Letter: Small businesses need to help each other out in tough times

People may wonder why I am amazed. It is because small and medium-sized businesses aren't helping themselves.

What do I mean by this? Quite simply, in the current economic climate, everyone is trying to save costs and get the maximum return for their money.

So why are small and medium businesses not helping each other? Why are they going to big business and paying big business prices for services that can be sourced from other small businesses at small business prices?

Is it true that its always better to stay with what you've got already rather than changing? Is the devil you know always better?

In some industries the work/services are regulated so the work/service that a small business provides has to be the same minimum standard as that of big business.

How many of us complain about being just another number when dealing with large corporations? I know I do. What about when we deal with a small or medium business? Are we just a number to them or are we a person?

How often do you see or meet the owner of a large company? When dealing with a small business, quite often the owner is the person you are speaking to. Does this make a difference? In short, yes.

I have been told by several of my clients that the service I provide is better than my larger competitors and cheaper, so why are other small businesses so reticent about using my company?

The answer I get most of the time is, "We've always used...". So even though small businesses can get the same service from another small business at a fraction of the cost of the big business, because the big business has always been used we keep using them. We then bemoan the low profits each year, see more and more small and medium companies closing their doors and why? Because we've been indoctrinated that big is best. Is it?

You won't find horsemeat in the burgers and mince you buy from your local butcher or farm shop and the service is a personal service and the prices are comparable to supermarkets.

The politicians have said that its small and medium businesses that will energise the markets, but I believe that this will only be if we help each other, use the small businesses for our services, accept the more personal service offered by small business and ultimately save ourselves money that we can then use for leisure.

Rob Wallace

Salop Medical Services