Hi everyone and may I wish you a happy New Year – a bit late I know!
Just a short BLOG this time highlighting how the local community and businesses working together can be mutually beneficial.
Local businesses create employment opportunities for nearby residents, reducing the need for long commutes through traffic jams. Many local businesses are owned by people who reside in the immediate area and thus a proportion of any profits they make are likely to be spent back in the area. They also pay business rates to the local authority helping to fund essential services.
The Deepings and surrounding Villages have many examples of local businesses sponsoring sports team, events and raising money for community projects and charities.
So if residents support local business, there is much more likely to be a return benefit to your community than if you are using services from out of the area or buying from the online giants. I know that’s not always possible and online can be very convenient – when it works well! However, I am sure most of us have had issues with waiting in for deliveries, items that don’t arrive or turn up damaged. Returns can be an issue when bought online. When you take your time (and sometimes fuel charges and parking fees) into account, local can often be equally cost effective and you are more likely to get great customer service and after sales support.
I have a few examples: Recently ordered some batteries, they have not turned up and am now in dispute with supplier. I ordered a new PC monitor and it arrived damaged, had a battle to get my money back. Tried selling an old car using one of the “Free” facebook groups. Put £400 NO OFFERS – must have had at least 15 phone calls offering silly amounts like £250 and waited in for 3 people at different times who never turned up!
You may have heard of the “LOVE DEEPINGS” campaign, initiated by Deepings Business Club – check them out at www.deepings.co.uk . This is a great initiative and we here are the Deepings & Villages Advertiser are very supportive of it.
We also try and give back to the community by sponsoring the Rugby Beer Festival, Deepings Raft Race, and paying to have banners up at the Carnival and Duck Race and made a contribution towards the Age Concern minibus to name a few. Subject to available space we also put free adverts in for good causes. We use quite a few local suppliers and employ around 50 local people.
So please help this virtuous circle by supporting Local Businesses when you can and hopefully the community as a whole will benefit.
Andy Pelling
