To Small Business Owners, We Salute You

Being a small business owner is challenging in the best of conditions, but look at the conditions you’ve been through in the last several months. A good friend of mine, Jaime Taets, said to me in a conversation we had for Village Bank’s #ItTakesaVillage podcast, that there are going to be businesses coming out of this who can say “bring it on” because they’ve made it through what they thought was impossible. To that, I salute all the small business owners and entrepreneurs who are ready to take on the world.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed a resiliency in small business owners and their teams that they didn’t know existed in February 2020. They’ve learned to work remotely. They’ve learned how to build culture when everyday office team building doesn’t exist. They’ve learned how to manage cash flow to get them through very slow periods. They’ve learned how to operate long hours and long weeks to serve a demand they didn’t see coming. I’ve been inspired by the feats I see our Village of customers accomplish every day.

I’m not writing this article to detail all the ways small business owners have stepped up and owned it because I’d be writing for days. Rather, I sat down to write this article to give small business owners the round of applause and appreciative salute they deserve for the insurmountable and immeasurable ways they continue to do what they do.

The next time you’re shopping, eating, or spending at a small business, thank the owner or tell the salesperson helping you to pass on the message. Small business ownership can be a thankless job, but next time, show that small business owner how thankful you are for everything they do. Let’s help revive small businesses and Main Street with our support and gratitude for what they do.