Henry's Cost of Living Crisis
- May 19, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 2, 2025
By Sete Cohen
With the cost of living in crisis, people cannot afford to spend their money. This has a knock-on-effect on Barnet's communities.
A local Hendon shopkeeper, Henry Hogg, has lived in his community with his family for twenty years. Since he got married all those years ago. In the local Town Hall. Next to the Public Library.
Henry cannot see a way out of his situation.
Just about makes ends meet.
Every evening he throws out his perished foods, and donates those which are about to expire soon to the local charities for the homeless.
They are so thankful.
Vagrants are everywhere!
In the park.
Shop doors.
Street corners.
In need of food and shelter. Bread and soup. A warm bed. A cup of tea. A wash. Not to mention 'tender loving care'.
Henry continues to worry, feeling sorry for himself. Poverty is all he thinks about, as he keeps going from day to day.
And one day the stress becomes too much for him. Headaches. Loss of appetite. Negative thoughts. Mood swings. Heaviness. Dragging him down, as his mind wanders aimlessly into the unknown.
Imagining all sorts of scary scenarios.
Suddenly that day, he snaps out of his hypnotic state and starts to question himself; as he becomes curious about his surroundings and his community.
A turning point!
Henry realises that so many people are less fortunate. He decides to follow the 'news' more closely and finds that he is not alone. His problems are definitely part of wider world issues and many people are in the same boat!
But before he can find the answer to his predicament, he first needs to know the question.
Suddenly, it dawned on him!
"How can a shopkeeper in London NW4 do better?"
Armed with his question, Henry starts to think of ways to improve his standard of living for him and his family.
He becomes motivated to take on a project to investigate his local area, in his spare time. To see if there is anything missing in his community, which he could offer in his business.
With no time to waste, he starts off in his lunch-break. In search of something, to give him hope for the future.
Henry then decides to carry out a survey by speaking to the locals.
The answer has always been right on his doorstep!
Imagine that!
Henry gathers the data he obtained.
He can now envisage a better future, as he thinks of ways to diversify his income streams and makes a decision to increase sales by providing an additional service online.
He needs to keep up with the times!
With the right inventory to meet the demand of the shoppers.
Not storing things which are wasteful and surplus to requirement.
From now on, he knows that he has to be more strict in his approach to his business.
To negotiate prices more rigorously with suppliers.
After all, everyone is suffering from the 'cost of living crisis'.
Even suppliers...
Henry is uplifted by a spiritual energy he never thought he had. He feels the urge to draw up a plan.
Revealing his creative self...
Henry starts to dream!
As his new journey to success begins.
For one day only, Henry had been trapped in his own despair. Wanting to give up. But his local community showed him the way, leading him to a more structured business plan.
Everything he needed was right under his nose!
Why did he not see it before?
Why did he not ask himself the right question?
Every answer needs a question after all!
Luckily, a day in the life of a shopkeeper turned out to be a positive turning point for Henry, as he found the answer to his problems by asking the right question.
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Written by Sete Cohen Published 19 May 2025.
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