I have had a few troubling experiences recently, and I’d like to open my heart to you about them and get your opinion. And there’s a question at the heart of it which is relevant for your own business as well.
I want to support local businesses. The truth is that when money is spent with a local business, some huge percentage of that cash stays in the local community, whereas spending money with a global corporation means some miniscule fraction of your money stays in your community- the majority of it gets whisked off elsewhere.
Plus, someone here in my community is putting their heart and soul into an enterprise: I want them to fly!
Here’s the story. Lately, my wife and I have woken up to the fact that we’re no longer in our twenties. Nor are we still in our thirties. Time marches on.
So do our bodies. After 3 1/2 years of parenting twin boys, it’s become clear that if they aren’t going to leave us in the dust,Holly and I have to start “getting in shape.”
And not just going out on the bicycle, but actually like working our core, our upper body strength, etc, etc.
This can only mean one thing: Gym time!
A gym? I’ve never really been a gym person, but evidently I’m going to be. And this is where it gets troubling.
After touring a number of gyms, some local and some part of national brands, it became clear that the national brands had it a lot more together. The facilities were cleaner and brighter. The amenities (sauna, hot soaking tub) were better. And the staff were, in many cases, more attentive.
What do I do? Buy local with my values, or get the better product offering?
Second Troubling Incident
As a five planet Virgo and 1 on the Enneagram, I kinda like things organized. Our kitchen cabinets had become a chaotic mess of flotsam and jetsam: plastic bags with twist ties, empty of all but six raisins, an opened potato chip bag closed up with a hair tie (whose hair tie? None of us has ever used a hair tie in our lives…).
So, jar time! I went searching for storage jars. Again– the local kitchen goods store has high-priced and inadequately functional jars. A global brand box store had inexpensive but ingeniously designed jars that were easy to open and close and still create an air-tight, no-stale-corn-chips seal.
What do I do? Spend more money for less quality, or go with the international gobbledy-smack jar seller?
Third Troubling Incident
I was having a fantastic day last week. Against all expectations the sun was out and it was warm, warm, warm! The HoB team was humming along, and I’m in the middle of a fun, creative project. The phone rings.
It’s a dear friend and colleague who asks me, “Is everything okay?”
She was worried because she felt my recent weekly emails seemed to have “less Mark” in them. She hoped that nothing was going on in my personal life that was throwing me off my game.
Shock. Amazement. Gratitude for her call. Sweet conversation.
I hung up the phone after saying goodbye, wondering at the feedback.
Recently I made the decision to make the weekly newsletter simpler. Rather than having an article, and Notes from the Heart, and ads, I thought it would be better for everyone to make it all a bit simpler.
At least one person, my friend, thought that I had disappeared in the process. Ouch! Had I become the local but inferior product? She thought so.
These Three Incidents and Your Business
I did buy the big store jars, but since I started writing this article I found a local gym that is a high quality offering, thank goodness.
I bet you and your clients struggle with what I struggled with: self-interest versus social interest. Buying what looks good/feels good, versus living my values. Getting what is easiest or most effective, versus “doing the right thing.”
Your business can be a winner if it has both: you’re effective AND you strongly reflect the most-cared about values of your clients. You’re convenient or easy to work with and buy from AND you give them a chance to “do the right thing.”
Worth reflecting on: How far do you, or I, go to live our values in how we spend our money? Should we always buy the local or organic or fair trade or… whatever it is, even if that particular product is inferior in meeting our needs than the big box alternative?
And as a business owner: do you pay equal attention to how enjoyable or easy it is to hire and work with you as you do to how effective you are? Do you try to make things convenient as well as “the right thing to do.”
Which way do you lean, and what could you improve on? Tell me about it in the comments.
———–
Note of upcoming course: One of the biggest struggles folks have is in answering the simple question “So… what do you do?” Although we have an extremely effective approach, I’ve been guilty of burying this teaching within larger programs.
In about two weeks or so we’ll be releasing an inexpensive, bite-sized self-directed course, with a few premium spots to work directly with me, so you can take on this critical question and answer it… in one compelling sentence. So stay tuned.
p.s. Needing some hands-on help?
Sometimes a course or group program just isn’t quite the right thing. Sometimes you want something very custom, with the focus totally on you and your business, on your timeline, on your agenda, you.
Yollana Shore and Jason Stein have years of experience as healers and coaches, and have chalked up tremendous successes with their clients. And they are official Heart of Business practitioners, steeped in our approach. To learn more about working with one of them, visit:
http://heartofbusiness.com/training-programs/obd-program-basic/
52 Responses
I am all for supporting local enterprise, if they meet my minimum expectations from the specific product or service. I don’t mind paying a little extra if necessary. But the bonding does matter. Over the last few up and down years of the economy, several swanky malls have come and gone, along with their “fantabulous” offers. Meanwhile, my family’s equation with the neighborhood grocer, based on trust and promises kept, has grown from strength to strength. I suppose that the answer will also depend on the country and culture you live in.
Having strong positive and compassionate values and commitments is commendable, and they certainly contribute to the good (where your values & commitments lie). I feel, though, that moderation is essential – as well as weighing other variables – such as: Do I currently have the funds to pay more for products that correspond with my values? Am I content to sacrifice some quality in product in exchange for maintaining these values? There is also something to be said for the support of giants. Many of the corporations substantially contribute to good and charitable causes. A relatively simple check on-line can provide this information. These large companies also employ many hard-working people who are supporting and caring for their own families. In my opinion, this is not selling out. It is simply creating comfortable considerations and options whereby I can make decisions.
@Melinda- I hear you- and I think those are some valid points. The troubling truth is, however, that for major corporations a significant portion of the money I spend there supports things I don’t agree with, so that makes it a little bit more complicated- it’s not just supporting hardworking people that I interact with.
@Vijayakumar – Those relationships make all the difference, don’t they?
I like using Kerr canning jars in the cupboard for storage. Inexpensive easy to clean and label, and even kind of pretty. Also p90x program has helped so many people I know who are busy to get in serious shape. It has been the longest thing I have stuck with because of the variety and structure. You’ll be outrunning your boys, unless of course they join in! There is something contagious about how awesome it makes you feel. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t use it and feel like a million. Fyi. You know you’ve worked out. Thanks for your letter. I love your authentic real voice. The third situation. Feels like it pus a lot of pressure on you to be something for us.
Brooke- thank you for your kind words! I used canning jars, too, but I have to admit that the size and the screw-top was causing problems in our family. Certain members don’t screw the tops on tightly enough to keep the food inside from going stale, and so a different style of closure was needed to keep from wasting food. And I’m loving the gym I joined so far- I hope to be outrunning them, at least as long as I’m twice their size. 🙂
Generally speaking I like to buy where my values are, but I have a hierarchy of values. Some get compromised when times are strained (I buy from the supermarket instead of the market) and some never do (no animal testing or animal products). This is a good reminder to think about avoiding the compromises, thank you.
Local is nice but I find I buy a lot of products and services online. Often it’s not local, but it is a small business whose values reflect my own. That’s more important to me than where they are geographically, and it’s putting money into wider community, one of individuals and small businesses doing good in the world.
Honestly when I need new stuff I just ask the universe to provide them for me, that way I can usually find the perfect thing with ease – it almost comes right to me! Sometimes I forget to ask and get caught in the problem of finding it. I’m doing that right now, so thanks for the reminder!
Kay- I like the reminder of hierarchy of values- core values versus supporting values is the language I use, and it’s a great reminder for me in this moment.
Very helpful filter, there, Mark: Is this a “core” or a “supporting” value? – thank you!
And your mention of perfectionism (below) reminds me that “that way lies quicksand!”
Karen- you’re welcome! And yes, quicksand… oy. 🙂
I think our purchases of products and services serve a whole range of purposes and values. But, if you feel ‘obliged’ to buy a substandard product or service (relative to your needs) just because it’s local, that’s not business – it’s charity. Which is fine and all, but good to see it as it is. I think, when you lead from a balanced place, decisions become relatively effortless. The key here is that you cannot please everyone in whatever you do, and it’s important to come to terms with that.
As regards work, I have found that the most fun and interesting work is also the work that pays best.
Derek- Great point- I agree. I told my dad what you said about “charity”, and he agreed, too, as a previous small business owner himself.
I’m about to send a birthday card to a former client, and I’m acutely conscious that it looks – well, a bit home made. It’s produced using publisher, using a template from that programme, because I wanted to have it be from my business rather than me, otherwise I guess I could have bought a commercially produced card. I’m hoping that he will see the sentiment rather than the product, but it isn’t great, and certainly isn’t corporate-looking! What I’m getting round to saying is that I think buying ‘things’ taps into a range of factors. Values, as you say, price, quality, ‘feel’ of the experience, convenience…each decision will depend on how these factors are weighed up, and that will change according to circumstances. Over time though I think our values will start to shape the decisions more and more, so we may decide to have a default position of buying local unless other factors outweigh it. and I think it’s ok if/when they do. Thanks for a thought provoking read!
Sally- it does tap into those. I found that having a professional card designed and printed, while initially expensive, actually ends up costing MUCH less per card- I had a card designed and 200 printed and ended up costing less than 30 U.S. cents per card and envelope. And I used a local designer and a local printer. 🙂
Hi Mark,
your friend who was ringing up is expressing something I’m feeling as well. Me being on another part of the world where the US are far away I feel at home with Sufi wisdom and their integration in entrepreneurial life and reaching the people who are wanting to be my clients. Therefor I open every newsletter in hope to find what is best to me and my business. For some reason which I’m not aware of this is very often vanished in some very very day to day wisdom which unfortunately does not develop a very long sounding resonance.
Thank you for being so available, Mark
All the best to you and your business
Franz
Franz- thank you for the confirmation. Whenever someone tells me something, I figure there are dozens of others who haven’t had the opportunity to tell me, whether it’s positive or negative. I appreciate you!
Hiya Mark…
This touches me greatly, because lately I’ve been experiencing similar things… here are a few initial thoughts that popped up as I read your words and held them up to my own heart murmurs…
~ I think the very fact that you are curious about this and/or struggling with this shows that no matter what you choose, you’re grounded in your values. (of course, I’m noticing it’s easier to say that about you than it is about me… isn’t that a hoot?!)
~ At what point does walking our talk turn into being stuck in an effort to be perfect? And when is it time to loosen our grip and relax into our flaws and humanness?
~ If we’re really trying to help our local businesses and economy grow and flourish, how does it serve them by settling for less than adequate products and services?
~ And in our work, how do we define “less than” versus “enough” versus “giving it everything?” I, too, have been playing with ways to simplify without compromising the connection I have with my clients. Part of that comes from being a parent and getting healthier and having a few too many projects on my plate (in essence, trying to take care of myself a little better, which in all honesty, is a HUGE part of my values in this moment)… and part of it comes from wondering how the complexity of what I’ve been dishing out has been “digested” and if it might serve my clients more if I share it in smaller bites that are easier to chew (admittedly, I do tend to over-give).
I’ll be interested to see where this conversation takes us… thank you, Mark, for being so honest and heartful.
~Lisa
Lisa- thank you for that empathy- it does seem like we’re both chewing on similar issues. 🙂
Thanks for bringing yourself back to your work, Mark. I find that people are so hungry for the personal touch in their lives and that is what you can give them. It’s what I try to give my customers too, which is priceless.
I appreciate your honest heartfelt newsletters and I usually find a message in them that strikes a cord with me. For awhile recently I found myself just scanning them and moving on. This newsletter I read through completely. Your friend who knows you well did give you an important wake up call to come back to your work.
Now I need to get back to work. Outdoor market season is gearing up.
Maybe some day I can send you a thank you gift of biscotti for you to share with everybotti – life and food taste better when shared.
Wishing you All the Best,
Caroline Ravines
Biscotti for Everybotti
biscottiplanet.com
Caroline- we all need that wake-up call, don’t we? I’m so grateful! Thank you. And I wish I could taste your biscotti- unfortunately we’re gluten-free family at the moment- the kids can’t handle it. Do you have a gluten-free version?
Hi Again Mark,
Yes, I do have Gluten Free Biscotti too for people who need it. After all, it is Biscotti for Everybotti. The flavors available in Gluten Free are; Coconut, Ginger, Chocolate and Cinnamon Raisin. Any of those flavors sound like something your family could enjoy?
My daughter happens to be in Portland now and she too is Gluten Free. And my nephew’s wife, they both live in Portland, is also Gluten Free. It is quite a serious health issue for a number of people.
All the Best,
Caroline
@Caroline- music to my ears! They all sound good, except the ginger I don’t think the boys would like. Yum! Thanks for taking on the gluten-free thing for your family and for all of us! 🙂
This is way off the original topic (which I’ quietly enjoying), but on the subject of gluten-free food, my low-carb world was saved by Elana Amsterdam’s “Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook”. It was perfect for me as someone with not a lot of patience for cooking nor access to particularly exotic ingredients.
(And there’s a biscotti recipe.)
Her website is:
http://www.elanaspantry.com/
Hamish- Thank you! I love Elana’s stuff- I have a huge thing of almond flour in the freezer on her recommendation, and I love seeing her recipes come into my inbox. She’s a great resource!
Quality is a value too. All too often local, artisan, and independent businesses think that those monikers excuse them creating the very best they can. “Handmade” or “Independently-owned” doesn’t get my business if they aren’t meeting my expectations.
I’ll pay more, come in during normal business hours, parallel park (!), but don’t give me something that’s just alright.
Yes, Tara! There has to be a tangible reward (beyond just ‘feeling good about the choice I made) for the the extra effort expended…
Quality IS a value, too, Tara. “Don’t give me something that’s just alright.” Amin.
I also like to support local business owners as much as possible for the reasons you and others stated, Mark.
One thing I’ll do is ask local biz owners if they would be open to carrying additional lines that better meet my needs. I’ve yet to talk to a business owner who didn’t appreciate getting the heads up about additional products they might sell. Often they will say they’ll take my suggestion into consideration.
If the choose not to carry additional products, I respect their choice AND I’ll often buy the product that better meets my needs.
I find that less than adequate products create a sense of “putting up with” something that isn’t good enough is an energy leak for me. Conversely I get real joy from using products that are “just right” like Baby Bear’s bed.
And of course I always happiest when it’s local AND a great fit for what I need.
Hey Judy- that’s so great to be proactive like that with retailers. The service providers here, like the gym, seem like a different story. I didn’t want to dig in and say, “Well, it would be kinda nice if you could show some caring and empathy towards me. And, can you do something about the smell in here?” Not sure how to approach it, and I know I’m not that committed to them, local or not. 🙂
Here are 3rd options not mentioned on your first two dilemmas…
1) The gym: There is a wealth of stuff you can do at home for free or nearly so to get in excellent shape, build muscle, and get cardio training. True, it doesn’t support a local business but it does support your family in freeing up the amount of time you DON’T have to work to pay for the gym membership for two!
2) Storage jars: They may not be there when you want them but thrift stores are great sources (repair, reuse, recycle, then buy new….). My wife recently came home w/ about 8, flawless, one liter canning jars for $0.25/each; new lids are very inexpensive. Again, saves a wee bit of money/work time for family time and a little less for the landfill.
This all comes from one of my hobbies/avocations which is “how little resources can I use and still get done what I want to get done with the high quality I want?”
Geoffrey- Those are great options for some, and I’m glad you mentioned them! I needed a peer group, and I need someone to drive me. There’s so much that I drive myself- the kids, the business, etc, that I wanted to show up somewhere where they had the equipment and they told *me* what to do, since I know nothing about working out. I’m willing to pay the extra rather than take that on as a learning project. After I’ve been at it for six months, I may shift to doing at home.
I run into the same problems. I really want to support local and do so as muchas possible. I find it incredibly fustrating when the business is local and they are doing less than the chains in a less personable way. It seems to me that one area that small business can trump chains is the level of service and intimacy. I find it incredibly annoying when I am going out of my way to spend mioney in small local business and I get a worse service for more money. On the other hand, what a joy when I find a local, ethical business that ticks all the boxes. It makes it a joy to spend money there and feel like I’m helping them survive, I want to tell everyone!
Rob- that is a joy! I was so relieved to find the gym I joined!
Living in a small town the choices are a little different. The question is do you support the local people working at a box store versus people ten to fifteen miles away working at their own small business? Very often you have to chose the box store because the time and effort of getting to the small business owner isn’t worth it. I am lucky in that most of our restaurants are family owned, we have great farmer’s markets and it’s not too far to the local co-op (fourth closest grocer).
Of course, one has to consider local. I’m half an hour from Redmond. Am I supporting local business when I purchase Microsoft? An hour (at 2 AM when there’s no traffic) from Seattle, am I supporting a local business when I purchase at Starbucks? Considering my husband, half my patient load as an acupuncturist and most of my neighbors all work at Microsoft, the first answer is a resounding yes. Starbucks? That’s iffy–but I prefer the chai they use the other national brand chai our independent coffee shop uses so I purchase the one I like.
Bonnie- I had a two year stint living in a small town in Rhode Island, not for college, and I know exactly what you mean, but not as deeply as you probably do. It’s definitely challenging.
A parallel quandary ~
I see that the giant consumer-products-conglomerate that I most want to financially disconnect from, for philosophical reasons (“Vote with your dollars” and like that), produces or controls at least a half-a-dozen of my favorite brands.
While it’s true that I don’t buy these things often, I do *use* them every day. Being reminded that I Believe I “compromised on my values” every time I brush my teeth or wipe the counter, even as I enjoy the clean or fresh or efficient results of that product, just adds more straws to my emotional-camel’s load, yaknow?
The same problem presents itself when shopping for “healthy” or “green” as for “local”. What does my checklist really look like, and what’s a ‘passing grade’?
(OOoh! Shades of “You can do better than that” from grade-school rear their heads here. Paralyzing!)
I’m seeing that these questions may need more unpacking than I thought…
Thought provoking as usual, Mark!
Bright Blessings ~ Karen J
Karen- it’s so true! How to unhook ourselves, not get caught by perfectionism, and yet still act from a caring and responsible place… Not easy.
When I’m confronted with “troubling incidents” like this, I like to keep in mind it’s not a black & white decision between two choices, but that all these options fall on a continuum and to feel satisfied, I will examine each choice against my values and priorities, to make a decision that feels “right.” The answers can change over time, AND I will look for opportunities to speak up and request/suggest changes to create more options that align with my values.
I have been hearing plenty about pricing my own products to feel GOOD about selling and avoid the resentment & anxiety that follows underpricing. As a customer I’m allowed to feel good about my purchases too! I will spend more money to support my community & local artisans, but my needs need to be met too. It’s a process! Small and large business are adapting and evolving – both in their offerings and the values they embody. Speak up and let business owners know what changes might bring them your loyalty.
Agnes- It’s so true it’s not a black or white decision… and yet for something like “which gym do I join” it can feel that way- I either join the gym or I don’t. Thankfully, I found an option that felt right to me. It is a process, and I do need to unhook from my perfectionism… 🙂
Hey Mark,
A couple of thoughts from a committed locavore who also buys from Amazon! (Multifaceted I am!).
Do you have Freecycle in Portland? It’s a great way to get canning jars from folks who are done with them. Recycling in the local community
Sue- We already bought the jars. 🙂 And yes, we do have free cycle, and I mentioned in response to another post that canning jars, among others with screw-top lids, don’t work in my house because they aren’t being reliably screwed tightly by all members of the family, so food has been going stale at an uncomfortable rate. That’s why I was so jazzed by the jars I found.
And yes- we’re at a credit union, and have been for years. I love it! And shop local as much as we can. It feels great.
Hi, Mark. I like letting go of either/or choices. They seem to create “mind pickles.” Better to stay open to all possibilities and see options holistically. For instance, exercise doesn
Yup, exactly Laurice. The either/or thing is rarely the whole picture. I’m glad I found what I found, and I’m glad your friend found a great solution for her!
Hey Mark,
I really enjoyed your newsletter every week because it included “notes from the heart” and other material that is not found on your website (at least, I couldn’t find it). My opinion is to add those back in 🙂
Peace
Hi Nick- I so appreciate your comments! It was feeling so complicated to me, having to write all of that content every week. I’m definitely going to keep the simplified version for a little while, being vulnerable and personal too, so the quality of Notes from the Heart should still be in there. You let me know if it’s not. 🙂
I read this newsletter right through too, Mark, after skipping through a couple. I’m straddling lots of worlds right now. I’m sitting online at my house in a mudbrick village in rural Bulgaria. Nobody in my village has a clue how I make money aside from something to do with computers. They don’t need my creative services, but they do buy my organic garlic, and I make a point of buying home made cheese from my cow-and-sheep-owning neighbours. To answer your questions:
1. Personally, I have an idealistic-me and a realistic-me when it comes to purchases. It’s a complicated matrix of hierarchies, and it’s not consistent either. Time, money, quality, guilt are always potential trade-offs. I behave differently depending on whether I’m with my husband or alone, and depending on whom the purchase is for.
2. I’ve been leaning in to *the right thing to do* recently with my online presence. I actually had a bit of a moment today, and realised that there was currently no way for anybody to pay me or hire me on the spot, so I changed that. I made it convenient, and it felt like *that* was the right thing to do, but it’s been a long and necessary journey back into my heart in order to get here. It felt really good. I’m not sure who my ‘local’ market is there – I’ve freelanced for so many years for clients all over the world, that my definition of ‘local’ is kinda energy-based. I only run in to problems when I try to make myself do work for people I don’t connect with. So, there may be those geographically far, who are still my ‘locals’.
Jo- Bulgaria! I love the clarity you’re speaking. And it’s true, “local” means something a bit different than it used to, doesn’t it?
I loved this newsletter because it’s something I struggle with a lot in my little working class neighborhood. (I shared it on the neighborhood Facebook page!) I’ve found myself getting cranky lately over the sensation that our neighborhood shops are putting the onus of their success (or lack thereof) squarely on the shoulders of consumers without really looking at how they might be keeping potential customers away. I want to live in a neighborhood with thriving businesses, so I want to put my money where my mouth is, but I don’t want to feel that I owe them my business without having earned it.
Scarlett- thanks for sharing the link! And I can understand getting cranky about it. Still puzzling myself over that gym who just didn’t make an effort… And I’m grateful, because I’m loving the other local gym I joined.
You can purchase Tupperware for your storage needs from local distributors. They are very effective for keeping food fresh longer and they are reasonably priced and easy to get into. My entire pantry is full of Tupperware.
If we don’t support the local business they won’t be able to afford to give us the little extras that the big companies do. I try to use local business for all my needs. I find they are far more reasonable in price most of the time. I also will talk to them and I’m usually able to get them to come down in price or give me a little bit better deal for the price. Most local businesses want to serve you and will do most anything, within reason, to get your business.
Local or big box is not always so black and white. For instance, I could support a local company that has owners who live in a local gated community and give virtually nothing to local causes. Or, their big box competitor who has institutional investors such as the local teacher’s union. By default, I choose local even if the service and product is not superior. At some point, good enough should be good enough. But I’ll also look deeper to where I am voting with my dollars, and overtime vote accordingly.
In following this thread, it becomes clear that we need to understand our own core values and our motivations. We cannot please everyone and we benefit no one by trying to justify our actions. We have to live our own truth.