(BP Franchise, University Heights, Ohio 44118)
Yes, you should!
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Question: What does your local BP franchise owner have to do with the BP gulf oil spill?
Answer: Nothing. Please don't boycott locally owned BP gas stations.
Your local BP gas station franchise owner has about as much to do with the BP oil spill as he or she does with the price of gasoline. I was stopped at a traffic light when I snapped the picture above with my Blackberry. As I was taking the shot, I was thinking about public relations. A simple banner was all it took for me to realize that the right words can do the job.
Update; WKYC-TV reporter, Dick Russ, stopped by the BP gas station that displayed that banner in my neighborhood, and talked to the station manager, a customer or two, and then asked yours Kingly, why it's important to not boycott locally owned small businesses…
This is important stuff, folks. A lot of small businesses are hurting because of a weak economy, that's quite frankly, getting pretty old. Please think this through. Don't boycott a locally-owned and operated BP gas station.
My friend (and fellow franchise industry blogger) Sean Kelly, came up with "10 Reasons NOT To Boycott BP." He's right.
Will you support your local small business owner, and fill your car with BP gas?
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Robert Stockham says
July 2, 2010 at 11:48 amI respectfully disagree with you on this one. Every franchisee owner has the right to not discontinue their choice of being affilliated with BP. If they continue to be affiliated with a corporation that does so much wrong with so little regard for the environment and the people who inhabit it, I am not going to support them. Sorry, they can always become a Gas City USA.
The Franchise King says
July 2, 2010 at 1:59 pmRobert,
Thank you chiming in.
Sure. It would be “easy” to disassociate themselves from BP. They would have to;
1. Cancel their franchise agreements. (Can you say $25,000 in legal fees?
2. Build out a newly branded store-front ($100k+)
I’ll try to think of some more.
I cannot stand what BP did. But..it has nothing to do with the person who bought the franchise.
Support your local businesses, franchise or not.
The Franchise King®
J. Bailey says
July 3, 2010 at 11:41 amKing,
I think I like this. Not sure, yet. When I need gas, I get gas.
Whether or not it’s BP’s, doesn’t really matter. Or does it?
J. Bailey
Kristina Port says
July 4, 2010 at 10:11 pmI am all for supporting local business endeavors, no matter what they may have experienced on a national level, the owners still need to make a living, and they invested in their local community.
The Franchise King says
July 4, 2010 at 10:20 pmKristina,
Thank you for taking the time to read the post about supporting your local small businesses-BP gas stations.
I appreciate your comment. it’s still way too tough out there to ignore the impact of supporting a local business.
The Franchise King®
Tiffany says
July 5, 2010 at 4:51 pmI won’t purchase any gas from a BP gas station – regardless of whether they are locally owned or not. The store owner is still in a contract to buy their gas from BP, which means BP is ultimately getting my vote of support and confidence via my purchase.
However, I would purchase drinks, snacks, gas station “stuff” from a locally owned BP store, since BP gas isn’t profiting from that purchase (as far as I understand it).
I sympathize with the franchise owners who are losing business, but being associated with a corporation and it’s actions (good or bad) is risk you take when you open up a franchise.
The Franchise King says
July 5, 2010 at 10:02 pmTiffany,
Thanks for stopping by, and sharing your thoughts on this important topic.
I’m sure BP corporate gets a little of the action form soda and candy, too.
I am really angry at BP. But, I’m not angry at the folks who are pursuing the American Dream with small biz ownership. (BP franchises)
The Franchise King®
S. Arrow says
July 6, 2010 at 1:22 pmBP is 40% owned by American companies, who leased the platform from another American company. It seems it’s all about blaming BP when the real issue is our fixation and dependency on oil rather than searching down and investing in alternative fuels.
What happened was a tragic accident, that BP are committed to rectifying. Look at Enron, Lehman Brothers and other companies to see what happens when the company that’s in trouble walks away from their responsibility. Support local businesses, wean yourself from the oil fixation and give it time to get fixed and heal. Constantly picking the wound doesn’t make it get better, faster.
The Franchise King says
July 6, 2010 at 2:30 pmS Arrow,
Great comment! You are totally correct. We have to start weaning!
Thanks for stopping by. Bring some friends, too 🙂
The Franchise King®
Barry says
July 7, 2010 at 2:38 pmTo my kingly friend,
The franchisee owner is stuck in the middle. They did the leg work and now have to offer excuses for a not very well thought out strategy of the franchisor. I have heard that franchisees do not necessarily buy their products directly from BP but from anyone that BP contracts to deliver the product at the best price (seems reasonable).
Of course this is above and beyond the fact that the best course of action is to get off oil products completely. Everyone can change some behaviors that will lessen their dependence on stopping at the gas station. Drive 5 mph slower, this might mean that you leave a little earlier and stop procrastinating. Start combining trips so that you are not running out to the store every hour or every day, this will take some planning. As you can see I am talking about making a lifestyle change. Many, many people are going to throw my idea in the trash. But if you are really serious about getting out from under the gun of our oil dependence you might want to start thinking about how you can modify your lifestyle to get more out of each gallon of gas than just miles. Thanks.
The Franchise King says
July 7, 2010 at 3:20 pmThanks for stopping by, up here in Cleveland!
You are 100% right. That’s it.
(Disclosure; Barry is a great friend of mine, and he’s a bit of a video star. Check out his “Sustainable Life” TV show. It rocks!)
Copy and paste to check out the show;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTxiASNqarM
The Franchise King®