Yes its complex arithmetic where middle men skim off the top!
Charlie, these "middlemen" add value. When you use loaded terms like "skim off the top", the implication is that you believe they are stealing. Do you believe all business people should be denied a fair profit?
As far a just "skimming off the top", in competitive markets, it not that simple. If you are not adding value, you will soon be out of business.
Let me give you and example, I once worked for a financial institution that decided to offer most of our products through third parties, or what you call "middlemen". The reasons were simple. It enabled us to focus on our core competency, managing money, instead of mailing statements and answering phone calls. We chose to use the middlemen because it simplified out processes and they added value.
