Just associate it with the conglomerate, and call it a subsidiary. We can do this with any business of any size.

To start with there should be no fees for associating, but your business will get great advertizing. Basically, you include the 99% symbol with your company logo. Someone or a group of people will find ways to share the list of businesses with the world (apps and emails, for example).

The conglomerate will become recognized and people around the world will begin to feel guilt for not purchasing Occupy products and services, given the choice. Society will begin to condemn those who prefer to support the 1%.

In time, subsidiaries will need to pay fees and so will be given the choice to separate. But say bye-bye to the benefits.

As subsidiaries grow large in numbers, they will be encouraged to merge to become stronger. And when the conglomerate acquires greater financial leverage, it will begin to consume existing corporate entities.

Wouldn't it be cool to see these "consumed" entities change the way they do business? I'd say stop trading their shares publicly and enforce "Democracy at Work". This means employees take half a day off each week and get together to democratically determine how/what/where to produce goods and how much each should get paid. This should ensure equity and keep jobs local... who would choose to pay CEOs shiploads then move their jobs overseas? (Remember I'm only talking about consumed entities here, not your business.) Do you think the conglomerate wouldn't eventually operate a non-profit financial institution for it's members?

I have ideas for a website too, to facilitate business start-up and ongoing support. I think it can revolutionize the entrepreneurial and consumer world, with an impact on society rivaling Facebook's. I won't go into that just yet.

Looking forward to constructive feedback, and partners to build this idea to the point where it can be unleashed upon the world. Please share this with anyone. I don't want to own it... but can't keep it bottled up either! We are better than capitalism!

A lawyer reading this might see a great opportunity for him or her: helping draft the constitution of the conglomerate corporation. It might be worth providing legal advice to the conglomerate in the first phase. Then, by merging her own business with the conglomerate, she will be the first lawyer to advertize as a 99er (lack of a better term) subsidiary. Supporters of the movement will seek her services for any area of law she wishes to specialize in.

The Phase One rules would have to be such that though a business is "acquired" by the conglomerate, its operations will not be influenced by the conglomerate. The acquisition of your business does not interfere with the way you organize, produce or distribute. This rule would have to change in a later phase when larger mergers take place - takeovers, or the strategic "consuming" of capitalism by the conglomerate.

A lawyer would be handy for consolidating redundant departments, since one of the benefits for subsidiaries is lower costs for tax, legal and accounting responsibilities. Now the accountant is thinking about this rare opportunity, "Would it hurt my reputation if I was the first accounting subsidiary to advertize as a 99er?"

The few who choose to initiate this will certainly be known around the world in a few short years. Don't you think?

The 99er Business Directory:

When your company is acquired by the conglomerate, an ad/store page is dedicated to you, and your company's name, contact info, logo and slogan (slogo?) appear in the directory tree.
It can work similar to Kijiji.
Each ad is basically a tall row in a list based on the user's search results.
The user clicks on your ad and is taken to your ad page.

I keep imagining this as a 3D world mall where your character can visit stores, libraries or whatever... interact with government one day?

Anyway, if I lay it all out, you would see that what I've described above are just a few ways people will interact with the site. A strategic objective is the entrepreneurial component, continually improved, to support business start-up and to manage your businesses online.

But to start, the Directory will just be a list of business names emailed or shared by whatever free means exist. When the website first appears and fees are paid by subsidiaries to finance the conglomerate, the intricacies of website business rules and design can be worked out.

All fees earned by the conglomerate for some time will go to operational costs, advertizing and website development. No person(s) or elite group will benefit from the organization other than what the conglomerate is designed to provide.

Everyone has equal opportunity in their industries, and yes, more than one subsidiary might be competing for the same market share. That can't be stopped, but there is always the option to merge and become more powerful. Merging of internal competition is always in the best interest of the conglomerate, but should never be forced.

Wow, surely someone has a thought on this! Anyway, here's what I was thinking for the three phases:
P1:
-campaign for subsidiaries
-develop business directory
-develop/implement ad strategy
-incorporate conglomerate

P2:
-begin collecting fees
-develop web and mobile apps
-incorporate essential services
-low-budget public ads

P3:
-merge internal competitors
-initiate strategic consumption
-increase fees
-update apps
-massive public ads

Please do, by all means! And thanks for sharing.