M
Marc Lzier
Guest
I called last Tuesday to say that I would like to order the CD (from the flyer they sent last week.
The phone was answered 'hello, art dot com.'
I asked for Art print index and had to be transferred.
The API lady I got told me today was the last day of API (last Tuesday).
So I sez "How long was this planned for since I just got this flyer?"
And she sez: " We (the employees) were notified by the ownership/management ONE WEEK earlier."
And then I sez to the lady, "So you and the others are going to be working at Art Dot Com now?"
And she said, "No. We were all laid off with one week's notice just before Christmas."
I said "Bummer" and she said "tell me about it."
Obviously she was pretty pissed and it happened to be her (and the others' ) last day.
A Company will put on it's best face in the face of adversity.
Few will say when things are dire straits.
Just like a regular company that loses money in the beginning so do internet companies.
But comparatively few solely internet companies have made buck in anything else than the porn and gambling categories.
Just to surmise: With the venture capital that has been dumped into the company, and the
profits being below expectations they need to cut expenditures (payroll) to be able to either buy stock/merchandise, or just to keep afloat.
Remember API just went in to the wholesale poster supply business recently.
Also think about it this way. If you do not have API as a resource to cross-reference art and
catalogs, and Art Dot Com has this ability then it is an add'l reason for the consumer to go to them.
Plus you can't get the prints from them on a whsle level, on your customer can, or you can and pay re-tail
And they now don't need to advertise to two different markets, in two different sets of mags and media.
The lady on the phone did say they (the ownership) were in discussions to sell the resource (of API).
I would take this to mean another way to raise funds for the company.
And Victor is on the chopping block so to speak.
The just filled Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.
Any takes on what this all means?
The phone was answered 'hello, art dot com.'
I asked for Art print index and had to be transferred.
The API lady I got told me today was the last day of API (last Tuesday).
So I sez "How long was this planned for since I just got this flyer?"
And she sez: " We (the employees) were notified by the ownership/management ONE WEEK earlier."
And then I sez to the lady, "So you and the others are going to be working at Art Dot Com now?"
And she said, "No. We were all laid off with one week's notice just before Christmas."
I said "Bummer" and she said "tell me about it."
Obviously she was pretty pissed and it happened to be her (and the others' ) last day.
A Company will put on it's best face in the face of adversity.
Few will say when things are dire straits.
Just like a regular company that loses money in the beginning so do internet companies.
But comparatively few solely internet companies have made buck in anything else than the porn and gambling categories.
Just to surmise: With the venture capital that has been dumped into the company, and the
profits being below expectations they need to cut expenditures (payroll) to be able to either buy stock/merchandise, or just to keep afloat.
Remember API just went in to the wholesale poster supply business recently.
Also think about it this way. If you do not have API as a resource to cross-reference art and
catalogs, and Art Dot Com has this ability then it is an add'l reason for the consumer to go to them.
Plus you can't get the prints from them on a whsle level, on your customer can, or you can and pay re-tail
And they now don't need to advertise to two different markets, in two different sets of mags and media.
The lady on the phone did say they (the ownership) were in discussions to sell the resource (of API).
I would take this to mean another way to raise funds for the company.
And Victor is on the chopping block so to speak.
The just filled Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection.
Any takes on what this all means?