The economy is affecting everyone especially in China where those thin, cheap t-sacks come from. You may say great…cheap plastic bags for our business, but think about those small choices.
Fixing our economy involves many different things, but for the most part we believe that one important way is to put more Americans back to work in America. If your customers were employed like they were pre-recession you may not be wondering where your next sale or order is coming from.
Our small choices will add up to make a significant difference in our own economy. We can be trite and say that the Chinese factory owners and workers do not shop in our businesses so why should we use their products? Honestly, we have to in many cases but fixing the economy is in part about the conscious choices we make everyday, even in the smallest of things like plastic bags.
Recently I sent an email out to customers asking for feedback on how our Company (Nashville Wraps) can improve. Two responses in particular stand out:
Pat: We would greatly like to purchase all our supplies from you… it is very convenient, and we wind up getting our orders overnight. However, your prices on Hi-D plastic bags are twice what we can get elsewhere. We order all our boxes and ribbon from you, but for bags we have to go to X (she mentioned another company). -Pat
Robby: Yes, our bags are higher than (X) company. It is because ours are made in the US, contain a minimum of 25% recycled plastics collected in the US that would have otherwise been on our beaches and are made under environmentally controlled facilities. All workers in the factory are legal, receive fair wages and insurance. Also, the resins we use are derived from natural gas from the US. X’s bags are made in Asia from eastern crude in places that don’t even like America. That is why. I’m glad you asked. -Robby
I have been saying that more and more of your customers are reading the labels. They are interesting in doing all that is necessary to keep our economy going too, and more and more people realize that it starts here. I’m not going to bore you on the advantages of recycled plastics as you can look that up, but the main concept here is the we have lots of small choices and choosing wisley will make a positive difference.
The other response has to do with significance. We sometimes feel as if we can’t make a difference because Government and business is big and often unresponsive.
Lynn: Sometimes in business you never hear the good, only the bad. I just wanted to let you know that we have been very pleased with our relationship with Nashville Wraps. As a small fish trying to swim in a large pond, small businesses such as ours appreciate a company that is flexible and treats us as well as the big companies they sell to. Thank you for the nice e-mail and I look forward to reading your blog.
Robby: I was raised in the south, maybe just like you. My dad was a salesman in the 70’s for the women’s apparel industry. He taught me by example the value of people and customers. I watched him many times over and over talking to buyers in the smallest of towns. He instilled in me the respect and gratitude for EVERY customer. He also taught me that every customer puts their pants on the same way whether a small shop or the buyer for the largest NY chain. People just want to be treated nice and fairly. Thanks for writing. I needed to remember the lessons from my dad, especially today in this time of economic concern. It still rings true and is what I am betting the farm on.
Lynn: Yes I am from the south, I started my adult life as a buyer for a retail store. Things were very different then. Funny how the words “customer service” were not around then but it existed much more than today. Now that I have my own business, (and am much older and I hope wiser) I still practice my old-school retail values! I think you do too and those lessons learned from your Dad are paying off. I think loyalty and treating customers right is what will sustain all businesses in this climate. I have no doubt that Nashville Wraps will be one of them.
Lynn’s note was significant to me and maybe to you as well. I have a feeling there are many, many Lynns out there still. I have no doubt that she is making a difference in her business and in her sphere of influence. It is people like Lynn that give us all hope and encouragment.
Our economic solutions are not likely to come from government, but instead from the people. We are after all a government of the people, by the people and for the people. That means many things but I believe one of them is that we make our own choices and create our own roads to recovery. We must act like the economic recovery depends on us…because it does.
Robby Meadows, Nashville Wraps
PS: We actually have a book available written by my Dad. It’s a good read about growing up in the early part of the 20th centrry, and includes the story of Nashville Wraps. He was a good storyteller and teacher, and yes I miss him every day. Papa’s Journal Paperback
