We are all living lives that could as well be the stuff dystopian novels and movies were made of. The world as we knew it is coming crumbling down leaving room for a lot of uncertainty, and sadly, this pandemic is already creating far more collateral damage than people are willing to openly accept : migrant workers leaving cities and defying lockdown orders was just the beginning, and as horrible and heartbreaking and maddening as it was to see that tragedy unfold, there is more in store, the next victims are going to be small and medium businesses, and it's already making victims.
In my area alone, too many restaurants have shut down already, blame it on greedy landlords not willing to negotiate lease agreements and rent payment. With each of these restaurants, came dozens of people loosing their jobs and livelihood, and those few restaurants were just the beginning, unless we people start changing the way we consume and buy.
One of the thing that angered me the most during the tight phase of the lockdown is how suddenly, small independent Indian brands and speciality products suddenly stopped being available, despite meeting all the requirement to be labelled an essential good.
For months, all we could buy easily were big brands like Maggi, Kelloggs, Nestle, Unilever, Coke and Pepsi. All big multinational groups that frankly could have weathered a lockdown without having to be the ONLY brands available.
I found myself having to buy low quality, heavily processed cheese from Britannia and Amul because smaller brands like Nutoras which makes quality artisanal cheese went missing from all online selling platform and no local stores sold it.
I found myself having to buy Kelloggs because my favourite brand of cereals "Monsoon Harvest" (affiliate link) suddenly was absent from both Amazon and the one local supermarket.
Don't get me started on all the independent makers, artisans and people who like me, sell "non-essentials" on Etsy, as of now, I still can't ship my pending international orders because IndiaPost has not resumed international registered post services. I am far from being alone in this predicament.
The rant could go on and on and on, the fact is that this lockdown, has and is hurting plenty of small and medium businesses and if we can do anything about it, now is the time.
Be part of the solution not part of the problem
I said it before, but part of the problem is that we have all been conditioned to buy more for less and call it a bargain. We all have been made to accept that owning 5 pairs of very low quality jeans instead of investing in just one more expensive but durable pair is the way to go, even if we can totally afford the more expensive one, we will still buy the 5 crappy ones.
We also have been conditioned to find the low price of certain non essential stuff as the only worthy standard, without wondering what the collateral damage of going for such a cheap price might be (an overworked, underpaid worker in a sweatshop).
If we want to change the world for the better, this has to start with putting an end to this mentality and making a conscious effort about thinking how we spend that money through.
No need to change everything overnight, but taking a few small step in the right direction will always be a great start.
Rethinking what our needs really are
Do we really need enough clothing in our wardrobe to last us a month without doing laundry? Do we really need to have 20 t-shirts under 400 rupees a piece instead of 7-8 good quality ones costing a bit more? Are we really striking a bargain buying that 7th pair of cheap shoes for less than 1000 rupees?
A good start would be to write down what we need vs what we want (but don't really need). It doesn't mean living like a monk / nun who made a vow of poverty. It just mean reassessing priorities and get to spend our money the smart, responsible way.
A good way to go at it would be to take our budget into consideration, because I'm not telling anybody to live above their means in any way.
But for example, if you established that your clothing needs of the hour involve having to buy 5 t-shirts and that you can safely allocate 5000 rupees to it, then you should not aim at buying 10 cheaper t-shirts for that price and look for a quality brand or a small maker instead.
If you find yourself really wanting something, not because you NEED it but because you really would LOVE to have it, ask yourself how that fairly non-essential desire could benefit everyone. This is where going for a small business, or independent maker is probably the way to go.
Make room in your budget
Another way to support more small businesses and brands, is to factor them in when you plan your monthly budget.
I don't think any of us can buy EVERYTHING from smaller, more expensive brands, but I'm sure we could all decide to consume less of something but in a more conscious way.
For example, deciding that eating cake at tea-time everyday at 50 rupees a day buying a cheap and processed factory baked sponge cake could be replaced by buying cake once a week at the local, family owned bakery which use quality ingredients for 350 rupees and enjoy every bit of it knowing it tastes good but also support a small business pouring their passion and love into making cakes.
Or allowing yourself to splurge on one think you really like once a month instead of once a week on things you might not really value as much.
Gift giving = support small businesses
If you aren't sure you can really budget spending more on certain things on a regular basis, you could instead make a point of no longer gifting anything generic for special occasions and favour a local business that make or sell unique items
Spread the word
Even if you can't really support a small business right away, take the time to spread the word about them. If someone you know is asking around where they can find a great tailor, or a jewellery maker, or a caterer and you happen to know one, let them know.
If you bought from a small business, give them a rave review on your social media handle, your family and friends deserve to know about it.
If you liked a post on Facebook or Instagram so much, don't forget to share it, even if you aren't buying the product. There might be one of your friends who will, you never know.
Ban "it's too expensive" from your vocabulary
Something being perceived as expensive isn't the same as not being able to afford it. Often, what we mean when we say "Oh it's too expensive" what we are really meaning is that it's currently out of our budget.
And it is ok, not everything has to be something we can afford right away, but it's not ok dismissing the prices of a small business as too expensive, even worse, tell it to their face.
What goes around, comes around
As you all know, I am a HUGE believer in the law of attraction, and as a small independent maker myself, I believe in spreading the love and doing my bit to support fellow artists, makers, designer, and small businesses whenever I can.
Why? Because that is the right thing to do, and by doing so, I am simply extending the courtesy I wish to see other extend to me.
This is why, I will write posts about small businesses, brands and independent I like and support on this blog on a regular basis starting this August.
Let's all be the change we want to see in this world shall we?
