Challenge of buying local * A self motivated initiative *

I admit being on a crusade. Like all missions, it certainly has it’s challenges.
Working with a client in So. NH this week I pointed out that simply buying materials and supplies over the internet wasn’t supporting the local economy and in this case all their customers come from NH, MA, and Maine.

I went on to explain that the warehouse worker that feeds his family is dependant on revenue generated from the business and even a small effort by my client can add up.

I took this one step further by looking at purchases that needed to be made for the week. One purchase was a small one for glass beads used in a booth to blast off unwanted particles and debris. A couple calls to local suppliers and I was referred to Dawson-Macdonald located in Wilmington Mass. I contacted them and found they had the material required. Since I had an appointment with a client in Andover I offered to pick up the material and deliver it the next day rather than place an order on the internet to a company located in Columbus Ohio.

I arrived at Dawson-Macdonald and as greeted by a very accommodating person in the warehouse that led me to the front office. I offered to pay with Credit Card, Business check or cash. I also provided the tax identification number my client has used for over 30years. After consulting with a bookkeeper, my representative informed me that I would need to be charged sales tax since they didn’t recognize the tax ID number supplied. I could fill out a (use) form and potentially get a refund of the tax amount at a later time.

I don’t know about you but I didn’t need the hassle? I called the supplier in Ohio and received an immediate discount with door to door delivery at no charge.

I will certainly continue to support buying local at every opportunity. My message to all of us is, lets bend over backwards to help our potential customers in the acquisition process. I’m not trying to infer that we don’t but is it possible to do better?