NuffNang

Friday, October 25, 2013

Small Businesses Self-Destruct

If I need milk or bread or get a sugar craving, I TRY and buy from small businesses, milkbars and the like. Without small businesses the big ones, charge whatever they want and corner the market.

Small businesses of the retail kind are dying, like moths to a flame. They are self-destructing.

The reasons for self-destruct vary, from limited opening hours, to dirtiness to (and the worst IMHO) overcharging OR in this mornings’ instance, charging without advertising a further $0.50 to use EFTPOS.

Doesn’t matter I paid the same price for the item as I would at a service station, they had the gall to charge $0.50 without ANY advertising, NOT written, NOT verbal.

I try and support small business, but how can I continue to do so, when businesses do this to you and me, the bread and butter of their business? Small business is not just about opening the doors and customers (suckers) walk in and pay elevated prices for the same thing, they can get elsewhere, it’s about a smile, not ripping your customers off and making sure the place is clean.

I’m calling out the milkbar in New Street, Reservoir, I shall never darken your doors again, I would rather travel a further 1km and buy from the milkbar in Yarra Avenue, East Reservoir, they smile, the place is clean AND lo and behold, I’m NOT penalised for using EFTPOS.

I know the rules were changed to allow you to recoup costs for the use of EFTPOS, but guess what? A smart business person would bury that cost in the product cost, NOT bury excess profit in the product cost AND THEN charge to use EFTPOS as well.

While I’m on a rant, people who have a minimum EFTPOS charge, you too are doing yourself out of business, most people have less than $30 in their pocket at any one time and this is reducing all the time.

Get with the times and learn what running a small business is all about.