Here's what I've done, why I've done it and where I get things from!

I like to know what the companies/people/businesses I give my money to do with it, so here's an explanation for my customers of what I do!

Where'd I get my bike?

Secondhand from a small independent bike shop in Norwich.
My trailer?

It's designed by Carry Freedom (www.carryfreedom.com). You can find out more details on where to get them and the other sorts available to buy on their website. There are also designs for making your own from bamboo, ironing boards and more! It's one of the few things I've bought which is brand new - I'll explain why at the bottom...!

My tools?

I get almost all my tools from the two very friendly guys at The Secondhand Tool Co., Dereham Road, Norwich. Why? Because they're independent and I always support small local businesses, even if they're slightly more expensive (which incidentally they're not!). I also pickup secondhand tools from charity shops or friends/family/strangers/people throwing them away in the queue at the dump! I try to save and reuse whenever I can.

I don't use any tools which require power or fuels. I'm currently looking at solar-powered chargers and how I could use these in the future to power hedge-trimmers etc, but for the time being it's all good old-fashioned sweat and tears!

Tarpaulin's

At the moment I'm using plastic tarpaulin's which I'd really rather not :/ If you have a suggestion for a suitable alternative (or lots of old ones you're just going to throw away) then please get in touch!

Stationary

All the pens, paper, envelopes etc I use are either recycled from friends and family's leftovers or from The Greenhouse on Bethel Street in Norwich. They've got heaps of recycled (100% post-consumer waste*) stationary to choose from. You can also get pens and pencil cases, folders, binders and so on from the shop in The Forum - all made from recycled plastic/car tyres...

* Some paper companies make paper, then churn it up and make it again and call it recycled! Buying 100% post-comsumer waste should mean it has actually been used before, then recycled!

Banking

My business banking is with Norwich and Peterborough Building Society. Whilst no bank or b.s. is perfect (by its very nature!) N&P do not invest money in arms and so on like the bigger banks do. Nor do they lend to dodgy groups that might, for instance, fund genocide in places round the world - which again most of (if not all) the majors do, either directly or indirectly. N&P have been rated as one of the most ethical banking service providers by The Good Shopping Guide.

Other bits and bobs

I'm always raiding charity shops for bits of garden furniture, tools, work-clothes and as much as I can find that I need. Infact I buy as little as possible brand new. Why? Because there's no reason not to for most things and doing so means less oil and energy wasted in unnecessary production.

So - without going on and on about it -that's a brief explanation of what makes up my business! I'm trying to become more and more self-reliant as time goes by and to limit the damage, however minute, my business does to the planet and to the people on it. I'm not perfect though and I know there's elements of my business which need to improve and I'm open to any suggestions and would love to hear your ideas or examples.

Which brings me to the trailer! Carry Freedom explain on their website who makes their trailers - Pacific Cycles, based in Taiwan. I decided after several weeks of trying to put a really sturdy trailer together out of recycled bits and bobs, to buy one of theirs, the Y-Frame. In all honesty I would rather have made my own but as more time went by (and after bumping into a guy in town using a Y-Frame trailer and seeing just how sturdy they are) I realised I would not be able to do what I need without one or without learning how to  safely and sturdily construct a safe and sturdy alternative! The trailer then is at once the best and worst part of my business - it is brand new, but it replaces the need for a car - and I hope the good I'm doing in the rest of my business goes some way to balancing this out.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings! Thanks for taking the time to read all this! :D

Josh :)