LETTER: Why Should You Support Your Local Small Business?

Many were circulating this note on facebook today and Campbell Patch asked if we could share it here as well.

As a small business owner, I couldn't help but take note to something you mentioned last week about finding a good deal. I realize that everyone wants to cut costs wherever they can, and I am a firm believer in this.

I buy my children secondhand clothing, I only buy them new clothing when I get big discounts, I work a trade at my gym, so that I don't have to pay the monthly membership fees, and I will never buy a new books, and instead have taught my children the patience of waiting for what you want when it arrives at the library.

Given my own budgeting strategies, I also am happy to pay full price and patronize the local small businesses in my community; being a great example.

I visit there every Saturday, I have come to know the owner, I am proud to have our cloth diapers serviced through a Campbell-owned business and not a company like Pampers, Huggies, or even a franchise cloth diaper service. I love that they special order things for me, they do custom gift wrap for free, and my kids can play in their play area while I shop. These are services that are invaluable to me, and I wouldn't dream of comparison shopping with a place like this.

I also understand that people want to get a good deal and don't want to pay a lot for something they know they want. So please don't take offense this message, but when you mentioned that you have no problem walking into a shoe store to try on a particular shoe, then go online to buy the exact same shoe, you are not taking into account that the owner of the store who has the shoe in the storefront has to pay overhead; rent, utilities, commissions, employees, etc.

Obviously that business is providing a valuable service for you because you are able to touch, feel, and try on the shoe before committing to the purchase. In turn, sometimes people need to pay a higher price when their service needs have been met. At the very least, I would hope that you are giving this business the opportunity to try and meet the price that you are able to get online by showing them a screen shot of your phone.

We often have people come into our store who do something similar. They want to see the board in person, ask our employees for their expertise, find out what's best for their child, get pointers and tips and find out how much things cost, then they leave, and we know exactly why they will not be back. Unfortunately they don't even give us the opportunity to try and match what they have found.

While price remains a strong consideration, our shop is living proof that customer service is still more important. We have never had an overstocked inventory, but my husband, Arun, and our employees offer exemplary customer service, which has won us numerous awards and a 5-star average rating with 40 reviews on Yelp (Footnote 1).

It's very difficult to be in retail these days, especially with all of the online competition. While we are all looking for the best deal we can find, we should definitely keep in mind that if we are looking for a service in addition to the product, then it may be worth it to spend the extra few dollars.

When you support your local small business, "$45 of every $100 spent at small, local businesses stays in the local economy while national chains only keep local $13 of every $100 spent. (Footnote 2)" Further, "in order for these small businesses and communities...to thrive, younger shoppers must latch onto the old-school comfort of a unique, homey storefront with a staff that probably isn't decked out in specific matching uniforms. (Footnote 3)"

I realize that this starts with me, and I teach my children about which toy stores we support and which ones we don't. "Shopping at locally owned establishments can leverage community funds times three, on average. For example, by supporting a local clothing boutique, a consumer is also supporting a local attorney, tax preparer, and printer. Local businesses tend to source small manufacturing and banking needs closer to home as well. (Footnote 4)" Not only to mention you are supporting that there will be storefronts in the future that you will be able to try shoes on at.

I realize that I may have gone a little overboard with this message, and I am not implying that you do not support local small businesses. I simply want to get the word out that buying online (read: Amazon!) is a big problem for the entire nation, and supporting small businesses is an issue that I'm passionate about.

Since I look to you as a trusted resource, acting with integrity and supporting our local businesses is of utmost importance when instilling new buying behaviors and shopping patterns because ultimately "a marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term. (Footnote 5)"

Thank you for your time.

My best,

Anne-Michelle

Owner, Ohana Board Shop

Footnote 1: http://www.yelp.com/biz/ohana-board-shop-san-jose

Footnote 2: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/benefits-businesses-local-economy-265.html

Footnote 3: http://www.openforum.com/articles/why-you-should-skip-black-friday-and-shop-on-small-business-saturday

Footnote 4: http://www.businessinsider.com/do-yourself-a-favor-by-becoming-an-indie-shopper-2011-10

Footnote 5: http://www.ilsr.org/why-support-locally-owned-businesses/