Date: 09/01/2008
Sisters Heidi Smith and Janine Barnes are not only doing it for themselves, they're also contributing to the community they serve in Chinley.
For the enterprising siblings run two businesses that are at the heart of local life in the village - Chinley Stores on Lower Lane and Chinley Stores Too, just round the corner on Green Lane.
Both are very much a family affair - Heidi and Janine's parents Bill and Sandra Smith also help out at Chinley Stores, while Janine's husband Russell takes care of local deliveries and helps elderly customers with their coal and log supplies.
Their caring approach spans the generations, from children spending their pocket money to older residents in their 90s calling in for some shopping, a cup of tea and a chat.
Like many local businesses involved in High Peak Borough Council's Shop Smart, Shop Local campaign, Heidi and Janine aim to prove that local shops are for everyone, by catering for the needs of all age groups.
"Local shops such as ours are very important for people who don't have their own transport, such as older people and children," said Heidi, who lives at nearby Buxworth. "We're very family-oriented, and all live in or near the village, and I think that's why people appreciate and feel comfortable with the service we offer.
"We get to know all our customers, and they come in for a chat, with us and with each other. Local shops aren't just places where people buy things, they're at the centre of community life.
"What we try and do is offer an individually-tailored service that you don't get in bigger shops. People know they can come in here and buy one mince pie or one cake, rather than a larger pack, and they like that, particularly if they're on their own.
"They also like the fact that most of the food we sell in Chinley Stores Too is home-cooked, including my colleague Christine Hulse's hot pot, corned beef hash and chilli, which are always in demand."
Other popular freshly-prepared lines are breakfast boxes and baps, packed with sausage, bacon, egg, mushroom, tomato and beans and particularly popular with passing workers early in the day, and steak and onion baguettes.
For both businesses, supporting the local community also involves buying from local suppliers - including butchers in Glossop and Whaley Bridge and bakers and confectioners in Buxton and Whaley Bridge.
Added Heidi: "We always try to source produce locally wherever we can, because we believe it's good for both the local economy and the environment. Chinley Stores also offers a free delivery service within five miles of the store, and staff at both shops are happy to track down and order a particular item if a customer asks for it."
As well as catering for local customers and backing local suppliers, Heidi and Janine also employ local people - a total of six full and part-time staff, who, like the family, live in and around Chinley.
"Both stores offer an excellent selection of goods, and all the staff are very friendly, offering service with the personal touch," said regular customer Angela Phillips, who lives in the village. "They really value your custom, they're convenient because they are literally on the doorstep, and you always meet people you know. The village would be a much poorer place without them."
The 'Shop Smart, Shop Local' campaign in the Buxton and Central areas of High Peak aims to promote the social, environmental and economic benefits of supporting local businesses. As part of the campaign, customers can collect a sticker each time they buy something in a participating shop and stick it on a passport.
Passports are available from shops taking part in the campaign, all High Peak Borough Council offices or in the current, Winter issue of the Council's Connect magazine. When one of the sections on the passport is full, it can be entered into a monthly prize draw if handed in at Buxton, Chapel, New Mills and Whaley Bridge Town Halls, Glossop Municipal Buildings, or posted to High Peak Borough Council, Hayfield Road, Chapel-en-le-Frith SK23 0QJ. Monthly prize draws will take place from now until March 2008.
Further information about the campaign, including tool kits full of marketing and promotional ideas and ways to encourage people to spend in local shops, are available from Helen Pakpahan, economic development officer, on 0845 129 77 77 or 01298 28400 or at helenp@highpeak.gov.uk.
Pictured outside Chinley Stores Too are (left to right) Heidi Smith, Bill Smith, Sandra Smith and Christine Hulse