By Scott Ronalds

It’s spot prawn season on the west coast. The boats are pulling into Granville Island daily (mere blocks from Steadyhand headquarters) and selling their bounty directly to the public. It’s awesome. They’re live, fresh, sweet and local. And you buy them right from the boat. There’s no middlemen. No commissions. No administrative fees. No packaging charges. No transaction costs. For $12-15 a pound, you get a bag of B.C.’s best.

A short walk away in the Granville Island Market, the same product will cost you 30% to 50% more. You’ll get them in a fancier bag and won’t have to take in any pungent dock & diesel fumes, but they’ll hit you harder in the wallet.

Many spot prawn fans love the direct-to-customer option. It’s cheaper, fresher and is a unique experience. Sadly, the season only lasts for 6-8 weeks (a requirement to ensure the crustaceans’ sustainability).

The direct-to-customer movement is taking hold in many other industries as well (think online retailing) but has been slow to catch on in investment management, in Canada at least. That’s what really stinks.