‘So.. How’s Business?’
The few short words that, depending on my day, week, time of the month, can get someone a lot more than they signed up for in their pursuit to make friendly small talk.
‘Loved life, hated small talk’ ~ when I topple off my perch, hopefully after a long and fruitful life, I think this is what my gravestone will read. See, I hate small talk, and I’m terrible at it. Maybe I hate it because I am terrible at it, chicken or the egg ~ who knows? What I do know, is that when you run into your old housemate’s sister’s best friend in front of a mountain of unripe avocados and they ask you “how’s business?” as you’re both there squeezing away for any sign of the elusive ripe one, your best bet (for everyone’s sake) is to just fire back with some vague cliche-filled ramblings…“Oh you know, the wild rollercoaster of small business, two steps forward, one step backwards, nothing easy is worth doing right?” And with a little fake laugh, take your now over squeezed, self-ripened avocado and just make a dash for it.
But sometimes, like on the day that just before you go avocado shopping, a deal falls over, a big bill you weren't expecting comes through, or Jenny leaves a 1 star review saying how much she hates the product and brand that you’ve poured your heart and soul into, well I just simply can’t fake it when I’m asked.
Sometimes business is Hard (with a bloody whopping capital H). In today’s economy it seems damn hard to survive as humans let alone as small businesses. We’ve entered into a really interesting time where there’s so much competition, so much noise, so much choice ~ yet we’re constantly being encouraged to simplify, slow down and just consume less.
It can be conflicting, and I can be conflicted. As a conscious person, like so many, currently battling some serious anxieties about the future of our society and our planet, I want nothing more than us collectively to just chill right out and stop consuming so much. But as a small business owner, I want nothing more than you to consume the hell out of my bars, and in a community surrounded by so many small businesses with purpose, I want nothing more than you to support my friends and consume the hell out of their products too.
Because I see the relentless passion, and energy they put into doing what they do, the dedication, the sacrifices, the big leaps of faith that have paid off, the big leaps of faith that haven’t paid off, the late nights, the sleepless nights, the anxieties, the tears (so many tears!) and I want your dollars to help keep them afloat, keep their dreams alive and help them keep fighting the good fight.
I guess the point to my somewhat wafty end of year message from me to you, is to encourage you to support the little guys at what has characteristically becoming a consumption driven time of year.
Strong purpose and passion really can shape the world and we are in the very privileged and empowered position to be able to dictate with our dollars how our future will look. A couple of hundred dollars can make a hell of a difference to a small business. “When you buy from a small business, an actual person does a little happy dance.” And boy does our world need as much happy dancing as possible right now.
I hope you too also dance your way to the end of the year, with any remaining skerricks of sanity intact and smiles on your faces. As always, I am endlessly grateful for your support of The Daily Bar and our dreams to change this snack forsaken world and I’m just so excited to continue bumbling on this wild journey with you all through 2020.
With love,
Al x
