Buy Canadian First - Your destination for good shopping

A brand new year is just around the corner, and with a new year comes a new list of goals and resolutions that people make. It's a good time for starting over or trying something new.

But do people still follow resolutions? One of the most common that I see is to 'lose weight' or 'eat better'. Both are difficult to accomplish without some planning and support.

Personally, I decided to make a list of goals for myself this year (one of them includes learning how to cook rack of lamb!) and will try to accomplish those goals. 

One of my biggest goals is to be better at managing my time. Because really, my time is no longer my own - it primarily belongs to my children and their schedules. Finding a balance between them and the things I need to accomplish can be difficult, but I will work on it. I think I already am off to a good start - I now have a More Time Moms Family Organizer for the wall! It includes a monthly calendar with large spaces for writing and stickers to flag really important days (like show and tell which I really can't forget!)

 

There are a lot of great calendar options out there, including this one from Wyman publishing for your office:

 

I know that many people have a Blackberry to help them keep track of their time, I don't yet and I know some people are old fashioned and prefer to write notes done. For those of us who need to carry a small planner around in our purse or car, I like the prettiness of this small monthly planner:

 

Sometimes I not only need to remember dates but websites, thoughts, ideas or milestones with the kids. To do that, I have note pads lying all over the house, but mostly these notes are on scrap pieces of paper or sticky notes.  What I really need are pretty, neat looking notebooks like these ones from Ecojot:

 

Are you making any resolutions this year?  And better yet, do you think you can follow them?  How are you ensuring you keep yourself on track?

Image sources: BuyCanadianFirst.ca, Wyman Publishing

My little sign and graphics business resides in a very small town in British Columbia, Canada. But, apparently, size has no merit when it comes to making good decisions for a business that continues to thrive after 20 years.  And I believe that has a lot to do with purchasing made-in-Canada products.

 

Canadian purchases treat my business very well! And here’s why:

Speed:
Whenever something is required, a quick phone call to a Canadian supplier will have that item in my driveway the next day. YES! The next day! How quickly stock is received is a huge factor in the success of my business. Staying within my border simplifies the steps and helps keep details on track.

 

Lower fees:

Even if an item shows a bit more expensive in Canada than elsewhere, I generally still end up saving money. Things like brokerage issues, higher shipping fees and the exchange rate all come into play.

This is not to say that I don’t enjoy shopping elsewhere, on occasion. Sometimes Canada doesn’t carry what another region does. However, I gauge the time frame and extra costs associated with each purchase and always come up with the realization that staying within the Canadian border is the best choice for my business.

Local shipping:

A good relationship with a local shipper also makes a difference. Because ‘they know your needs’, they can help override the little technical things that can go wrong.

 

Having local suppliers AND shippers provides everything possible to keep my business happy and prosperous. And I know I have Canada to thank for that!

How has using local services helped you?

 : :Photos are courtesy of Donna's local Canadian businesses: Graphic Impact and Funky Junk Interiors.