Keeping it local ???!!!....

I've always been a believer in this but more and more the last few years I'm drifting from the idea.
Everything from banking to equipment purchases.
Hardware in town is 100-300% of HD or online prices.
Local bank made me all kinds of promises to switch from a worldwide bank I had been dealing with for 25 years so I did. They really let me down after I switched. A lot of hot air.
Place I buy 100% of my equipment parts from has really reduced/eliminated inventory the last couple years. If I have to wait a week on a stock order through a local supplier I may as well get it in 3 days through an online source at half the cost and many times free shipping.
My profit margins have really been squeezed the last 6-8 years due to competition scrambling for a larger market share. My share. If I'm to compete successfully and make a living some of these other business' need to lower costs as I have if they want my biz. Many of these local businessmen are driving new pickups every 3 years. Mine is an'03. My personal vehicle is a 1995. Newest tri-axle in my fleet is a 1998. Newest equipment in my shop is a 1997 loader. We have a 1978 Cat dozer on a logging job that gets it done every day.
I'm all for free trade and the American dream but when my suppliers are living larger than me I have to step back and question this reality .
Done ranting.

 

I total agree with ya.

 

Sad part of it is get used to it, its only gonna get worse...................

 

Vote with your dollars.

 

consumer perspective:

I hear yea, but yet as a consumer (not business owner) I find myself moving more the other way.

For a long time I fell into the trap of buying based on price... mail order everything... but as Ive grown older, bought a home, had kids and gotten more involved in my community I am starting to notice more and more the loss as local business dry up. Sure I can get hardware cheap online, or driving 30 minutes to home depot. But online can be hit or miss where sometimes I have to guess at exactly what I need, and the staff at HD are often clueless and of no help. Conversely I can walk 5 minutes down the road to the local hardware store, talk to the owner who is a knowledgeable long time contractor, and get the right item the first time by being able to actually see what I'm buying.

Sure it costs more, and yeah they dont have everything... but I think the benefit to the community are worth paying a little more from time to time.

Same applies to books. I can get anything I want cheaper in 2 days from Amazon... but I loose that ability to walk in and browse and look over a book before deciding if its the one I want to buy.

Or how about auto parts? Yea I can order from Oreilly or RockAuto... but can I walk in there and have them put my rotors on the brake lathe? or a suspect battery on the load tester? CarQuest down the street can.

Or hobbies.. Some of you know I'm big into R/C model building... we used to have great local hobby shops where I could drive down the street and get all the supplies i need - tools, paints, balsa wood, kits, engines, parts and such. They have all been put out of business because its such a narrow market that the 2-3 big wholesalers who supply the local shops also sell online for so close to wholesale that the shops cant compete. Say an Item I want is $10 online... the local shops wholesale price might be $8... and his sales volume is so small (its a niche market) he cant sell for $10 and make his rent.

The end results is local business all dry up... the town center is empty... and we all sit at home in front of a computer instead of out meeting our neighbors.

Sometimes I feel like I was born 150 years late.


So I dont buy everything local, but Ive decided to put my wallet where my mouth is and try to buy as much as i can afford to local to try and help keep the local businesses going. I feel for you guys on the other side trying to make a go of it as a local business... maybe if more people thought like I did and patronized your businesses you would not be in such a tight spot. I dont know the magic answer......

 

We've had a small business since 1986, if a local guy does business with us then I will buy from them when needed, if the other local businesses don't do any business with us I go with the price.

 

Most of the food products at Farmer's Markets and such aren't local and bought from big wholesale suppliers and Walmart. Yes, the makers live local but the ingredients are not. It's mostly bs advertising.

 

Around here i find that to be only partly true. We live in a town with a lot of farms, they all run farm stands and go to the farmers market. they sell a mix of their own harvested produce and stuff that they buy (have to do that, in order to have stock to sell out of the prime growing season for income).

Most of them pretty clearly label what is their own produce and what is not. And when they dont we have found that they will tell you if asked. We make a point to buy their own produce when its in season ( salad greens in summer, corn in aug, apples in Sep and so forth) ... but for example if they have corn in June we wont bother since we know that's been shipped in... and just go to the supermarket.

 

Produce, yes. But when you get to homemade products, no. Once they get to a certain level, they won't be able to sustain the cost and volume. Many of the items are straight from Sam's Club.

 

I wouldn't trade my local banks for anything other. I used to bank with affiliated banks...they then started charging for basics...checking accounts, minimum balances, etc. Dropped them and never never looked back.
My first warning was when a mortgage was sold-late 80's early 90's. I told the loan officer that I chose his institution because it was local, his answer was, everybody does it. No, not everybody! Found one local that has never or will never sell. The interest is a little higher, but their service is well worth it!

 

Kinda related...my employer suffers a disconnect with wages and location. The top dogs say they are on the upper end of wages in town for the floor workers. Never talks what the "important" upstairs people make. Meanwhile we on the floor are permanently working with short crews and dealing with turnover constantly. We lowly workers drive old vehicles into a parking lot with an upper area for management to park with Audis, Escalades and decked out new vehicles. Don't get me wrong, cudos to you if you can drive that. But not if it is at the expense of someone busting their hump covering for unfilled positions because you won't pay enough to make it worth it for people to put up with the BS of the job and barely be able to make a descent living. We are rural enough that they feel there is no competition for workers and can do as they want. Sadly I have watched several people take jobs making less but are happier because they are treated well.

 

A year ago I went from a big bank to a relatively new local bank because of promises made. Lower loan rates and bigger LOC .
Luckily I never closed my accounts with the big bank while doing biz with the small local. I'm real close to going back.

 

We are 30 miles from any city in all directions that has any chain/bigbox stores. Our local stores thrive on Amish traffic willing to pay just about any price to avoid a taxi fare into the city. Our hardware is 100%-300% markup on just about anything. He has sales once a month that are bargains. I watch the signs and will shop occasionally.

 

jharkin

i know its a ride for you ( 20 mins for me ) but there is a great fully stocked hobby shop in tyngsboro in the plaza with the movie theatre i wish it was 1 town north in wonderful tax free nh im in the area all the time so its convenient

 

I admit to being in this situation with a deadend job. Most think I am being lazy and lack ambition. I don't know. The perks from my job are so good it has been difficult to walk away. The situations where I made more money were mostly hell places to work. I know this job won't last forever but I kinda like the ride. It will be difficult when the change comes.