Edition 409 – Local, Not Global
It’s late Saturday morning. The lawns are done early and it’s time to duck out and collect a few messages (an old term of my paternal grandmother’s that has stuck with me).
We venture into Dear Coffee, my newest favourite coffee haunt and grab our usual Skim Latte and Skim Cappuccino, both extra hot.
Next up, it’s over to Eddie at Shoe Talk. Trish is looking for a pair of shoes and, as her birthday is impending and I’m out of ideas as to what to get her, the new footwear solves one of my gift problems for me.
We then head down the road, take a look in the Lifeline shop window and venture inside. Trish spots some pre-owned champagne glasses, with an unusual strawberry motif on them, that she likes the look of. Tick off another gift.
Over the road, I wander into the Priceline Pharmacy and Newsagents to pick up some birthday cards. There’s a few in the month of December in our family.
We decide to head up to the Fat Cat Bar & Grill and indulge in some lunch out. We order two dishes and share them – the quinoa salad keeps the waist line trim and the fish and chips, well, you can’t go past those.
On the way out, it’s via the B95 Artisan bakery to pick up a loaf of sourdough bread. These guys are new-ish to Camden and the bread is truly magnificent.
Finally, heading back to the car, after choosing a bunch of flowers from the Green Seed Florists, we stop in at Crème de la Crème and partake of some of their delicious cakes. It is the weekend after all, I’ve worked off a few kilojoules in the garden, and it’s time for a treat.
All but one of the businesses we visit are family owned. The one that isn’t is a local charity store that does good work in our local area and has done for over 30 years. All employ locals. All are contributing to our local economy. None of them are large national or global players, with whatever the individual ethos happens to be of some of those companies.
If we don’t support local, and don’t make the effort to visit the businesses that are a part of our community, they can’t contribute to the betterment of that community. In a couple of the businesses we went to, I notice the occasional “thank you” certificate for supporting a local charity, sporting organisation, community group or school. Those small donations, which can make a big difference, are decided upon in an instant, not after the request has gone through layers of administration, or through a convoluted channel.
60% of global GDP is generated by small and family owned businesses. 65% of all employment in Australia is created by businesses with less than 20 staff. This is where innovation happens, where taxes are paid and how people lead lives of enterprise and independence. It’s why I’m passionate about the work I have done, throughout my entire career, for small and family businesses, their owners and their families.
This Week’s Tip
“When you buy from a family owned 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 mum or dad put food on the table, a family pay a mortgage, or a student pay for college”.
– on the front window of a family business in Vancouver, Canada – July 2013