[mlevental]

the way i think about this is mcdonald's employees getting their oil changes from jiffy lube across the street and the jiffy lube employees eating lunch at the mcdonald's - there's no external investment in the local economy (yes this basically a microcosm for all economics).

[maged]

That can't be true when so many of these small businesses have such massive margins. They're not spending the earnings on other small online businesses.

[mlevental]

these people don't pay themselves as FTE so of course their margins are good.

[maged]

That's irrelevant to above point. That they could pay themselves a salary out of earnings means there is more money going in that just what is cycling around between these sites.

[mlevental]

no you're missing my point: they don't pay themselves at all so their margins are inflated.