Letter to the editor: reader believes business must be earned

Editor’s Note: The following letter to the editor is in response to Ask-A-Candidate Question No. 27, which addressed the number of candidates who purchased their campaign materials locally. This – in turn – was asked in response to a question asked at the Oct. 13 All-Candidates Forum held by Smith Music, MorinvilleNews.com and the Morinville Fire Department.

Dear editor:

Shop local … yes. Shop local at all cost … NO!

Some businesses do not deserve our/my business. The prices are too high at some stores. We are all loyal to our hard earned dollar. Some stores just do not have good service. Some stores have produce rotting on the shelves.

Some places feel JUST because they are in Morinville that they have a right to our business. They quickly blame the town and individuals for not shopping there.

How about trying harder to get our business. Getting involved with town events that bring thousands of people past your store front.

I could go on and on.

Earn my/our business and we will shop at your place of business.

Joe Gosselin

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2 Comments

  1. I really agree with this. Treating businesses like they are charities with shop local campaigns so people can feel warm and fuzzy is not a long term solution. Reducing taxes for businesses and providing them places with cost effective advertising might be smart. As I said in another post my business property taxes went up almost 40% in the hardest business year this town has seen in a long time. Meanwhile everyone stood around saying “why can’t we keep our shops full on main street” How close must we place the dots before they get connected?

  2. I fully agree with Joe and Paul, I feel it is the Town of Morinville’s job to provide me with an enviroment favorable to do business in. That means a fair tax system as well as an administration that works with us on issues like permits and development.
    I believe it is the Chambers roll to work with local business to help to understand our customers,to share ideas on what is working for other business and to unite the local business to cross promote each other to their customers.
    The onus on promoting and building my company fall squarly on my shoulders. My company must provide a service that is required by our community then I must provide it at a higher level than my competetors to the south… as far as that goes even than my competetors right here in town.
    In the movie ” Field of Dreams” they said ” If You Build It, They Will Come” small business is no different but you need to build something that is needed and you need to be ever changing and adaptable to meet the needs of your customers. Our business comunity has many success stories of companys that compete with the ” Big Box Stores”, Home Hardware has to compete with Home Depot and they do it through customer service… Hunters is another that must compete with Staples and I know first hand they earned my business with their customer service and doing the extra things needed to stand out.
    Residents need to understand that for business to remain in Town they must be supported but business needs to understand that when given the opertunity we need to shine and show the residents why they should shop local and support us.

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