Comments on: Supporting Homegrown Services

By: enduring prize

enduring prize — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 08:40:00 +0000

Hi there, Thanks for the reminder. Although the US dollar crunch does not affect me, I will say that I have a new appreciation for vendors since I have become one myself. Downunder Literature was started because I saw the need for Home Grown resources. We took risks in publishing The Wonderland of Nature and Our Sunburnt Country but I felt strongly that these books should be available to the homeschool community. I know this might sound super spiritual but we see this business as a ministry/hobby and if we aren't loosing money we will continue. I have found that the Australian homeschool community to be very supportive. I have often received eencouraging emails and thanks. aussiehomeschool.com has been very good to us also. Smiles Michelle Michelle enduring prize´s last blog post..Blue Mountains Holiday

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:29:30 +0000

Hi Susan

You and I have had this stance for a long time…good on you for posting it again.

Bless you

Lisa

By: Joelle

Joelle — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:39:20 +0000

Ah, yes, Joi and Susan, I agree also about the customer service aspect and showing respect to your customers by responding promptly. I was taught (a long time ago) that ‘customer service is the competative edge’. Something to ponder.
http://credotrust.com/

Joelle´s last blog post..Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings Set

By: HomeGrownKids

HomeGrownKids — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 03:08:59 +0000

Wow, ladies…some great thoughts.

Joi, I don’t think you were heading into controversial ideas at all. I completely agree. In fact, I agree so much that it is also partly the reason that we closed HGK down! I simply couldn’t continue to serve the homeschool community AND my family- it was ending up each day as one or the other. Not good.

So, yes I did make a few blunders with not getting back to people as quickly as I should have. My bad. However, with the suppliers that I most recommend I have never had the sorts of issues that you talk of – but I do know they exist. And you’re right. home based or family based business should NOT mean I should wait longer or tolerate sub standard service.

Yes, it certainly is a two-way street and thanks so much for pointing that out.

Blessings!
Susan

By: Joi

Joi — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 02:49:40 +0000

I agree with you that if you are going to benefit from the expertise of the vendor, I consider you really are doing wrong to slink off and buy elsewhere. (I have experienced this in work situations myself, and understand the frustration over these time-stealers!)

The flip side however, is that if I am going to pay those extra dollars to purchase at home, I expect a certain level of professionalism in my encounter with the business: those few extra dollars are purchasing the service that should come with buying from a small, local vendor. Without that service, I may as well throw my shopping dollars where it is most convenient.

Linda at Adnil has been the epitome of efficient, and I have been amazed at how quickly any dealings with her have been worked. However, I have encountered other family businesses where the emphasis seems to be much more on the family, than on the business.

I know I may be heading into a controversial area here, but I think if you are going to run a business, you really can’t afford to play the “sorry it’s been days (or weeks!!) to get back to you, but blah, blah, blah, has been happening in the family” card.

If a regular business tried to pull that off, they’d be broke in no time. If the average husband just didn’t show up for work for days at a time because ‘things were happening’, he’d soon be out of a job.

Homeschoolers mostly march to the beat of a different drum, and that’s what makes us such a unique community, but there are some things where you need to fall into step with the broader community, and on the whole, I think business practice is part of that.

So our Susan, I am not disagreeing with you – hey! I have a vested interest in people buying Australian 😉 Our business makes a point of paying the extra dollars to support Australian suppliers in our industry, when we could buy the cheap stuff out of China for a fraction of the price, but I guess I wanted to also make the point that it is a two way street.

ETA (!) I had been trying to send this for ages this morning, and left my computer sit here on this page. Since coming home from the music shop, Joel has posted…

I just want to be CLEAR in my intent (the propensity for blundering has run strong with me lately 🙄 😳 ) that I didn’t know Susan when she was in business, and have not as yet had the pleasure of transacting with Joel. So please, don’t misunderstand my reference to the difficulties I have experienced with homeschool run business with either of those two dear families!!

Joi´s last blog post..Australia; The Lucky Country (Snort!)

By: Joelle

Joelle — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 22:30:54 +0000

Thanks for that post Susan. It is encouraging for us, too as a Home Education resource provider, to have you say all that. We have experienced some of what you have, but on the whole our customers have been very loyal and understanding of not only supporting Australian businesses, but supporting Home Schooling families in business (whatever it may be). This latter point means that our families are strengthened in what we are doing by relieving the stress of providing for them, and helps keep the 'cash in the kingdom', so to speak. Who would people choose if they had to call a plumber - the Christian man working hard to provide for his family in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, who perhaps is a bit more expensive, or the godless man who is a few dollars cheaper? We have learned (yes, learned, as we were not always of this mind), to employ and support God's people, and be willing to be used by him to bless them. In our years of home education we have benefitted so much from those who had knowledge of the products we were interested in and it is, quite frankly, dishonest to fish for information, steal someone's time and then not honour them by purchasing elsewhere. It is all a part of the 'get a bartgain for me' attitude. Stewardship is more than saving a buck for yourself here and there, it is also about supporting those who seek to live godly lives, and not support huge corporations who don't care about your family's journey and curriculum choices. In fact it has been this very hunger for your dollar (and thus cheaper prices) that has caused such a flood of band wagon curricula to hit the market in recent years) - something which newer homeschoolers would not recognise. How many of us admit to wasting money on products purchased cheaper and then found them to be unsuitable. LOL, we all have I'm sure. So in the end, do we really save money by doing that? II've probably said enough, and at the risk of someone thinking that it is all in self interest. But the truth is that the profit margin is slight, but is not the only goal - the opportunity to train your children in business and passing on the mindset of being independent (as opposed to being a lave to someone else mentality). Anyway, I'l stop blabbing now :grin: Joelle´s last blog post..Literary Lessons from the Lord of the Rings Set

By: Adnil Press has a new website

Adnil Press has a new website — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:12:26 +0000

[…] am I excited? Well, not only am I happy to support local businesses but this site has a little extra meaning for me. See, I built it! Yup!! It’s part of my new […]

By: Therese

Therese — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:36:18 +0000

I fully agree with you too. We have bought everything this year from either Adnil press or Fountain Resources. I want to buy from families that have used the programs and can talk with me about them. Being in a town with very few home schoolers, I realize the importance of having other home schooling mothers to talk with and learn from.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 08:25:07 +0000

I absolutely agree with you Susan! I am even that way when I buy meat. Slightly different scenerio though… I prefer to buy from the good ol’ local butcher, than from Woolies or Coles. Usually they are not much, if at all, dearer, and it helps the local businessman.

For the sake of a few dollars, it is better to ‘prefer others over yourself’… it makes better economic sense to me 😀

http://pearlsoftruth.wordpress.com/