Posted: Mon May 04, 26 2:50 pm Post subject: Supporting small business
Quick peek through the list of veg box providers shows that most of the small ones have not survived the years since this forum started. I know some that have come and gone locally. And fruit/veg providers on the local Farmers' Market have come and gone.
But it's not just veg box providers in the small business world is it? There are an awful lot of other small businesses from artists to potters and other creative people, small garages, window cleaners (these can be riotous mind), local IT specialists, web site and media creatives ....
How supportive are we of the small business folks who seek to make a living on their own?
We support small shops where we can; in fact several of them sell our charcoal as well, so useful to do two jobs at once, both buying and selling. Sadly, it isn't always possible. A lot of the things we need aren't available in shops within a 15 mile radius, or even further probably, so have to use internet and larger businesses for them. Stationery and simple things like sisal string for instance. There are a few small businesses that sell things like hydraulic bits, which we unfortunately seem to need all too often, but other things just aren't possible.
A small antiques business took an upstairs shop on the sadly underused main street in the small town up road. No advertising other than on Facebook in a town of older people/younger parents. Who aren't all Facebook users.
The stairs were steep to say the least and the main shoppers on the street are older folks going to the many barbers/hairdressers, coffee drinkers and those catching buses elsewhere.
They have decided not to renew the lease. Due to falling footfall which was poor to start with they claim.
Lets just say that there are pubs empty at each end of street, Aldi and B&M on the small out of town shopping centre down hill (plenty buses going there in the day), no banks in town now, clothes shopping all elsewhere in bigger shopping centres easy to reach by bus or train or car.
How to lose small businesses, not always the fault of the shopper.
Decided to do a visit to Chester and use the tourist hop on/hop off bus for one day. Back yesterday.
On a Saturday the bus was not very full and the city centre was not very full. Even the buskers didn't seem to be staying (half decent buskers but nowt special). Stop off for a time in the city centre. All the major shopping chains (except the supermarkets) just in posher (smaller) shops. Bit like the Metro Centre near home. Lot of vacant shops.
Oh and a diversion just off the city centre BHS is still there empty, still labelled. And that's 10 years on!
More independent crafts/potters/painters/jewellers/paper makers/general home furnishers/independent cafes and cake makers up road just over half an hour away on the local bus.
There's a local coach business which still does day trips and away trips for sort of 3/5/7 days.
Just run a check on on a trip to an old town where I used to live - rather than taking their coach offering. It's actually cheaper for 3 days by train there and back with me senior railcard even with the hotel included.
Now if I was going one of their longer trips to say the Isle of Man or the South West that might well be a different matter.
Firm has doing this for years. So should have the contacts and knowledge.
Moved into village May 12 years ago and picked up the local window cleaner/team. Village recommended. Regular, reliable, effective every two weeks and collected of an evening if you were out in day. Boss got old, decided he wanted a desk job and sold round to someone out of area. List of excuses got longer over 18 months till he said on day that half his staff hadn't turned in and he'd turn up when he could.
Facebook turned up a list of alternatives. Some of whom didn't answer. One did and turn up when they say. Text the day before coming. Bit more expensive but they clean the frames, the windows and the doors. Like the first lot. Can pay by cash, direct debit or bank transfer on day at end of job.
Not local, not particularly small. Not supporting local traders.
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