Unkotare
Diamond Member
- Aug 16, 2011
- 131,294
- 25,591
- 2,180
When you hurt a local business, you are really hurting the community.
So now you are "hurting a local business" if you decide to buy elsewhere? A little emotional blackmail there?
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When you hurt a local business, you are really hurting the community.
Another point is that local stores understand the importance of staying local. They typically are more likely to purchase their needs locally, which strengthens the local economy even more. Also, all those charities and school fund raisers are heavily supported by local businesses. When you hurt a local business, you are really hurting the community.
The local lumber yard shutdown a few years back, now I have to go one town over for lumber. What if more folks had bought local? My local hardware store IS still here. I try to buy all my stuff there. Now, I will buy paint elsewhere, if the cost is more than $3 or $4 more a gallon. Again, coverage is a big factor in which paint is really less expensive. Sometimes the more expensive stuff is really a bargain.
Yep...I budget $12,000 a year for local charities and support 13 of them. We also provide printing for material cost only to schools and churches.
Go to any community charity event - who makes up half the crowd? Local business owners...you know..the rich bastards that don't care about anyone.
The answer is in regaining our manufacturing base by creating a climate that makes our products more affordable and more desirable than somebody elses. We need an economic climate that makes us competitive again. If we would focus on that, everybody prospers, and the guy in the OP would likely still be in business.
If there was a market for pretentious douchebaggery you would be a fucking billionaire, you self-adoring shitstain.
Maybe some enlightened being such as yourself should be appointed the Purchasing Czar and dictate for all the ignorant masses what they can buy and from where. That way you could protect the unwashed lower beings from making 'mistakes' with their choices. Those who can't think, care, or take responsiblity should be guided by people like you who know better, right?
Meanwhile, back in the real world...
I'm just saying that sometimes people who recognize that there's a broader picture beyond their purchases (and care about the consequences) need to stand up to protect those who don't.
I'm sorry if you take this as being pretentious; I just think it's the truth.
You post that steaming load of pretentious bullshit and then say "I'm sorry if you take this as being pretentious"? WTF? At least be honest about being a pretentious douche if you really can't help yourself.
What a self-important piece of shit.
I run through a number of shovels every year. The ones made in China (most of them) are made of Chinese steel. Big surprise there huh? What I have found is the metal deforms faster and the fiberglass handles snap easier than the USA variety. I "save" money with higher quality shovels.
The answer is in regaining our manufacturing base by creating a climate that makes our products more affordable and more desirable than somebody elses. We need an economic climate that makes us competitive again. If we would focus on that, everybody prospers, and the guy in the OP would likely still be in business.
Good post, and I agree with a lot of it.
My response to you is that yes – the big box stores are currently winning. And I think that this is because there’s a world of good things (pros) they offer to a consumer; lower prices, everything in one place, quality control, ect.
But what I just want to mention is that what I would like to see is consumers doing a better job at making an effort to learn about the businesses they choose to buy from. Because if everyone in the world took the time to do that today, I think that we would be seeing a very different set of winners and losers with regards to the free market. Consumers pick the winners and losers, and if you have a more active and engaged consumer base (who take into consideration ALL of the aspects of their purchase), you will most undoubtedly find yourself with a more favorable set of winners.
Perhaps the guy who knows nothing about Walmart will choose their $2.50 scissors over the local hardware store’s $4 scissors. That makes perfect sense, too.
But say he took the time to read a book about some of the unethical practices of Walmart, and takes into consideration that by supporting Walmart, one of his neighborhood stores may go out of business. Now all of a sudden the Walmart scissors costs $2.50 plus “$3” (or whatever) due to the displeasure it gives him from having to sacrifice some of his principles in order to buy from Walmart. All of a sudden, the $4 scissors appear a bit more attractive, and perhaps the hardware store will have a better advantage competing.
All I’m saying is that I wish that people gave some more thought about who they are purchasing from, and how that might have an effect on their community and their lives in the long run.
I think that's the #1 problem of capitalism, it's inability to prepare itself adequately for the long run. We tend to think very short term.
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The answer is in regaining our manufacturing base by creating a climate that makes our products more affordable and more desirable than somebody elses. We need an economic climate that makes us competitive again. If we would focus on that, everybody prospers, and the guy in the OP would likely still be in business.
Good post, and I agree with a lot of it.
My response to you is that yes the big box stores are currently winning. And I think that this is because theres a world of good things (pros) they offer to a consumer; lower prices, everything in one place, quality control, ect.
But what I just want to mention is that what I would like to see is consumers doing a better job at making an effort to learn about the businesses they choose to buy from. Because if everyone in the world took the time to do that today, I think that we would be seeing a very different set of winners and losers with regards to the free market. Consumers pick the winners and losers, and if you have a more active and engaged consumer base (who take into consideration ALL of the aspects of their purchase), you will most undoubtedly find yourself with a more favorable set of winners.
Perhaps the guy who knows nothing about Walmart will choose their $2.50 scissors over the local hardware stores $4 scissors. That makes perfect sense, too.
But say he took the time to read a book about some of the unethical practices of Walmart, and takes into consideration that by supporting Walmart, one of his neighborhood stores may go out of business. Now all of a sudden the Walmart scissors costs $2.50 plus $3 (or whatever) due to the displeasure it gives him from having to sacrifice some of his principles in order to buy from Walmart. All of a sudden, the $4 scissors appear a bit more attractive, and perhaps the hardware store will have a better advantage competing.
All Im saying is that I wish that people gave some more thought about who they are purchasing from, and how that might have an effect on their community and their lives in the long run.
I think that's the #1 problem of capitalism, it's inability to prepare itself adequately for the long run. We tend to think very short term.
.
.
Then again the person could read the book and shrug it off as the work of the disgruntled trying to punish Wal-Mart for their success. If you experience nothing but good service and satisfactory products at attractive prices at Wal-mart, if you witness them going out of their way to be a good neighbor for whatever motive, that is the way you are going to perceive Wal-Mart. I mean would the grandfatherly, gentile, old-fashioned and lovable Paul Harvey have endorsed and praised Wal-mart for years and years if they were a bad company? Who knows whether he knew what kind of company they were? But sometimes, perception is everything.
Years ago I joined the boycott of Nestle products in the face of some unconscionable and deadly marketing practices the company was engaged in. It is amazing how many products the Nestle Corporation puts out there, so it required quite a bit of effort to avoid them. But the boycott was succesful and Nestle ceased its unethical practices and is back in everybody's good graces now. Public opinion is an effective tool to use to change behavior.
While I do buy Ameican when I can get an acceptable price and quality, I simply don't have time to research every manufacturer that puts out a product any more than I have time to research every business I walk into. I guess I trust the system enough that the truly unethical will eventually be found out and legally stopped, or the court of public opinion will eventually produce acceptable behavior.
And meanwhile we should be pushing for a free market system in which all Americans can compete on all levels and trust the people to choose the cream that rises to the top.
just wondering...what was his business?
His was the same as mine...only smaller.
We are one of the last remaining manufacturers where to this day most are still single owned businesses. But, at the same time, we could very well be what the grocery business was in the 1990's...by 2000...almost none were single owned: Printing.
Not the mom and pop copy shop...the multi-full color shops cranking out 100,000's of pcs a day. What we have going for us is paper is very heavy. Therefore costly to transport. So far that has been our saving grace. But at the same time printing grew nearly every year decade after decade. The internet? Fax machines? Cell Phones? These have affected printing very little. Direct mail is the most effective means of advertising by faaaar. But the economy has shredded our industry. Since 2007 the industry has dropped a staggering 27%. Printing is of course a B2B business. And businesses have been forced to cut expenses - advertising is one of the first things businesses cut.
If the industry is down 27% and his revenues are down 50%, then he is doing something wrong. Every business I have ever worked in always stressed savings in every possible way.
Good post, and I agree with a lot of it.
My response to you is that yes the big box stores are currently winning. And I think that this is because theres a world of good things (pros) they offer to a consumer; lower prices, everything in one place, quality control, ect.
But what I just want to mention is that what I would like to see is consumers doing a better job at making an effort to learn about the businesses they choose to buy from. Because if everyone in the world took the time to do that today, I think that we would be seeing a very different set of winners and losers with regards to the free market. Consumers pick the winners and losers, and if you have a more active and engaged consumer base (who take into consideration ALL of the aspects of their purchase), you will most undoubtedly find yourself with a more favorable set of winners.
Perhaps the guy who knows nothing about Walmart will choose their $2.50 scissors over the local hardware stores $4 scissors. That makes perfect sense, too.
But say he took the time to read a book about some of the unethical practices of Walmart, and takes into consideration that by supporting Walmart, one of his neighborhood stores may go out of business. Now all of a sudden the Walmart scissors costs $2.50 plus $3 (or whatever) due to the displeasure it gives him from having to sacrifice some of his principles in order to buy from Walmart. All of a sudden, the $4 scissors appear a bit more attractive, and perhaps the hardware store will have a better advantage competing.
All Im saying is that I wish that people gave some more thought about who they are purchasing from, and how that might have an effect on their community and their lives in the long run.
I think that's the #1 problem of capitalism, it's inability to prepare itself adequately for the long run. We tend to think very short term.
.
.
Then again the person could read the book and shrug it off as the work of the disgruntled trying to punish Wal-Mart for their success. If you experience nothing but good service and satisfactory products at attractive prices at Wal-mart, if you witness them going out of their way to be a good neighbor for whatever motive, that is the way you are going to perceive Wal-Mart. I mean would the grandfatherly, gentile, old-fashioned and lovable Paul Harvey have endorsed and praised Wal-mart for years and years if they were a bad company? Who knows whether he knew what kind of company they were? But sometimes, perception is everything.
Years ago I joined the boycott of Nestle products in the face of some unconscionable and deadly marketing practices the company was engaged in. It is amazing how many products the Nestle Corporation puts out there, so it required quite a bit of effort to avoid them. But the boycott was succesful and Nestle ceased its unethical practices and is back in everybody's good graces now. Public opinion is an effective tool to use to change behavior.
While I do buy Ameican when I can get an acceptable price and quality, I simply don't have time to research every manufacturer that puts out a product any more than I have time to research every business I walk into. I guess I trust the system enough that the truly unethical will eventually be found out and legally stopped, or the court of public opinion will eventually produce acceptable behavior.
And meanwhile we should be pushing for a free market system in which all Americans can compete on all levels and trust the people to choose the cream that rises to the top.
Yanno, there are 5 Wal Marts within an 8 mile radius of where I live. I think that's a bit overkill.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against Wal Mart, I shop there a bit, but I think that saturating a town with Wal Marts like Starbucks did isn't right.
His was the same as mine...only smaller.
We are one of the last remaining manufacturers where to this day most are still single owned businesses. But, at the same time, we could very well be what the grocery business was in the 1990's...by 2000...almost none were single owned: Printing.
Not the mom and pop copy shop...the multi-full color shops cranking out 100,000's of pcs a day. What we have going for us is paper is very heavy. Therefore costly to transport. So far that has been our saving grace. But at the same time printing grew nearly every year decade after decade. The internet? Fax machines? Cell Phones? These have affected printing very little. Direct mail is the most effective means of advertising by faaaar. But the economy has shredded our industry. Since 2007 the industry has dropped a staggering 27%. Printing is of course a B2B business. And businesses have been forced to cut expenses - advertising is one of the first things businesses cut.
If the industry is down 27% and his revenues are down 50%, then he is doing something wrong. Every business I have ever worked in always stressed savings in every possible way.
It appears to me that this fella finally got caught up in the Big Companies versus the Ma & Pa trend that has killed small businesses for the last 2-3 decades.
I read an article over ten years ago in The Atlantic called "The Walmarting of America", where as big companies are out to drive the small businesses out of business with low prices and cheap labor. What used to be small town Main Street businesses are now empty stores and businesses that were owned by your every day Joe/Jane American.
It's a piece of Americana that is quickly becoming a fading memory. It's a sad state of affairs.
Not really familiar with this Unkatore poster...does he always act like a spoilt 10 year year old? Reminds me of a sudo-conservative TDM.
Not really familiar with this Unkatore poster...does he always act like a spoilt 10 year year old? Reminds me of a sudo-conservative TDM.
That seems to be the pattern lately. But nothing like TDM who while annoying to some, is never verbally abusive or intentionally disruptive.
Not really familiar with this Unkatore poster...does he always act like a spoilt 10 year year old? Reminds me of a sudo-conservative TDM.
That seems to be the pattern lately. But nothing like TDM who while annoying to some, is never verbally abusive or intentionally disruptive.
Perhaps Unkatore is just going through a difficult time in his/her life, and needs our support in order to get back on track?
.
.
.
I'm just saying that sometimes people who recognize that there's a broader picture beyond their purchases (and care about the consequences) need to stand up to protect those who don't.
I'm sorry if you take this as being pretentious; I just think it's the truth.
You post that steaming load of pretentious bullshit and then say "I'm sorry if you take this as being pretentious"? WTF? At least be honest about being a pretentious douche if you really can't help yourself.
What a self-important piece of shit.
How about we take it down a notch?
.
Not really familiar with this Unkatore poster...does he always act like a spoilt 10 year year old? Reminds me of a sudo-conservative TDM.
That seems to be the pattern lately. But nothing like TDM who while annoying to some, is never verbally abusive or intentionally disruptive.
Perhaps Unkatore is just going through a difficult time in his/her life, and needs our support in order to get back on track?
.
.
.
Not really familiar with this Unkatore poster...does he always act like a spoilt 10 year year old? Reminds me of a sudo-conservative TDM.
That seems to be the pattern lately. But nothing like TDM who while annoying to some, is never verbally abusive or intentionally disruptive.
You post that steaming load of pretentious bullshit and then say "I'm sorry if you take this as being pretentious"? WTF? At least be honest about being a pretentious douche if you really can't help yourself.
What a self-important piece of shit.
How about we take it down a notch?
.
You're free to stop being a pretentious douchebag whenever you want.
How about we take it down a notch?
.
You're free to stop being a pretentious douchebag whenever you want.
Unk, it gets better, I promise.
You're free to stop being a pretentious douchebag whenever you want.
Unk, it gets better, I promise.
I read more than a few of your posts and you don't seem to be getting better. In fact, you seem to be becoming more of a self-important douchebag with each post. Maybe you need a healthy dose of STFU.