Supporting Small Businesses and Organisations
By Urvashi Menon

We here at The Joyful Peach have, and will continue to support, and endorse the practice of supporting small businesses and organisations. Having many run by people in our community and The Joyful Peach being one itself, we realised it’s easy to just endorse, with no reason to, but we’d like to take it a step further. Why? We’ve always asked this question, so why not ask it here too?
Well, for one thing, you get better quality. Better quality of everything. No matter the business, whether it be a news page (like The Joyful Peach) or a jewellery page (like Santhoos Collections), when you produce less, you have the ability to put more effort and care into each product you send out. Mass production does have its advantages, like cutting costs and shorter production times, but handmade products are handcrafted, and made with love. Think of it. Some person’s face lighting up when they hear they have a read, or an order. Machines don’t feel that way. Machines can’t feel or show you gratitude or appreciation.
Also, it’s not thought of often, but fame gets to the business. Small businesses have deep roots in society and are closer to you. Take Hundred4Future, for example. They aren’t a huge media company mass-producing 100 posts a day. Rather, a non-profit run by a student with a front seat view to the issue they’re trying to solve- which is the lack of education provided to children facing poverty in India. When you have tons of popularity, what tends to happen is you start catering to what brings in more people. Granted, big companies have a larger reach, but what they’re actually producing is more diluted and less impactful.
Think of it as a rock falling in a pond. The closer you are to the splash, the more you are rippled. These small business owners are closer to the issue, can give you a better perspective, and their judgements are not clouded by thoughts of popularity and fame.
It is important to hear about global issues, but it’s more important to know what’s happening in your city, rather than some far-off one on the other side of the planet.
Here is a list of small businesses/organisations based in Bangalore you can support!
Griseo ( helping teenagers cope with overwhelming mental disorders) - https://www.griseo.in
Hundred4Future (ensuring uninterrupted education for underprivileged children) - https://www.hundred4future.in
Macha's Bakery (bakery with half of profits going to social causes) - https://www.instagram.com/machasbakery/
Susteneri (raising awareness on sustainability) - https://www.instagram.com/sustineri.co/
Green Periods (promoting sustainable and healthy menstruation) - https://www.instagram.com/greenperiods/
Sole Warriors (non-profit providing shoes to the needy) - http://www.thesolewarriors.com
Project Avesta (empowering underprivileged youth through education and mentorship) - https://www.projectavesta.com