Supporting local Businesses Made Easy

I have always been a huge advocate of supporting local and small businesses, trying to source your needs as close to your home as possible and not only lowering your own carbon footprint but also supporting the talent within the are you live in. Being self employed myself I know that choosing to meet up with friends at a small independent coffee shop over a chain has a real positive impact and it's those small changes that can make a difference to our local communities.

Although things are often not that straight forward and can be easier said than done especially if your looking for specialist help with something such as a home repair, help around the house, are looking to get fit with a personal trainer or trying to find a photographer on short notice to take a family portrait - all of these services could end up costing a lot of money and you know want to have some kind of reassurance that your money is being well spent.

Back in the day reputations were often built up by word of month, from one neighbour or family member to another, this of course still happens although many of us don't know our neighbours and the dynamics of some communities have changed so being able to find local trusted professionals can be quite hard and we know this first hand having had a few small (and rather big) jobs around the house over the past two years and while some local tradesmen have been fantastic others have been less than standard.

But good news there is now a solution to this and that is Bidvine, an easy to navigate website which makes hiring local trusted professionals quick and easy. What I love most about it is that you can search for any kind of small job such as carpet cleaning to window repair but also some more interesting services such as finding a guitar teacher, etiquette lessons or learning self defence - all of these things can be searched for across a local and regional database. All you do is simply type in your needs and let the professionals get in touch, you then compare the bids while checking out the company profiles and customer reviews and then you hire and work with the professional directly.

I have actually used the service myself recently after searching for a local portrait photographer as we are in need of some more recent family photos as my boys are both growing up way to quickly. I have had a few bids back and now I am just deciding on which photographers style I prefer but what it's also done has allowed me to see what local talent there is and I am really impressed.
We also have a small snagging list for the house before we sell and I know I can use this service to find the right person for the right job that is local to myself, a small business and a great way to support my community.

Associated post - Bidvine got in touch about their new service which I have tried and found really useful.