A friend sent this to me today and I thought it was worth sharing. Probably sums up a lot of people that are FF members.
"When you buy from a small business you are not helping a CEO buy a third vacation home. You are helping a little girl get dance lessons. A little boy get his team jersey. A mom put food on the table. A dad pay the mortgage or a student pay for college."
I know this is "preaching to the choir", but we all need to keep this in mind when we make purchases.
Absolutely the truth.
very true! thanks for posting!
X 2 ;D
That is a nice reminder. :)
sent to my friend that runs the local dr vinal franchise. Her husband has a shoe repair shop.
We have a couple "hardware" stores that sell about everything under the sun. We could buy for less from someplace like Lowes or Walmart. We always buy locally. I haven't been in a Walmart for years and I don't intend to change.
I all ways try to buy from the small guy that way he is there the next time I need some thing
smiley_thumbsup
Hey, I am one of those guys :). Buy from me, unless you have $300 to spend, then you can buy from Poston ;D.
I couldn't agree more, it's out of my way by 45 miles or so to get to any big box stores anyway. Just saw a gal I know post on face book about going to town for groceries, can't remember what she left behind but the store owner followed her a couple miles home and dropped it off, can't beat small towns and the service IMO.
My wife operates a small convenience store in the Adirondacks. There is a strong local customer base that purchase all their fuel, gas and diesel, and that keeps things afloat. There is very little profit in those, but it is convenient although a few cents more than 10 miles away. There are those who will cash a check, get $3.00 of gas and drive to where it is .02 cheaper but they can't cash a check there. We also have the people who will sit and drink coffee all morning and never buy anything else. We have a bunch of loggers and firewood cutters in town so we now carry bars, chains, files oil and other goodies and now move quite a bit. Prices are reasonable and everything we sell my son and I use in our business so if it turns out to be junk I won't order it again.
We boxed out the big box stores but it is tuff sometimes.
Quote from: jwilly3879 on October 17, 2014, 02:10:48 PM
My wife operates a small convenience store in the Adirondacks. There is a strong local customer base that purchase all their fuel, gas and diesel, and that keeps things afloat. There is very little profit in those, but it is convenient although a few cents more than 10 miles away. There are those who will cash a check, get $3.00 of gas and drive to where it is .02 cheaper but they can't cash a check there. We also have the people who will sit and drink coffee all morning and never buy anything else. We have a bunch of loggers and firewood cutters in town so we now carry bars, chains, files oil and other goodies and now move quite a bit. Prices are reasonable and everything we sell my son and I use in our business so if it turns out to be junk I won't order it again.
A friend of mine told me about the convenience stores in the the Adks. :D He was up there somewhere building a hydro plant, and stopped in at one on the way home for the weekend. He got lunch, gas, a logging chain and a pulp hook. :D
I know where every small country store that as even has a misc. bolt bin from here to the border! I have keys to barns that are pretty well stocked too! I was using a 1800s lathe one time and the belt broke, I would have fixed it but he didn't have any leather! So I hauled to the nearest machine shop and paid a guy to do it, but that's OK, I fix their Overhead Cranes there and it'll all work out! You ever see me hustling around NCW, especially with flashers on, dont be ticked if I DonT wave back, somebodies probably out of water or something! Had a customer tell me once that old truck looked pretty good as I took a dirt road short cut and beat him to is own farm! He said he used to do that all the time when he was younger, and I replied "and not driving a $60,000 truck"! He chuckled! Stay safe, BWW
I just want to add that I generally agree. However, there is a limit. My problem with many small businesses is they either are not listed on the internet or they don't respond to electronic contacts.
I moved from the big city to a very rural area of a rural state (OR). I try to shop locally. But I have noticed that as a newer resident, I just don't have the local knowledge of the local businesses. Those that are not identified online.
I wanted to buy some new tires last year. E-mailed a local small business to ask about price and availability of my size tires. I sent a second e-mail 3 days later. Sent a third e-mail another week later. No response. I happened to go over the hill to a larger city (to go to the Social Security Office) and while I was there, I bought a set of tires from a big box store.
I do utilize small businesses when I am aware of them. But I can only hunt so long and so hard before I give up and go elsewhere.
Quote from: gimpy on October 21, 2014, 07:36:04 PM
I just want to add that I generally agree. However, there is a limit. My problem with many small businesses is they either are not listed on the internet or they don't respond to electronic contacts.
I moved from the big city to a very rural area of a rural state (OR). I try to shop locally. But I have noticed that as a newer resident, I just don't have the local knowledge of the local businesses. Those that are not identified online.
I wanted to buy some new tires last year. E-mailed a local small business to ask about price and availability of my size tires. I sent a second e-mail 3 days later. Sent a third e-mail another week later. No response. I happened to go over the hill to a larger city (to go to the Social Security Office) and while I was there, I bought a set of tires from a big box store.
I do utilize small businesses when I am aware of them. But I can only hunt so long and so hard before I give up and go elsewhere.
That's why you have to be there for your customers, When they want something get it. I have customers buy lumber from me and may want 2 boards that are all the way in the back, And it's like that all the time. No mater where I put wood it's all ways in the back ::) :D
Sometimes they see what I have to do and say, They will take something else don't dig it out. But I tell them just give me a min and I'll have it out, And I think It makes a difference. The customer gets the wood and the price they're happy with, And they come back.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22511/DSCF0389.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22511/preston_matt_logs_008.JPG)
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22511/preston_matt_logs_007.JPG)
Happy customers come back and spend money. :D ;D
8 small country stores have closed around here,they cant seem to get enough business to keep going.The drop in fuel prices tells me that demand is down.People have gotten to the point where they are buying only items that they need.A fellow who lives next to our general store says he buys his gas in the city to save 5 cents a gallon.The big box stores destroy the small stores.Or I guess I should say fickle customers destroy their neighborhood stores.Its a 4 mile trip to buy gas for my tractor and sawmill now.Im retired now and my shop is quiet.Used to repair and sell TVs,wood stoves, fence chargers and fence supplies.Fixed small engines, planed lumber,made door and window trim,fixed generators,alternators and starters.Old age changes things but its sad to look back and remember how busy this small town used to be.
I love our small town, everyone know bout everyone by name, there's not much you can't find here, might be a little higher in some instances, but definitely not worth an hour and half drive then back for a buck.
Most our major farm implement dealers have been bought out or franchised with others to more or less monopolize their retail sales in tractors, combine cotton pickers; repairmen now get $110.00 @hour labor. Most my neighbor farmers are 5000 acre plus. So, what chance does the small medium sized farmer have with large dealers...none. What is competitive are winter farm implement auctions.
Rare is the neighbor-farmer to give a helping hand, most roll and blow by so fast, and not a nod or wave. I've one farmer who is so arrogant,, his tractors, planters, and big spray-rigs use one of our fields for a turn-row, and fill-up area. He may come by later in the season and say,"if we ever do anything you don't want, we'll make it right!" ha-ha...I catch his drift.
Quote from: chain on November 16, 2014, 08:42:11 AM
Most our major farm implement dealers have been bought out or franchised with others to more or less monopolize their retail sales in tractors, combine cotton pickers; repairmen now get $110.00 @hour labor. Most my neighbor farmers are 5000 acre plus. So, what chance does the small medium sized farmer have with large dealers...none. What is competitive are winter farm implement auctions.
Rare is the neighbor-farmer to give a helping hand, most roll and blow by so fast, and not a nod or wave. I've one farmer who is so arrogant,, his tractors, planters, and big spray-rigs use one of our fields for a turn-row, and fill-up area. He may come by later in the season and say,"if we ever do anything you don't want, we'll make it right!" ha-ha...I catch his drift.
If I did not want him to do that I would have a talk with him. no_no boxingsmiley
I buy all my gas at the local station. I tried to do the same with the former owner but after 5 or 6 times of him being out of fuel or closed for a few days because he was out I started filling up when I was passing through neighbouring towns. He went under and we went for almost two years with the closest station 5 miles away in the direction I don't normally go so a round trip of 10 miles sometimes before you go to work. I pass cheaper gas all the time but only buy a bit if I am going to run out. I like having a local station and I think that ultimately we kill our own little towns by trying to save a bit of money that we can afford to spend.
Quote from: Peter Drouin on November 16, 2014, 09:18:56 AM
Quote from: chain on November 16, 2014, 08:42:11 AM
Most our major farm implement dealers have been bought out or franchised with others to more or less monopolize their retail sales in tractors, combine cotton pickers; repairmen now get $110.00 @hour labor. Most my neighbor farmers are 5000 acre plus. So, what chance does the small medium sized farmer have with large dealers...none. What is competitive are winter farm implement auctions.
Rare is the neighbor-farmer to give a helping hand, most roll and blow by so fast, and not a nod or wave. I've one farmer who is so arrogant,, his tractors, planters, and big spray-rigs use one of our fields for a turn-row, and fill-up area. He may come by later in the season and say,"if we ever do anything you don't want, we'll make it right!" ha-ha...I catch his drift.
If I did not want him to do that I would have a talk with him. no_no boxingsmiley
One of my principles is to always try and keep good neighbors. I think I had reported on our Tree Farm, a neighbor cut the property line fence, cut many of our young pine from a field, made shooting lanes & blinds, and baited with corn, salt blocks and other type feeders. Obvious, all they had to do was shoot the turkeys or deer and drag about 200 hundred feet to their home. Of course I had a talk with them, denial, "we just love to see wildlife", I said, well, there's going to be several foresters, and game wardens and like, working our timber very soon. The neighbors cleaned it all up, at least they wave at me now.
But the farmer, he would never trespass on me if I was present, always when I'm elsewhere.
I do 90% of my fuel business and 100% of my saw supplies in my hometown. Fuel is slightly more expensive but he also buys his own home heating wood and firewood bundles for the store from me. The saw shop has the best prices around and he also buys his firewood from me. I get as many maintenance parts and oils as I can from the Car Quest in the town north of us. They're very good to deal with. We do have a local NAPA but he never has what I need when I need it and I'll just say I don't appreciate his sense of humor. All that said if I have the opportunity to get something for less elsewhere I will ;) ;D
The small local stores are all fine, and I try to utilize them when it's feasible...... but one thing you have to remember is that when you walk into that big store, you're also looking at "locals" that work there. If it weren't for that store, they wouldn't have a job. Something to keep in mind. I also know from experience that alot of those big stores provide a better job for their workers than a small store can, with benefits, etc. Don't get me wrong...I'm all about the small town stuff...I'm one of them....but I'm also about looking at the bigger picture too. Our youngest daughter works at Walmart.... I sure get sick of hearing how terrible they treat their empoyees...from everyone that doesn't work there. She makes a good wage, and has health insurance...something she wouldn't be able to have at a smaller store. So please, don't be so quick to badmouth the big deals, as they aren't always a bad deal in my opinion.
John
I go out of my way to help out our neighbor business'.
That's why I buy local when I can, and not from the big box store, even if it's a bit more $$. The big box store doesn't care about you, your family, how xyz piece of equipment is running, etc.