The holiday season is a time where social media is inundated with reminders to support small businesses. The usually list of reasons includes things how money spent at a small business recirculates into the same communities more than money spent at corporations. Small businesses give back more to the community and their customer service is often better than you will get at big box stores. Small businesses often provide more diversity in terms of available goods, products, or services and these small businesses provide greater economic impact.
But there is something else. Something I haven't been able to quite put my finger on. Until now.
A few mornings ago, before heading to open the shop, I was crawling under my desk in my home office sorting through boxes of Weck jars to bring to the shop to restock and it hit me: we like small businesses because the people running them are just like us. We can relate to the small shop owner in ways we can never relate to the corporate CEO's of the world. The owner of Target or Home Depot would never be found crawling around in their house looking for that box of jars they need to bring to the shop for their customers. But we would and small shop owners would and because of that they are relatable.
We like small businesses because they are run by people that eat at our favorite restaurants. They go to hear music at the same venues and watch movies at the same theaters. We like small businesses because we see the people running them at the grocery stores and the gas stations in our communities. We see them at the same locally owned banks and at the same coffee shops that we love.
Small shop owners are invested in our communities because they belong to the same community. They take an interest in our lives and what's happening with our children or parents or ourselves. We often know where they live and we share things like gardening tips or our favorite places to travel. Small shop owners play frisbee with our kids and remember the names of our grandbabies.
Personally, I find it easier to spend money at a business where I can interact with the owner and relate to them because they are like me. Businesses with pie in the sky CEO's that are untouchable don't interest me. I can confidently say that you all feel the same way and for that I am so grateful.
That's all! Thanks for being here.