Will YOU still be buying from small businesses?

[Yatima]

I own a small business, which was almost crippled by covid, only managed to get back on our feet earlier this year. Now with the announcement of the 80% energy hike, and inflation rising to 13% I'm worried this will finish us off for good.

When people cant afford to heat their own homes or cook their own food, who is still going to be buying from small businesses at a time like this? 😩

Yes and no. I will be reducing my spending however we'll still use the butchers, bakery and farm shops. Plus I intend sourcing certain Christmas presents from small businesses but I'll buy 1 dress for dd rather than 2 or 3 etc.

Me. We've cut back on our Tesco shopping so we can afford to keep spending our money at our local independent shops. It gets me out for a nice wander too.

As PP say, it depends on the business.

Luxury item I don't really need anyway? Possibly not.

Buying myself a cup of coffee out and about? Always choose an independent over a chain.

Yatima is this a plopper thread or are you going to interact? Lots of people have taken time to reply and have asked what kind of small business - tbh ansers are meaningless unless you tell us whether its something along the lines of a village shop/ farm shop, or an independent garage, or a village pub, or whether you make something necessary requiring a lot of skill (carpenter, goldsmith, blacksmith...) or whether you put together gift hampers or make hand make bunting or greetings cards ...

@ProbablyPossiblyPerhaps I haven't felt the need to state exactly what my business is because almost every poster has answered my question perfectly in terms of essential vs non-essential.

I appreciate every single response and I'm reading them all. Such a broad range of answers on here, thanks so much everyone!

Yes, still will buy fruit and veg from a market stall, only go into independent cafes not chains. Feel a sense of being fortunate to still have them.

Also what is essential or non essential will vary a lot from one person to he next.

look at the thread in ‘what have you stopped buying?’.
some people have switched from organic at the local butcher to the top of the range supermarket stuff.
Others have stopped buying any snacks aka non essential to life food items.

such a variation

MintJulia · Today 12:06
“Definitely the local coffee shop rather than Costa.“

won’t be buying coffee anywhere, never have. We’re on a good income but can’t afford coffees out every day. Don’t understand how so many people can.