Cafe owner urges locals to back small businesses as costs rise

Frankies Cafe employs 7 staff and supports multiple local suppliers

A Woombye business woman is urging locals to shop local and support family businesses as cost-of-living issues and interest rates continue to hit home.

Frankies Cafe owner Bec Galler said everyone was doing it tough at the moment and encouraged people to shop locally, where possible, to support the local economy and home-grown jobs.

“I think everyone is doing it pretty tough at the moment and feeling the rising cost of living pressure, whether they are renting or paying a mortgage,” Ms Galler said.

“I suppose I wanted to ask people to spend their money with an awareness of their local businesses and the wider community that business supports.

“For example, a little business like mine employs seven staff, and I use between 10 and 15 local suppliers. Between us, we then support other community organisations, groups and charities, but the bottom line is that the money continues to circulate through our own community.”

Ms Galler said that with the coming minimum wage increase, entry level and junior jobs were most at risk.

“For many young people coming into the workforce, their local small business is often their first work opportunity,” she said.

“And for employers to continue to take on young people, or new staff in general, it is not just the hourly rate that has increased, but the Super contribution as well. If the business is not well supported, this becomes very difficult.”

Ms Galler applauded the Sunshine Coast Council’s recent Buy Local Day initiative, but still encouraged people to be mindful of where their money would be going, when they spend it.

“Even though some of the larger chains and corporations employ locals, a good deal of the money eventually goes offshore and I don’t think a lot of people are aware of that.

“As businesses start to build a bit of a profile, it does eventually attract visitors from outside the immediate area as well,” she said.

“We now have a group of customers from Noosa who come for breakfast on a Monday morning, and it is great to think that they are wandering around town and spending money in other businesses at the same time.

“I would love to see people speaking up more, and questioning our elected representatives at every level of government about why we are facing such tough economic times. Do we really need a recession or depression to elicit action and accountability?

“Our country was built on the back of small business and I think our family owned businesses can only continue to provide goods and services, and create jobs, if they are well supported.”