Why Co-operation Between Small Businesses Is Half the Solution!

Guest Feature: Emma Harber - Shropshire Organics

The business world has undergone significant shifts recently, and at Shropshire Organics, we firmly believe that community is the answer. This extends beyond customer support; it's about forging powerful business-to-business partnerships.

The UK food system in general, broadly speaking, is grappling with an abundance of unhealthful options and the overwhelming dominance of supermarkets. Let's be honest, many of us have, at some point, prioritized the sheer convenience of supermarkets over supporting local.

When we first envisioned Shropshire Organics, the focus was to secure our niche in the local market with premium organic fruit and vegetables. However, in the weeks leading up to our launch, conversations with other local business owners—especially those without a storefront or with limited/no home delivery zones—revealed shared obstacles. High travel costs, slim margins, and restricted reach were common themes. We realized, through cooperation, we could help each other.

Our first local supplier, The Shropshire Microfarm, had not sold directly to retail customers for a while due to logistical challenges. With common barriers that hold many small producers back, we discussed fair margins, their desired retail price, and manageable quantities. Since week one, we have had a consistent partnership, where they know exactly what we will order, every week, without fail. This collaboration has allowed us to proudly offer their incredible greens to grateful customers far beyond the Microfarm's former, own, delivery area.

We have added many new suppliers since we first opened and we are continually seeking others to expand our online shop with new healthful and high quality produce and products. By engaging local businesses we are helping to provide some much-needed stability for small suppliers during uncertain economic times. Through these collaborations, we have also achieved something remarkable: we have merged the convenience of a supermarket—offering properly good food including organic fruit, vegetables, dairy, grass-fed meat, artisan bread, and cupboard essentials all in one neat online shop, delivered to doors across Shropshire —with the ethical values that both producers and customers have been longing for. Together, we are helping families AND local businesses thrive.

Inviting You on the Journey - Join Our Quiet Revolution

 To Customers: Every sale is so important to small businesses everywhere - please continue to support small businesses wherever and whenever you can! Step by step we can all change the current landscape, especially in the food industry, for the better.

To Our Fellow Small Businesses:

We urge you to consider: How can you collaborate and support each other in your local area?

• Perhaps you already offer home delivery and could partner with another business to expand your geographic reach and/or the products you can offer to customers?

• Are you sourcing products from further afield than necessary when a high-quality local option might be available?

• If you have a physical shop, could you serve as a collection hub for another business? Our hub locations have been a win-win, with us offering advertising and increased footfall for the stores, while in return we can offer free collections and save on delivery time by being able to drop several orders in one stop.

• Are you providing stability to your small suppliers, ensuring fair and timely payments, committing to consistent quantities etc?

We all possess resources we can share and there are many more ways that we can support each other. By embracing collaboration, we're not just building stronger individual businesses; we're cultivating a more resilient, ethical, and truly good supply system for everyone. Let's champion partnerships—not just as a nice idea, but as the powerful solution it truly is.

Find out more about us via our website www.shropshireorganics.co.uk