Mom and Pop Shops

[thartley]

These days, it is real easy to point fingers when we are treated less than great by businesses and so forth, especially when our hard-earned money seems to be nabbed from our grasp even before we get a chance to smell the paycheck.  I know when I have to go out and buy something, more and more, I find myself doing way more research for my purchases.  Who am I supporting with my dollars spent?  Where is my money going, ultimately? 

I asked PK today why he doesnt have a washing machine at the ILC for clothes.  Personally, I do most of my own washing by hand and hang dry in my room.  But washing machines dont seem to be terribly expensive here at the Tesco Lotus store.  His reply was very simple...."We dont want one.  If we bought a washing machine, the money spent on the purchase is going to line the pockets of some corporation somewhere that already makes enough money off of people, and if we have a washing machine at the ILC then we are depriving the ordinary local folks who provide this service of making a living.  One hundred baht every two weeks is not so bad."

So....if you make a conscious and thoughtful decision to make your dollars count and opt to support the "little guy", tell us about it here. 

I used to get my morning coffee on weekends from a little place at the beach.  It was run by a young local woman who was trying to use the business as a way to help pay her way through college.  It was a beautiful and relaxed place, and she lived in the back of it.  She worked it by herself for the most part and would prepare whatever you liked, however you liked.  She didnt have a drive thru but she was more than happy to meet you curbside out front and hand you coffee to you if you were in a hurry.  Sadly, three Starbucks opened within two miles of her shop and she went under quickly.

Support your Mom and Pop shops....and if you have a great experience to share, I want to hear about it.     And if they have a website for their business, link it here as well.  Maybe they could use the extra good word of mouth advertising....afterall, its FREE!

And if you need even more to get you to thinking about this....check out this article.

[Nick]

My Grandma actually runs a small party store in our mountainous town here. Luckily the nearest big corporation competitor is a half hour away, but she still could use more business. I am a big supporter of small businesses!

[ZeroG]

I think we know where KitKat stands on this. 

Supporting local businesses is an awesome idea. The cost of gas increasing, locally made products will become the smarter choice. I heard a statement that the average distance traveled for a food item in a U.S. grocery store is 3000 miles!

Locally grown food could see a resurgence. Problem is, farms are not equipped for the demand. In a book I am reading called "The Omnivores Dilemma" it shows how Earl Butts put programs in place to support agribusiness about 50 years ago. Gradually the small farms were consolidated into larger business based farms who had not-so-local goals. This transformed farms from the mom and pop, old McDonald style, to a business which feeds a huge capitalistic machine which stocks the shelves of our grocery stores. 95% of the farm land in the US either grows corn or soy (i'm trying to understand how you grow soy right now).

The is a resurgence in the Local Economy and the washing machine was a good example of how it works.

[Mus.]

Yeah I think it's good to support small businesses. I'm not a big fan of having someone in China make shoes for almost no money, having it flown 10 000 kilometers and then slapping a logo on it and selling it for ten times the manufacturing price. No one benefits from that, except the few big shots who own the business.

When I was a kid there was this small store thingie near our building and we used to buy random stuff, like bubble gum with collectable stickers (which they then stopped making, leaving me with an incomplete football player sticker collection ), from there all the time. Sometimes we got something for free since the owner knew us. Then she moved somewhere else. Sigh. Around here people buy basically everything from the supermarket chains who bother to put up a store in your town. And it's really comical how the downtown areas of all the smaller towns before Helsinki  basically consist of the same markets. At least there's some random stores in Helsinki, like this small japanese store with japanese strawberry soda <3

[thartley]

That is exactly what I am talking about with the smaller shops...they know their customers and provide levels of service that go so far above and beyond the faceless service of bigger chains.  There are lots of ways you can fit supporting your local shops and your local economy into your daily habits.  Find a local produce shop and give them a  try.  Where I am from there are farmer's markets in various parts of town.  I am a big reader of books, and if I dont go to the library, I try to find what I want at a used book store.  I can usually get what I want for less than half the retail price, or sometimes even free on trade if I have things to bring in for them to sell.  Find a flea market (not sure what they are called abroad) and see what part of your shopping you do there.

And I really like knowing the people I give my business to.  They live where I live.  Their kids go to the schools where I went and where my kid went.  They have a personal and vested interest in what I call 'home' because its their home too.

So give 'em props when you can.

[KitKat]

This thread is of personal interest to me since I've been in business for almost 20 years.  Yes, I do agree with supporting your local small business.
Small business feel the economic slow down long before the huge box stores and lage department stores.
So please, when you can, buy locally and support your small local stores.  They need you help now more tha ever. 

However, when you can't find it locally, then by all means, order your merchandise from Amazon through Isara.  Isara calls it Guilt-free shopping!!      

[thartley]

Wow, Kitkat!  Too bad Everlastings doesnt have a website where people could buy online from your shop, nab some of those ubercool Isara bracelets and get some of the best french parfums and soaps on the planet, or even those wonderful scented lamps you sell.      

[Ginafish]

Yep, it is too bad Everlastings doesn't have an online store so more could enjoy the ubercool Isara jewelry. Course, it'd also be cool if there was a little pop shop where we could get Isara shirts or tote bag or ball cap... I'm just sayin...

[KitKat]

Yep, it is too bad Everlastings doesn't have an online store so more could enjoy the ubercool Isara jewelry. Course, it'd also be cool if there was a little pop shop where we could get Isara shirts or tote bag or ball cap... I'm just sayin...

Wow, Kitkat!  Too bad Everlastings doesnt have a website where people could buy online from your shop, nab some of those ubercool Isara bracelets and get some of the best french parfums and soaps on the planet, or even those wonderful scented lamps you sell.      

Thanks, maybe one day Isara WILL have cool Isara ball caps,  tote bags and T-shirts online for sale.
As far as the Isara jewelry online,  I couldn't handle  all the work load making  the ear rings.  As far as I know,  records show  I've made and sold over 150 pairs of ear rings,  just since Feb. 2008, selling for  $7. ea. !   Whew!!  100% of the  ear ring sales go to Isara .      The Cloisonne bracelets are another sale item and I've sold thousands of them. WhoHoo! They've continued to be a favorite for several years now.   

[Ginafish]

Yep, the idea for caps, bags and shirts is such a good and easy idea, all it would take is someone with the logo who really knew how he wanted it used, like the webmaster, to get the gumption to create a little online store.

KitKat, that is amazing about the ear rings! I can easily see why you've sold so many! I'll have to take a picture of mine to show the others online. Thousands of bracelets??  Call me slow, but the word 'thousands' just sunk in.  That is stunning! 

[KitKat]

Thanks Ginafish!  I've been selling the bracelets for a lot longer than the ear rings.  It's a good thing my supplier can still get the bracelets.    

[Lil Jimmy]

I try not to shop at Walmart. My parents do, though. If only they saw that "Wallmart" episode of South Park.