As regular readers know, I’m adding one category of Canadian consumables a month. We started with household goods in January, then clothing in February, investments in March and TV and movies in April. At the start of my year, I made a little chart to show what I planned to do in a given month.
I created a little stack of recipe cards on which I wrote each possible category. I’d shuffle them around, add and subtract cards, until I achieved what I thought was the right combination of viable and entertaining.
For reasons that now escape me, I assigned May the category of “Services”. I don’t really know what I was thinking. Did I only want my hair cut and my house cleaned by Canadians? Would my business only use a Canadian website for our bookkeeping?
In any case, it was a bad idea.
Now that it’s late April, it’s high time that I replaced Services with something else. And I’m asking you good people for help.
What category am I missing? What would you replace Services with? Or maybe you have a great definition of Service that will prove fun and challenging?
How about sporting goods?
There are services, such as Hydro, Gas, furnace cleaners, cars get serviced, what is wholey owned in Canada, septic tanks get serviced, Maid services, cleaning services. Now I’m not talking about big companies that are international, like Fed Ex. I have solicitors coming to the door to get me to sign up for natural gas. How long does it take the small companies to show up or phone back like plumbing. The Food service industry. Just some thoughts on your idea.
When you pick up the phone to talk to your “Canadian” service company, where is the person on the other end of the line? Darren will be happy to know that the representatives from BC Hydro and Shaw Communications are fellow Canadians. Your bank or phone company? Don’t bet on it. It’s not just calls either. Take a guess who reads your deposited cheque. It’s the information age, find out who keeps those jobs in Canada.
This would be interesting to know!
Why not replace it with Canadian CULTURE
I know one month you’ll start with music, but why not add, art, museums, plays, festivals, antiques, history, traditions, check out the different chruches ( whether you’re religious or not). Learn about the dinosaurs that lived in the Prairies or the different precious stones & metals found across Canada.
It’s just a thought.
I agree that “Services” are a tricky one to keep in Canada in this Age of Call Centres, but if you are looking for a great online Canadian bookkeeping company, I’d suggest https://www.freshbooks.com. The home office is in Toronto:)
The big service I think of is Canada Post…. tax payers own it and the government is trying to privatize it…. close small outlets and the like.
Do you have pets? Pet food and pet stuff – hard to get all Canadian.
I have a farm – it’s hard to get any equipment made in Canada! Do you drive? If so, what? What about gas/fuel? Serivces isn’t so bad but maybe a bit broad.
What about your house? Do you garden? I have a hard time finding gardening supplies not made in China, never mind made in Canada.
Also – Canada Post isn’t much of a service – the word service implies actually doing something with in a time frame, and Canada Post fails.
J
[...] Help me replace May’s category [...]
Rogers Communications is totally Canadian and all employees, including call centers, are Canadian too!