Local Support

May I recommend two important upcoming opportunities, and no, one of them is not Nov 5 (but please remember to exercise your inalienable right!).

The first is Saturday, Nov. 2 – small business celebration and popup day - and then Saturday, Nov. 30, Small Business Saturday.

Let me be the first to say I am not a stranger to Amazon.

And I am also so aware of what our locally owned small businesses offer and need.

I am a member of my city chamber. Over the years, I have gotten to know a number of local business owners and what they go through to keep their enterprises afloat.

Let’s take Sue. She runs her own store five days a week, can’t afford employees and crafts a lot of her own inventory. Her shop is wonderfully decorated, welcoming and always changing.

In the course of her years of sole proprietorship, Sue has learned bookkeeping, marketing, networking, working with little sleep, high risk, and growing pride in what she does.

Across the street is Jon. He operates a family hardware store with two locations, juggling hours, inventory, travel, and appreciative customers.

These two folks represent so many others, and anywhere from the 10-13 percent of small businesses across the nation.

They are often not on Etsy or eBay. Their client base is usually a few dozen miles or so around them. Their take-home pay is paltry.

And they hold specials, support local schools and charities, shop and perhaps employ locally as well, host open houses and special events, donate gifts to community causes and celebrations and open their door almost every day.

I just stopped at a store I had passed by before because of recent marketing about upcoming small business events. The shop features local artists and their crafts, from dragons and bats made by 3D printing to soup cozies and wool knitted scarves and hats. At this time of year, the place smelled of cinnamon and pumpkin spice. The cashier’s dog was sleeping near her feet.

I had a lovely time, strolling, touching, asking questions. I can’t say I have shopped that way in big box stores.

When I walk into Sue’s store in my hometown, she welcomes me by name and knows what I like to look at. Sure, they may greet me at a big store, but mostly they are looking me over, or talking to a fellow employee.

Sure, I might pay a few dollars more in a small store, but those dollars go to people and causes and inventory that mean more than money. They mean support and satisfaction and turning on the lights, locally, one more day.

Joanne Willams is Associate Professor of Media Production and Communication at The University of Olivet.