Something I didn’t want to miss – Recode covered a program that hasn’t received attention by Amazon to recruit small mom-and-pop shops in rural America to help with deliveries. The company is paying participating small businesses a per-package fee to deliver Amazon orders within a 10-mile radius to their neighbors’ homes in states like Nebraska, Mississippi, and Alabama.
What caught my eye? IT shops are included in the program.
Is this a value add or a distraction for an IT services company? I think it depends on the nature of the operation. A retail IT shop? Maybe. A services focused one? Probably a lot less so.
This speaks to how IT shops are viewed – and it’s much more transactional in perception than many would like. I’d advise against this type of program participation, as I think it dilutes the position a provider wants to be in.
That said, Amazon’s looking.