Why you should support small business -One Duer's story

[HEyHEY]

Earlier someone posted asking if "you boycott Walmart" I do. And I boycott any other Big Box stores as well. Reason being, I was raised with money earned from a small business. When my Dad was 30 he quit his well-paying government job and started an office supply company.

He went around Vancouver as a cold call salesman on his own, and in the beginning it didn't work so well. So he got in to selling food and other supplies to businesses in Eastern British Columbia. He used to pack up his delivery truck and head off for a couple weeks at a time. Because of this, when I was a young child I hardly ever saw my Dad. But he knew that, and so whenever he wasn't working he always made sure to spend time with my sisters and I. Sometimes he'd even take me with him on his long delivery trips through the province. These trips are some of the best memories I have. And I'm sure they took the stress off my mother who was having to work to make ends meet as well as care of us kids while my Dad was away.

After a while my Dad had earned the reputation in Vancouver as being honest, and having the best prices in town. So he stopped his long delivery trips, but still worked 16 hours a day. So I still hardly saw him. But again, he always spent his spare time with me even though I'm sure he'd rather be watching TV or just relaxing. He paid his employees a fair wage, and even gave them a paid day off on their birthday.

We went through more hard times in the late 80s/early 90s. Big box superstores were starting to come in to Vancouver. Office supply big box stores like Office depot and Staples came in, flooded the market with advertising, and their slimy sales people lied to some of my father's customers about how much better they were.

My Dad almost lost his business. Something I am sure he could not have taken, when he was a kid his father started 7 failed businesses and my Dad grew up in poverty. By age 16 he had moved 23 times in his life. At 16 he had to leave home for good. I know if he had gone through the same failure his Father had - he may have never recovered emotionally.

Eventually more hard work by my Father and his reputation paid off. He managed to save his company. And when the Big Box stores couldn't shut him down, they came to him in an attempt to buy his life's work from him for a paltry sum. My Dad told them where to stick it. He then diversified and started printing business cards and flyers to help fight the superstores.

Now, the business has stabilized because the big box fad has worn off on his customers, many have said they would never switch because we offer the best service and prices.

My sister has halfway taken over the company. She is not the workaholic my Dad is, but has so much knowledge of the product no one would ever leave us.

I wrote this because I wanted to make the point that we would have been out on the street had it not been for certain customers sticking by us throughout all these years. Big box has the money to advertise and they say whatever they want. In the field of Office Supplies they are almost always more expensive. But our customers compared price s and found out the truth. Just remember people you can make a difference. By not shopping in Big Box stores you support the people whose hard work is the kind that deserves to be supported. Anytime you are thinking of going to a big box.... compare the prices at a independent business first. Then weigh in all the other factors.

I refuse to support any major US-owned big box store and that's why. I know that by doing so, there is a hard-working honest person like my Father getting screwed more and more with every dollar big box stores drop in to their filthy registers.

[flamingyouth]

1. Good for your father

For learning how to beat the big box stores. I too own a small business and have had many of the same problems. I started diversifying our inventory a few years ago (not carrying things you can find at department stores, etc.) and just not involving myself in price wars.

People will keep coming back for good service - that's something I've always found. I have to keep telling myself this, as here we are the retail wasteland of January. :scared:

PS - I still shop at a small office supply store where people know me and they carry the things I want, and they will special order what they don't have. :-)

[HEyHEY]

2. Exactly

that what we do. And we don't have a minimum delivery fee either. Unlike office depot, where you must spend at least $50 to get a delivery.

[silverlib]

4. Thanks for sharing this story..

Recently in Austin, a group of businesses started something called the Austin Independent Business Alliance. They have produced and circulated a brochure that lists their members. I shop this list of vendors at every opportunity, as well as independent stores that do not belong to the alliance.

If we do not do this in large numbers, the independent will not survive and we will no longer have a choice. I sincerely believe this keeping these businesses profitable is the backbone of not losing middle class America.

So here's to the independent business - the suppliers of goods and the suppliers of service - May they remain forever a part of our lives.

[Nikia]

3. One thing I noticed about small business vs big stores

At most big chain stores, the service is lousy and their employees know very little about the products when asked. I suppose this is understandable since most employees were hired for their ability to do what they told, not their product knowledge, and paid a low wage.
At smaller stores, the employees are usually very knowledgable and helpful.

[CanuckAmok]

5. Hey, HEyHEY, you sure are a good writer!

Thanks for publishing this. If you're comfortable doing it, why not let us know which company is your Dad's? Some of us are close enough to shop there, you know.... :D

[HEyHEY]

8. Really? I thought the grammar was the shits.

:-) But thanks! Check you PM, anyone else who wants to know the name PM me, if I recongnize you I'll let ya know.

[Dees]

6. I co-owned a manufacturing company, a wholesale distributing

company and two retail businesses. I loved being in business for myself. Fortunately all of the endeavors were successful. I attribute their success to me working my ass off and staying totally involved in all aspects of the each business. Sprawl-Mart is fierce and ever increasing competition for any business these days. I managed to stay one step ahead of Wally by being niche retail stores. I kept it that way to avoid losing my customers to Wally. Thankfully my customers were loyal and not frequenters of Wal-Mart.
Find me a SuperCenter and I'll show you a dead or dying downtown in most cases. Wal-Mart Bentonville once called me to help the local Wal-Mart with a low inventory problem. They needed product. Almost at once Wal-Mart buyers started beating me up over price. I know their rep for putting vendors in a vise. I told them to put it where the moon glows.

I'm semi retired now because I can. I haven't been in a Wal-Mart in years.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. Since becoming an independent contractor myself

I've favored small businesses: locally owned coffee shops over Starbucks, locally owned grocery stores and coops, and independent bookstores.

There are very few items that CANNOT be bought from a locally owned business.

Even though WalMart is not moving in on the Japanese-English translator market :-) I'm proud to say that I have been inside WalMart exactly once in my life, right after if opened in the small Oregon town where I was living at the time. I walked around a bit, saw that it was just another discount store, and walked right out without buying anything.

[solinvictus]

9. Wal Mart

I make a conscious choice to pay a few cents more per item to help local retailers. The only chain I use is Target. I hate Wal Mart and everything they've done to small business owners.