It seems that we are slowly coming back to where we were a century ago. Once upon a time, all businesses were small one man shows or family run. You would know the proprietor by name, when they retired at a ripe old age or passed on, their business would pass to the next generation who you may have been acquainted with as they worked with their parents.
We felt comfort in knowing who we were dealing with and knowing that they really cared about their business and their customers. At some point these businesses started to close as they could not compete against larger conglomerates. As consumers we were looking for the best price and perceived quality so we started going to chain bakeries, large department stores, commercial garages and the like. Finally, people are starting to crave the personal touch of the private family run business and the provenance they can offer, something that larger chains struggle to offer.
Israel in particular is lucky to have many family businesses who are gaining quite a following because they are committed to producing on a scale that allows them to guarantee quality and be sustainable.
Solano was started by Amnon Vardi, a chemical engineer, and produces pet care products such as flea and tick prevention and cures. Amnon is passionate about his mission and company and therefore puts everything into making sure that his products are all of the highest quality and are friendly to animals and the planet. Profit is not the be all and end all.
When it comes to beauty products, people are looking back to traditional remedies whilst shunning wonder chemicals. Companies such as Olea Essence who make traditional, olive based beauty products and Arugot who also make organic health products can make them in small batches. By doing so they can make sure that their products are of the highest quality and most effective. They can also produce them in an eco-friendly way with as little waste as possible, plugging in to their customers wishes. When buying beauty products, you are also buying a name and a story. By buying boutique products, people really feel that they are pampering themselves.
Many food companies are family businesses and are proud of being so. Asif creates high quality pasta, couscous and sauces whilst Pellefood create falafel machines and Falafel’z a falafel mix that helps the home chef and restaurant create high quality falafel. These companies are still run by people who are passionate about their products and if you are passionate, the quality and service you offer are of course going to be top notch!
Whilst using big companies may often be cheaper, by using family run businesses you can gain so much more. They are more flexible to the consumers needs and they have provenance. You will have something that not everyone else has which will make you feel extra special. On top of that, the company can often give you better quality and service because they take pride in their business.