Labour shortages & shopping online
I’ve gotten waaaay behind in my reading lately due to politics, house renovations, Web site building and a seemingless endless list of other stuff going on. Catching up, I see that the October 13th issue of How’s Business Yukon focussed on the current labour shortage in Whitehorse.
Of the many opinions expressed, the one expressed by Rick Massie and others is the one that I think more businesses need to practice. That is simply to hire people by attracting them to the Yukon lifestyle. Some professional groups in the territory have been doing that for years – never mind making $200,000 a year in Toronto by working your ass off and getting ulcers at 30, come North and have a great life on half that amount of money.
For many employers, though, that will mean treating and paying their employees properly, and that’s just not going to happen. Their loss…
The biggest problem with shopping in Whitehorse has always been that the selection in a lot of product types is very limited. It’s certainly better than it used to be, but it’s still bad, and that’s compounded by the truly lousy attitude of many clerks (have you never been taught the meaning of “customer service”?).
For the past couple of years I’ve solved that combination of problems by shopping online. You get an amazing selection and usually better prices even after shipping. The only downside is the wait. I’ve been looking for a rug for the dining room for a couple of years, but nothing worked exactly right. Last week I looked online and found the perfect 6-foot found cream-and-black one – Indian wool, for about $330 UPSed to Skagway (4-day delivery!). Quick and even fun. Shopping this way can be addictive, though!
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