Eat The Weak

It’s time for genuine businesses to destroy the fakes.

I don’t understand what’s going on today. So I’m going to do something revolutionary; I’m not going to act like I do.

I will tell you a story about comic books, though, how I tried to support the stores selling them, and how that relates to the virus that shall remain nameless.

A friend sent me this link about Batman. Apparently, there’s a story arc from the mid-90s called ‘Contagion’ where The Bat fights to save Gotham from infection. But instead of reading the post, I wanted to read the comic first.

I sent the local comic shop a message, exactly as they ordered me to do so on social media. Local retailers are struggling, as you know, and need all the help they can get. Especially the guys selling funny books, who were on hard times well before any of today’s shenanigans.

The next day, the local comic shop sent me a message. A full 24-hours later. Now think about that. These folks aren’t allowed to open their doors. They’re 100-percent online, basically begging for orders, and it takes them 24-hours to respond. Seems odd, but ok.

“Still looking,” it said.

That’s it. “Still looking” is the best they could do a full day after my initial request. Not a “hey there,” or a “we really appreciate the business,” or better yet, “found it! Can I deliver it to you?”

Two days passed. I gave up and messaged them back; “Hi guys, I guess you don’t have it. I’ll try and think of another title. Thanks anyway!”

I’m still waiting for their reply.

I’m an author. But also a business owner. Have been for years. A considerable part of my job is communicating with potential customers. No one taught me how to do it, I learned because I care about being good at what I do.

I go out of my way to serve. Another characteristic no one taught me, and no one had to. I have enough self-respect to do every job to the best of my ability, and sincerely want to help others. Two qualities that are sorely lacking today. Better suited for Instagram posts than put into actual practice.

The disease that shall remain nameless is killing people. It may be an oversimplification, but generally, it’s killing the weaker ones. I’m not here to start a discussion about the validity of that last statement. As I said, I’m not going to act like I know anything. People aren’t the only ones dying, however. Businesses are dropping by the dozens, and I can’t help but wonder if that’s a good thing.

When I opened a business more than a decade ago, I was the only one offering my service. I never once thought of how much money I could make, and focused only on being the best. Others saw what I was doing, my success encouraging them to believe they could be just as fortunate, if not more.

Eventually, another business just like mine popped up pretty close to my front door. Then another, and another. Companies a lot less interested in offering the best service, and a lot more occupied with making money. How do I know this? Good question. Because they didn’t do anything differently. They just opened up and said, “Hey, if you don’t want to go to A, come to B.”

A franchisee, we’ll call him Dave, opened a Tim Hortons in my home town a decade ago. Eight or so years later, Tim Horton’s corporate made the dick move to open their own store a mile down the road. The corporation that Dave trusted was now in direct competition with him. Dave encouraged customers to continue business as usual and boycott the new store. Can you imagine that? It’s a small town with more than 16 coffee shops, many with donuts. It didn’t need two Tim Hortons. The issue was so toxic it forced Dave to request a boycott of his own company.

Wow.

Maybe I’m not making myself clear. So here goes. There are too many bottom feeders in business today, stealing money and resources from people who actually care. I provide a professional service, best of it’s kind, and want to pay a generous wage to my employees. The other guys don’t care about any of that.

Many people think quarantine is going to kill the economy, but I’m not so sure. I think it’s going to clean it up.

Maybe that comic book store is so busy they don’t have time for me. Awesome. I hope that’s the case. But if it’s not, if they’re just really shitty at servicing their customers, then they’re dead. And good riddance. There have been too many bottom feeders hanging on for far too long. It’s time for a culling. It’s time for quality over quantity. It’s time for genuine businesses to destroy the fakes. It’s time to eat the weak.