I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but I do my thinking in the shower... which usually leaves me having to jump back INTO the shower after I realize I forgot to wash my hair. Such was the situation this morning.
I had been reading/looking through instagram and all the posts this morning, and the overwhelming theme of a lot of posts has been support LOCAL.
Many people I follow are self employed and run businesses on top of their regular gigs. This got me thinking about my family and how, although my father was a farmer he also had a journeyman business and when times were tough, sometimes the family had to rely on the business to get us through till the farm could help carry us again. We grew up with two parents who hustled to make ends meet.
Man did they hustle. I think about that work ethic and I credit both my parents with the creativity and drive both my brother and I received as gifts. My brother has followed in my father’s footsteps and took over the family business and although I haven’t become a business owner like my parents, I credit my parents for the type of dynamic thinking and creative problem solving I use in my own work and art.
With everything that is going on in the world right now, small businesses are suffering. It’s nearly every week I see a post in my community fb groups asking people to support such and such restaurant if you are ordering food this week because they are struggling to keep the doors open.
But restaurants are not alone.
My thoughts went to all the small owner/operator businesses trying to make those ends meet like my mother, who baked bread, crocheted and disappeared for a few months every year to do taxes for other people. Like my father, who spent most of my childhood on the road or in a tractor; all so we could have the things we needed to thrive as kids.
Hello Cousin would like to continue in that theme of creating a helpful, resourceful community, by helping people to connect with local businesses in their communities. Together we can help each other get though these tough times and what better way then to create a directory of people to connect with one another.
So if you are a farmer, a crafter, an artist, baker or candlestick maker - whatever your side hustle or main business is, we want to hear from you.
To join our directory is easy.
Email us at: hellocousin.press@gmail.com
The email title should be “I’m a Local!” and contain:
Your business name
Your business location eg. Province/town
A brief description of your small business
Your contact info eg. Website, address, phone, email
Once we have compiled the list we will create a tab titled LOCALS where anyone can go to look for local businesses who are offering assorted services.
I’m not saying this will lead to tons of sales or booming referrals, but maybe it’s a step in the right direction where we can be each other’s resources in a world that is looking very different for the foreseeable future.
I hope you’ll join us.
As usual, all the loves,
Christine
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