Hypocrisy...or is it?

[threeputt]

A recent thread on here got me thinking about something.

So many times I read about shops complaining about clients going out of town for their sign work, rather than using them, their "native son" (local guy)

All well and good, but really, how many of us use on-line (out of the area) shops for our needs? (printed business forms for example) How many of us are purchasing goods or services from out of the local area when we have a local alternative?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating that we close off our commerce to anything out of the area. Not at all. I do it all the time. I buy local when it makes sense to me, buy out-of-the-area when that makes sense to me.

So I'm not one of these guys that complain bitterly about local businesses going on-line for their sign work. It happens. Deal with it.

 

[Pat Whatley]

I think about that every time somebody mentions customers not wanting quality in one thread then turning around in another thread and suggesting you buy tools at Harbor Freight.

 

[Gino]

You said the key thing......... when it makes sense.

It is no longer 'Politically Correct' to buy sensibly.

 

[tsgstl]

My theory is the death of yellow pages killed "buying local"
Even when you search local you get other companies selling stuff at wholesale pricing that aren't local. I always try and buy my materials from local suppliers. I don't compensate materials but I will pay more.
I have only bought something online twice, this site premium mebership one time was one of the two times. The line between buying local and paying dirt cheap pricing is blurred. Clicking a link and buying something is different than talking to a local business owner on the phone or visiting his place of business. I rarely see a customer until after the purchase.

I buy stuff at harbor freights if it is something that I could care less if it breaks after one use.

 

[Fanaticus]

Our local hardware store sells single edge razor blades, a pack of 100, for $11.
If I drive 15 miles down the road to a different town I can get them for $5.45.

I buy them 10 boxes at a time, along with a bunch of other shop supplies.

I've love to not leave town to get what I need, but I'm spending much more than I want to if I don't go out of town.

This is the only hardware store in a town of 15,000 people. So it's not a big store. There's usually 2, maybe 3 customer cars in the parking lot, but when you go in to shop you'll see 10 employees there to jump on, I mean, assist you. I can't walk from the front to the back without being asked by at least 3 different people if they can help me find something.

 

[KevSign]

Yeah....when it makes sense.

I support local companies whenever I can (especially when it comes to our suppliers)....but there are some things that just cost too much to buy locally.

My local supply print for wholesale and direct customer too (So. Cali - SM). That's suck. I fading away to buy supply from them only really need.

 

[Joe Diaz]

I try to buy as much locally as I can, why, because it's good for our local economy and it's good business. These people buy from us, so it's only fair to return the favor, even if I can get a better deal elsewhere. However, our hometown isn't that large, and can't support every single type of industry, so sometimes you have no choice but purchase non local goods or services.

 

[Marlene]

Our local hardware store sells single edge razor blades, a pack of 100, for $11.
If I drive 15 miles down the road to a different town I can get them for $5.45.

I buy them 10 boxes at a time, along with a bunch of other shop supplies.

I've love to not leave town to get what I need, but I'm spending much more than I want to if I don't go out of town.

that's a good point. another reason is I can go online or make a phone call and buy what I need or I can get in the truck, go to store, look for what I want, pay more than the online or phone call option, wait in freaking line forever, get back in the truck and drive back to the shop. with the online/phone call, it takes a minute and I don't waste time that I can be doing something that is billable.

 

[John Butto]

money saved?

Our local hardware store sells single edge razor blades, a pack of 100, for $11.
If I drive 15 miles down the road to a different town I can get them for $5.45.

I buy them 10 boxes at a time, along with a bunch of other shop supplies.

I've love to not leave town to get what I need, but I'm spending much more than I want to if I don't go out of town.

So at gas at $4 a gallon and 15 miles to the gallon plus $5.45= $9.45 and time to drive 15 miles= $50 per hour, you are up to $59.45 for a pack of razor blades. Go to the local hardware for god's sake.

 

[Jackpine]

To get what I need or want I will pay more to buy local. I have two hardware stores, one ACE and the other True Value both locally owned and give service and products and nice people that talk WITH you not TO you. They have a lot of stuff I try to get before I go to a "Big Box" store.

 

[Fanaticus]

So at gas at $4 a gallon and 15 miles to the gallon plus $5.45= $9.45 and time to drive 15 miles= $50 per hour, you are up to $59.45 for a pack of razor blades. Go to the local hardware for god's sake.

No. My Ford Escape Hybrid gets 33 mpg. So $4 for gas. Let's say I save $5 per pack of razors, x 10 packs = $50 saved just on razors. And another $50 or so on the other shop supplies I buy for less.

Then, I don't do it during work hours, so I also do some personal shopping while I'm there, might as well since I'm there and need stuff anyway.... And a tax deduction of 56 cents per mile, because I'm conducting business,... x 30 miles = about $17 I don't have to pay tax on

Not to mention, since my wife and child ride with me, I get to spend some time with them and my son, who's 5, gets to help and learn some aspects of being in business

= I win.

 

[SignManiac]

Our local hardware store sells single edge razor blades, a pack of 100, for $11.
If I drive 15 miles down the road to a different town I can get them for $5.45.

I buy them 10 boxes at a time, along with a bunch of other shop supplies.

I've love to not leave town to get what I need, but I'm spending much more than I want to if I don't go out of town.

So at gas at $4 a gallon and 15 miles to the gallon plus $5.45= $9.45 and time to drive 15 miles= $50 per hour, you are up to $59.45 for a pack of razor blades. Go to the local hardware for god's sake.

+1 Johns thoughts were exactly the same that I had. Nickle and dime usually costs more in the end.

 

[Gino]

No. My Ford Escape Hybrid gets 33 mpg. So $4 for gas. Let's say I save $5 per pack of razors, x 10 packs = $50 saved just on razors. And another $50 or so on the other shop supplies I buy for less.

Then, I don't do it during work hours, so I also do some personal shopping while I'm there, might as well since I'm there and need stuff anyway.... And a tax deduction of 56 cents per mile, because I'm conducting business,... x 30 miles = about $17 I don't have to pay tax on

Not to mention, since my wife and child ride with me, I get to spend some time with them and my son, who's 5, gets to help and learn some aspects of being in business

= I win.

I don't think anyone in their right mind will travel 15 miles to buy a few packs of razor blades to save a couple of dollars, but if you'd make a big loop and buy things from a variety of stores, like your alcohol, blades, paper towels, toilet paper and other shop supplies, you'd save a lot more in the long run. It helps to plan ahead and not just dart out everytime you think of something.
As for it being a business right off with your kid and wife on board and doing personal shopping..... how can you swing that ?? Are they on the payroll that they're riding in a company truck or are you using a company truck for playtime ??

Be careful how you write these things down in your journals.

 

[Joe Diaz]

No. My Ford Escape Hybrid gets 33 mpg. So $4 for gas. Let's say I save $5 per pack of razors, x 10 packs = $50 saved just on razors. And another $50 or so on the other shop supplies I buy for less.

Then, I don't do it during work hours, so I also do some personal shopping while I'm there, might as well since I'm there and need stuff anyway.... And a tax deduction of 56 cents per mile, because I'm conducting business,... x 30 miles = about $17 I don't have to pay tax on

Not to mention, since my wife and child ride with me, I get to spend some time with them and my son, who's 5, gets to help and learn some aspects of being in business

= I win.

That all makes sense, but consider this: Since you don't do business locally if you can save a few bucks out of town, your local hardware store decides to do the same. They decide that if you don't do business with them, they don't need to do business with you. They decide to get their signs and graphics made elsewhere at a cheaper price, even if they too only save a little, just like how you save a little buying blades from out of town. So you potentially lose some nice paying jobs at best, and at worst, gain the reputation of doing business out of town and lose work from other local businesses too. Plus you aren't paying local sales taxes which benefits your local community.

SO the question is, do the savings make up for all of that?

That's the way I look at it. But then again, we are small town, where most of us small businesses know each other and support each other.

 

[John Butto]

If I drove a Ford Escape Hybrid, I would use the razor blades to slit my wrists.

 

[Fanaticus]

That all makes sense, but consider this: Since you don't do business locally if you can save a few bucks out of town, your local hardware store decides to do the same. They decide that if you don't do business with them, they don't need to do business with you. They decide to get their signs and graphics made elsewhere at a cheaper price, even if they too only save a little, just like how you save a little buying blades from out of town. So you potentially lose some nice paying jobs at best, and at worst, gain the reputation of doing business out of town and lose work from other local businesses too. Plus you aren't paying local sales taxes which benefits your local community.

SO the question is, do the savings make up for all of that?

That's the way I look at it. But then again, we are small town, where most of us small businesses know each other and support each other.

They already do. Take a look at where the things they sell are from. China.

I'm probably biased, since I don't advertise my services and products on a local scale, but globally via the internet. I sell to people all over the world. I think I have sold 3 things locally, through the internet, over the last 8 years.

I think times have changed. Local isn't as local as it used to be. Not when people are shopping on their phones from stores all over the world. It's a global community now for many products and services.

As far as tax advantages go, there's a lot of loop-holes that allow tax breaks........ everyone should read this book... http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-What-Make-Keep/dp/1559585803

 

[Gino]

:Big Laugh​

 

[Fanaticus]

If I drove a Ford Escape Hybrid, I would use the razor blades to slit my wrists.

It was necessary to say this, why?

 

[Gino]

They already do. Take a look at where the things they sell are from. China.

I'm probably biased, since I don't advertise my services and products on a local scale, but globally via the internet. I sell to people all over the world. I think I have sold 3 things locally, through the internet, over the last 8 years.

I think times have changed. Local isn't as local as it used to be. Not when people are shopping on their phones from stores all over the world. It's a global community now for many products and services.

As far as tax advantages go, there's a lot of loop-holes that allow tax breaks........ everyone should read this book... http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-What-Make-Keep/dp/1559585803

Ya got that right.

If someone f*rts in Timbuktu, you'll know about within 2 minutes of it happening. Heck the fallout won't even be gone til you hear about it and someone makes a u-tube of it.

 

[Baz]

I'll buy whatever from wherever. Many times if you factor the cost of border fees and shipping, the costs end up close to the same. When i buy locally it is because i need something right away. Don't forget your stores buy things made in other countries as well. Everybody is trying to save one way or another. Why should you be any different?

I don't know how taxes are distributed in the US but up here. We are taxed quite high and it does not go back to the local economy. It goes straight up to government. So if i buy local or out of province or out of country. I still pay tax and it still goes to our government.

Many times it just makes sense to buy local. But i don't do it for the good of the local economy. I do it for the good of my bank account. Which is what everybody else does.

 

[OldPaint]

i have an AT&T CORDLESS PHONE. so i went to the local RADIOSHACK to get new battery. now i may not be the brightest bulb in the pack but iam thinkin it should cost me less then $10. guy pulls one of the shelf, rings it up at $18.98!!!!!!!! i look at him like he just stuck a knife in my heart. told him that was ridiculous...he said he can sell me a new phone for a couple dollars more!!!!! i came home, went on line found the same exact battery for $6.35!!!!! so i ordered 2....FREE SHIPPING!!!!!!