Are You Blinded By The Light (of the screen)?

Today I realised (again!) the myth that we tell ourselves about online buying.

Always #cheaper, #faster, #quicker, #easier

Don't get me wrong, it can be.

I needed 100 flyers printing. Like, yesterday.

That when everyone needs things printing for right? :)

So, of course, I google to find suppliers who are prepped for that.

I worked through 2 different sites online wizards which I will certainly say were very slick. I had to call one of them as I couldn't see what time I would get it delivered (it was due to be delivered the actual day I needed it).

After speaking, I got some other options for better delivery (that weren't available online - so the wizard lost some points there).

But....I got my price, all sorted.

Then I stopped.

And thought, SURELY someone near me can also do this. If I can collect, then I might have more time? Without a third party delivery company, the printer has more time as I do.

One google search...

Then one click...

Then one phone call...

To Simon Boyd from #Logo2Print in #Burnage #Manchester

We were probably on the phone for as long as I was with the online company.

Maybe its the generation I'm in (I'm 34 now, so I'm a millennial but also in that bracket Xenials before and after tech) but there is nothing that beats actually speaking to a person. The whole process was far quicker than the online wizards on websites and I got to bat about some ideas with him too.

End result...

1. I get to collect TODAY at 3pm

2. I saved ￡20 (which based on an online order of ￡50 to a local order for ￡30 is a 40% saving!)

3. No energy wasted on delivery (I'll be collecting them on my bike!). OK, its an E-bike, and yes I use my own energy to cycle there as well!

4. No wasted extra packaging needed for delivery

6. I supported a local business.

7. I get to feel inspired by a small conscious action I took and inspired to write this article, who knows how or where this message will affect others actions.

This does NOT mean, offline and local is better. There is always a limitation to offline and local, availability and time are big ones, but let us not forget online also has its limitation. You rely on couriers (and I'm sure we all have bad experiences there), the volume of packaging you sometimes get for a toothbrush is ridiculous and if something is not right, getting it fixed can be a pain.

What I do find interesting and a clear GAP between the two worlds that does need filling is that Simon, is not online. I can't find him on Linkedin, I couldn't find his company on Facebook either. So whilst this article may be interesting, he only knows of my gratitude from my conversation on the phone. This is fine, but it just shows how being a local company doesn't mean you should be an offline company. I'd have liked to see a wizard and easy buy option on his site. I'd also have liked Google to understand my requirement and maybe even suggest to me that a local printer might be more suitable that one based in Sussex.

It's not about who is BETTER, it's about what is RIGHT.

We rely on Google so much (other search engines are available). Maybe the next phase of deep learning and understanding from the pantheon that is Google is to understand my actual requirement to such an extent to know that when I search for "next day delivery flyers" Google recommends local printers, because my needs can be met easier and MAYBE...because Google cares that much about waste and sustainability that it sees this option as the greater good of all options.

Wishful thinking? Maybe. For Now. Remember all norms today were once dreams.

My learning, I'm so used to just clicking and buying online, that it becomes a habit.

Don't let yourself become your habits. We are better than that.

Without local companies, we would eventually be at the mercy of large enterprises as they buy up all competition who can't compete.

So I'm all for tech, I'm all for online, and I'm all for convenience.

But not for convenience sake. There are lots of reasons that the offline, local business world not only needs to continue but is showing signs of growth in towns and cities across the UK, driven a lot by Gen Z-ers (Gen Zers I believe is the correct term??).

At the end of the day, we need to ensure our actions are in line with the greatest good, not our common good. Our greatest good serves our own needs but not at the expense of the bigger picture. The internet and onlineness (is that a word? It does the job), has changed the face of our world forever, but it does not remove the old. Things evolve and change, it is the only constant in life.

So the next time you are buying, anything, just stop for a moment and ask

"Is there a more rewarding way I can buy what I need"

If the answer is YES, you may find it serves even more than you thought it would do.

With love for a more cohesive united world.

Daniel Halenko

#zerowaste #supportlocal #habits #2020ready #onlineVSlocal