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Google Purchase Sweet 18 and Independent Bookstores Fight With Amazon

This week, I came across two articles in the Daily Herald Business Ledger that caught my attention:

They both talk about aspects of recent blog posts I’ve published.

Motorola Mobility and Patents

Closing the Gap In Science Achievement:
Image by projectexploration via Flickr

Let’s look at Motorola first. In Now that Google brought Motorola Mobility – what will they do with it?, we look at several possible reasons Google brought Motorola Mobility. One reason is Motorola Mobility has a huge assortment of patents.

The article mentioned 14,600 worldwide patents with 7000 other pending patents. From my understanding of patents, if you just change one invention element – you can create a new patent application. So the patent collection appears to be a major playing card.

But the Business Ledger has narrowed the field down to 18. But the article didn’t really elaborate on what the 18 patents were about.

Remember where I said that a while back, Motorola split into two units: Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions? It appears in an article at Motorola Solutions transfers 220 workers with sale of 2 units entitled Motorola Solutions transfers 220 workers with sale of 2 units, that parts of Motorola Solutions are being sold off.

In a recent article at Analysts: Motorola Mobility could be sold again entitled Analysts: Motorola Mobility could be sold again, it appears Google might spinoff the business, once they get the patent stuff.

What Independent Bookstores Like Andersons Do To Fight Amazon

The manga section at Barnes & Noble at The Sho...
Image via Wikipedia

In another article, I covered why Border’s failed brought Anderson’s in Naperville (Illinois USA) succeeded. In the Business Ledger articles, the reporter did interview the owner Becky Anderson. Here’s an interesting tidbit the article shares on how Independents compete with Amazon.

“Additionally, taking a page from Barnes & Noble, the largest national bookstore chain, independent booksellers are embracing the Internet. Using a new e-commerce program created by the American Booksellers Association, independent bookstores can now sell hardcover and e-books online at prices that rival Amazon and Barnes & Noble.”

Well, they certainly don’t need to worry about Barnes and Noble – but can this really turn the tide against Amazon?

The article goes on to suggest other tactics. One is an annual lunch with national and regional authors. Sounds good to me.

Andersons does hold regional book fairs and shares sale profits with non-profit organizations, churches and schools.

The article suggests they create a sense of community.

The interior of the Barnes & Noble located at ...
Image via Wikipedia

But what I notice if I go to the Anderson’s website at Andersons Bookstore in Naperville, is that they are active on both Twitter and FaceBook. It’s a good sign they are involved in social media. I haven’t checked the website rankings but they probably engage SEO as well.

There’s also a story by WGM at WATCH: Google Helping Independent Bookstores Sell entitled WATCH: Google Helping Independent Bookstores Sell eBooks. If Google helps with e-book sales and The American Booksellers Association is using e-commerce to sell books online at competitive prices – guess what?

Independent bookstores can effectively compete with Amazon – at least in theory.

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