1. Amazon.com's "Negative Operating Cycle." ... The incredible run up in Amazon.com's stock price over the past six months (almost 300%) has caused a number of analysts to raise the question: Is Amazon really worth as much as Barnes & Noble and Borders Books combined? In the July 19, 1998, New York Times, Cynthia Mayer writes an interesting article outlining how the Internet enables Amazon.com to create a "negative operating cycle." Wow, it's not only the lack of salespersons, leases and inventory that makes Amazon potentially so valuable, it's the way Amazon actually gets paid. Scary?

"Most retailers--most businesses in fact--must buy goods and supplies before selling them. Cash goes out to suppliers before it can come in from customers, obliging the company to continually finance the gap, often equal to a month or two's worth of sales... Not Amazon. It charges a customer's credit card account as soon as it ships a book, and the credit card company usually pays Amazon within a day. Amazon, meanwhile, takes an average of 46 days to pay its suppliers, the book distributors. Instead of having to pay to finance sales, Amazon profits from having the use of its customers' money for a month and a half."

2. Jobs Online--Part II. ... Following up on the Dispatch two weeks ago, a number of people wrote in describing other web sites offering job-posting services. ... Dudley Eggleston writes that his site Eggleston Consulting International is "exclusively dedicated to matching real estate employees with real estate employers at minimum expense and preserving candidate's identity until specifically requested by an employer and they (candidates) tell me they are interested in talking to the employer." ... Donn Raabe of CIREI writes that, "The CCIM version, the Career Resources forum has been available to CCIM designees, CIREI candidates and the public since the first of the year. Whenever a position is posted, CCIM designees are notified immediately giving them a jump in the process." ... According to Dee Seymour with Colliers Arnold, NACORE has operated a job service for some time and also publishes a compensation survey.

3. Dispatch in HTML Format. ... This is the first issue of the PikeNet Dispatch that I'm also sending in HTML format, which means that the Dispatch looks just like a web page with different hyperlinks, fonts, tables and graphics. ... If you would like to receive future Dispatches in HTML format, edit your User Profile by going to the home page and clicking the "Edit User Profile" link under the PikeNet logo. ... Remember, not all e-mail programs can receive HTML mail, including most corporate mail programs. But Netscape, Eudora 4.0, Outlook 98 and Outlook Express can all receive it correctly.

4. Web Success--R.B. Murray Company Posts Aerial Images. ... Here's a neat idea to add some value to your web site: Post aerial images of key freeway intersections in your market. ... That's exactly what the R.B. Murray Company has done. Based in Springfield, MO, the firm has posted a map highway map of the area. As your cursor moves across important intersections, you'll see it change from an arrow into a finger, indicating that an aerial image is available. Click your mouse, and you'll generate an aerial image of the area. ... Do you have a Web Success story? ... Send me e-mail. ... For hyperlinks to this week's story, use the URL below:

http://www.pikenet.com/pike?func=WebSuccess08

5. Knowledge Base--Martindale Offers Legal Info. ... Negotiating a transaction with a new attorney? Want to find a resume or a legal firm's background? Need a phone number or e-mail address? ... Check the Martindale-Hubble web site. It's the definitive listing location for lawyers. ... You'll find step-by-step instructions in the PikeNet Knowledge Base (top of home page) under the Phone Directories section, or use the URL below:

http://www.pikenet.com/pike?func=showPublicPage&page=
questions/questions/question077

6. Can You Answer a Question? ... This week you'll find some interesting questions or comments on the PikeNet Question Board. ...Nick Bockh discusses Torto Wheaton Research's services. ... Justin Feil asks about handheld PCs used in commercial real estate. ... Kristine Kreska, an executive recruiter, wants to know which companies use JD Edwards software. ... And Skip Corsini with the Glenborough Realty Trust is looking for employee orientation ideas. ... You can easily respond to these messages publicly or privately. ... To respond publicly, scroll down to the bottom of the screen, enter text in the box, and click the "Post My Message" button. … To respond privately, click the name of the poster and then "Send e-mail" to send an e-mail directly. … To access the Question Board, use the link below, or click the hyperlink at the top of the PikeNet home page.

http://www.pikenet.com/cgi-bin/WebX?13@@.ee6b6ef

7. Billboard Advertising. ... Are you launching a new product or service? Want to deliver your URL and marketing information to over 3,000 PikeNet visitors each week? Buy a Billboard banner... For full details, click the online "Media Kit" under the Billboard on the home page or use the hyperlink below:

http://www.pikenet.com/advertising/advertising.html

--Peter Pike