Page 82 - Tropic Magazine Issue 19

TROPIC • LIFESTYLE

Only the best will survive All small businesses, including our
industry, must adapt. Here are my
FOOD CHAIN top tips for business survival:
Ali Slotemaker from White Whale Coffee
Roasters talks Darwinism, buying local Be inclusive:
Cater for as many people as possible.
and the need for small business to adapt. Serve decaf, dairy alternatives, allow
menu changes and have a variety of
Having spent most of June overseas, Darwinism? It is not the strongest seating options.
I couldn’t wait to get back to Cairns of the species (or businesses) that Don’t surcharge for EFTPOS:
and especially back to work. Crazy I survives but the most adaptable. Seriously, would you rather a 20 cents
know, but I have now learnt I’m not As a trained scientist, I am fascinated cost or a customer go elsewhere or not
very good at the holiday part; visiting how principles of the natural world are buy at all.
every coffee shop or roastery within constantly mirrored in the business Branding:
a 10 km radius and getting as much world. A lesser known English
inspiration as possible is my thing. A philosopher, Herbert Spencer, first invest in a brand, be consistent and
visit to a coffee shop over a castle any coined the phrase ‘survival of the keep signage fresh. Looking like you
might have closed down a couple of
day! Anyway, the first weekend back fittest’ in his Principles of Biology
home, we were doing the rounds of (1864), in which he drew parallels years ago is not ideal.
our local haunts and my heart just between his own economic theories
sank; cafes and businesses that were and Darwin’s biological ones. And my top tips for supporting
there pre-holiday were now empty, What worries me about this picture economic diversity:
dark voids. I know Cairns has a boom is another science principle –
and bust reputation, but some of that of biodiversity loss. It is well Shop local:
these establishments had been around documented that even a minor change You have this incredible superpower as
since my existence in Cairns, circa from a healthy stable state will have a consumer, please use it! It doesn’t have
2005. I even sent my mum to a well- dramatic influence on the food chain, to be everything you buy. Every little bit
established local business to purchase to the extent that reductions in only counts.
a birthday present for my son, and one species (i.e. small business) can Reviews:
she emailed me while overseas saying adversely affect the entire chain. In You have the ability to make or break
it had closed down. I was shocked. other words, a loss of small businesses a business. You are literally holding
Then two days later one of my own will dramatically change our city’s someone’s livelihood in your keyboard.
wholesale customers closed their café diversity. Personally, I want diversity. If you’ve had a bad experience, it should
on the eve of the new financial year. I want choice, I want local and I want be common courtesy to try and resolve
Is Cairns in crisis or is this just basic a strong community. It’s the fabric of things offline in person before venting
Cairns, of our online. And if you have an awesome
lives. For our experience, spending a couple of
community to minutes on a Google review will really
thrive, we must help a small business.
foster diversity Try somewhere new:
and support local, Step outside your comfort zone and
otherwise sooner try a local business that you have been
or later we will all overlooking for years. You never know, it
find ourselves the might become your new favourite.
next casualty of
the food chain.
MORE: whitewhalecoffee.com.au

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82 • Tropic • Issue 19
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