Enough should be enough….
Sue Brooks March 14th, 2009
This week I happened to be watching ACA as they launched their Kickstart campaign. The evening I was watching they interviewed a truly inspirational man. He is the CEO for Rossi Boots. What he said made my heart soar.
In these times of economic uncertainty he explained how his business made Aussie Boots using Aussie staff. He is not going to go offshore to make a bigger profit. His focus was on having a profitable company but he explained that he wanted a business that was ‘profitable enough’. My quotes. While he could possibly make much more money by going offshore where labour costs would be very much reduced, he simply wasn’t interested.
He explained that he did not require an ever increasing profit. What he wanted was a strong business that looked after and cared for its workers and that enabled both workers and owners to live a comfortable lifestyle. Here is a business man who totally rejects the ‘greed is good mentality’ that I see reflected in most large corporations and businesesses. Rossi Boots has employess that are happy. They feel cared for and appreciated so they work hard and produce excellent products. Rossi Boots doesn’t seem to have any interest in doing anything that would jeopardise the happiness and livelihood of its employees. In fact it seems the owners have been making sacrifices to ensure that their workers come first. Maybe this principle is something that has eroded too much these days in both Government agencies and ‘big business’?
Our own shop that Graham and I own at Centro, is run similarly. Graham and I have attended many ‘business focussed workshops’ etc where the theme is ‘if you aren’t growing your business you are failing’. This used to make me feel bad. Were we failures? But then we spoke together and decided that our shop is a small shop with a focus on providing good customer service. All we want from our business is a regular income that repays Graham for the long hours that he spends working and pays the bills. We don’t want to grow and get bigger. We don’t need to. Most of us are content to earn a decent income where we can provide ourselves with shelter, food, clothing and access good education and health services.
Why is it then, that banks and other large institutions keep telling us that they need to make bigger and bigger profits ‘for the shareholders’? When is enough profit enough? Are all shareholders greedy? I don’t want to be a shareholder and I resent the fact that my pension funds have been ‘gambled away’ by stockmarket trading. I should have paid closer attention and taken more control to ensure my funds are used to support local businesses that care for people first and foremost and are not focussed entirely on profit.
I would also like to mention that when I visited China and some neighbouring Pacific Islands for holidays, it upset me that the workers who provided me with services similar to the ones I receive here at home, were paid such a pittance and have a lower standard of living. (I also think a lot of them are happier living that way than we are…they are richer both in community and family life). My ideal world is where there is one world currency and equal pay for equal labour!
How many small businesses in our region are quietly going about their business like Rossi Boots is? How many businesses work hard to provide jobs to local residents and simply want to keep doing so. Yes when times are good it is wonderful to make that extra dollar but that extra dollar needs saving for the ‘rainy days’. Our society cannot continue to just consume ever increasingly. I believe we need to find a balance where businesses supply our needs and discover innovative ways to make things or to do things. I will never begrudge any business a profit as it goes without saying that business does make our world go round but let us please take greed out of the equation.
I don’t want a bigger house. I don’t want the latest model anything. I want a decent standard of living and many of my neighbours seem to want similar. I would like to be able to travel a bit and eat out once in a while but my kids are grown and I enjoy doing things now that I could not do when I was a younger mum. We all want our family and friends to remain healthy and to afford to enjoy their lives. Why can’t we develop a sustainable model of business that won’t be subject to the revolving cycle of boom and bust?
So I urge you all to search for the small businessses that reflect the Rossi Boots philosophy. Big is not always better!
This is a link to what I think is an uplifting wonderful story … Simply click on the video and be patient while you listen to the advertising first… the story follows.
http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=769866
I would like to develop a list of similar locally owned and locally focussed Fraser Coast businesess. Businesses that put people before profit. Feel free to start adding them via comments below. Cheers, Sue
- General News
- Comments(11)
Sue,
You are a traitor, we must have growth. Bigger is better
and don’t you forget it.
It’e people like you who are dragging this country down.
How can we keep people in jobs, if you don’t buy things?
Come on Sue, always buy two, one for you and one for
the workers.
Sadman
Ah sadman you make me smile….. Nothing wrong with consumerism after all if we don’t consume food we die! I don’t mind sports people and film stars getting paid millions as they only achieve this wealth due to people (like us) watching them or buying products associated with sponsorship deals etc. In other words consuming their product.
I also have no argument about people becoming wealthy due to being innovative and creative and taking risks etc BUT I abhor people becoming wealthy due to greed or unethical practices! Glad your sense of humour is also alive and well…..
Sue
Could not agree more with your sentiment Sue. We’ve been victims of consumerism for too long – we’ve got to have the biggest and best and then some.
But, how often do we look at the tag and see where it comes from? What is the point of buying a $20 pair of foreign made shoes when a $30 pair of Aussie made ones will last longer and help keep a fellow Australian in a job? I am always happy to pay a little more for Aussie made and even better if its Aussie owned also. Big undies manufacturer Bonds really needs to re-think their actions – they underestimate the Australian public I feel.
Here’s food for thought – Does council buy Australian / locally owned where possible?
One example I can suggest is oil – what oils do council’s workshops use in its vehicle fleet? My thought is it will be one of the big overseas companies.
Out near the airport in Hervey Bay, Synforce Lubricants manufactures quality lubricants. It would be great to hear council and its subsidiaries are swapping to their products. How about it Sue?
We can all play a part in keeping local businesses alive by shopping around and I hope others add to the list of businesses we can all support.
Great story Sue!!!!!
Nice comments Ben…
Oh, but where is the majority of the Councils printing getting done?
I heard Western Australia (not even Queensland) or has that also gone overseas?
Please feel free to view my locally owned business; http://www.designhouse.com.au
Ben and Jeanette both rightfully point the finger at Council. Is Council ‘buying local’? As part of the focus this year, as described in the FCRC Draft Corporate Plan, to reduce our carbon footprint, we will be assessing these issues. Transition Towns is also undertaking an ‘energy descent action plan’. Together I hope that our entire community, especially Council, will be choosing to buy local and to do business locally.
Sue,
The question was “is council buying local”, based on your post the
answer is NO.
So why isn’t it?
You will say, because of the price differential, but does this take
into account all the factors?
Knowing council, the answer is NO.
Sue,the problems we are facing aren’t new, they have been
building for many years. Councillors are leaders, they must have
known this was on it,s way, yet they did nothing!!!!
Some one needs to stand up in council and tell it like it is.
You would have my total support if you do it. But no, we will just
lurch from problem to problem, Sad isn’t it?
Sadman
The answer is not ‘NO’ Sadman. Council already has an emphasis on buying local but we also consider price etc. The LGAQ facilitates a “Local Buy’ programme also. My enquiries today inform me that much Council printing is done locally, some is done via Brissy etc and the only ‘WA’ product we have, that I am aware of, is a supply of carbonless receipting books from the former HBCC. We will use the entire supply of these I hope before we source a different supplier.
If the price difference on offer for a product or service is thousands of dollars in savings, then two things occur to me. Firstly is Council justified in spending more of your money locally when best value is not going to be obtained and secondly why can’t local printers compete?
I haven’t asked about ‘oils ain’t oils’ yet! So my response is that Council already has a big focus on Local Buy but, not 12 months ago, 4 Councils were sourcing their own supplies. This year FCRC will be examining the issue more closely as we have greater buying power. Last year was a year of learning and assessing and bringing us all together not just into the same book but hopefully onto the same page!
So instead of being critical can you please focus on suggesting what we need to do better and offer alternative local products that may have not been considered prior amalgamation please?
You say you ‘know Council’. So please provide your evidence…… and suggest what we can do better please? I’m tired of generalised non evidence based comment. Give me the facts please. We buy vehicles locally, food locally, stationery locally, hire equipment locally…… Please ask questions and provide evidence not just generalise. Times change and what may have been the case 2 years ago is not necessarily the case now!
I’m sounding emotive and probably shouldn’t be (sorry) but Council receives a lot of criticism some of it justified but much crticism isn’t justified. I will do my best to ensure that our Corporate and Operational Plans reflect Local Buy.
Hi Sue,
I competively quote all over Australia and I can assure you council would not save $1000’s on print jobs by not using local printers and who says local printers can’t compete. (especially when it is a known fact that council has not put past jobs out to tender to our Fraser Coast printers).
Sue it was not 2 years ago it was last September and the evidence is right here; http://jeanettemaynes.com.au/2008/10/07/logo/
Here is a direct question:
Where does council have their business cards printed?
As I know what local printers quoted on that job (which I was in shock at how low the quotes were) and I know the only place that could possibly under cut that price by a minimal margin is in WA…
Anyway to me it feels any transparency in council is a long way off…. (though your blog is a great start Sue )
Kind regards
Jeanette
http://www.designhouse.com.au
Congratulations to Design House who have recently become ecoBiz accredited. Great to see a local business doing the right thing when it comes to reducing their carbon footprint etc. Well done to you.
http://www.designhouse.com.au/design-house-news/general-news/design-house-values-sustainability
Cheers, Sue
Thank you Sue, that’s very kind!!!!
I wish everyone realised that making even the smallest changes can add up to help conserve our environment!
Does Council have printing work done locally? Answer = yes and no! I have now had a chance to view the quotes that Council received in relation to the printing of business cards. The job was awarded to a non local, non Brisbane but Queensland firm, that did quote a considerably cheaper price than any local business. I have been advised that the original EOI went out to seven suppliers (5 local, 2 non-local). Council received 5 responses. I have personally viewed this information as supplied to me by Council staff, including the prices quoted.
The catch 22 that a ‘local buy’ policy can foster is that local businesses raise prices. They know they have a captive customer in the local government. I don’t believe that is the case in most instances but I do believe in value for money etc.
Some of the information I have gathered in relation to printing however, leads me to believe that Council should do two things. Firstly we should speak directly to the industry to ensure that what we are asking is appropriate and that our needs are being met in an economically and efficient manner. In other words our requirements should make best use of industry knowledge and advice. From personal experience I have learned that they way in which information is supplied to printers (formatting etc) is vital if one wants to reduce costs and that printers do advise on the best and most economical way to achieve a result. We also need to be sure that when Council goes out to the industry and asks for quotes that the quote is solid and that we don’t then start varying our requirements. I believe this could give unfair advantage.
Lastly I advise that every business in the region that is in the position to supply services to Council should actively inform Council about their service and/or product so that Council can update our records and include businesses on our lists. Lists that are used to invite quotations in the first instance. I am enquiring as to the best method for Council to use to update this process post amalgamation! It must be understood that under certain financial thresholds everything to procure services etc is done via staff and is not reported to Councillors. This is as it should be but I will ask more questions specifically in relation to updating supplier lists regularly and also to try and ensure that our printing requirements are not costing us extra or making it unlikely that our local providers want to quote on the work required.