I have spent the past decade bringing new growth and National tenants to some of my favorite small towns: Hartwell, Royston, Athens, Monroe, etc. It is a pleasure for me to see a commercial deal I have put together be successful. There is nothing I enjoy more than going to some of my favorite stores and knowing I was helpful getting them started.
Though I sincerely enjoy bringing growth to small towns and feel it is important for a community's long-term growth, I always worry a little about the strain National chains put on competing, long-established, smaller businesses. Until 2007, this proved not to be a huge concern. However, 2007 brought on a change.
Now, I fear for every small business in my favorite small towns. My fear has a name, and that name is Big Business. Don't get me wrong, I love the convienence of WalMart. Where else can you go to buy tires, a meat & 2 veggies prepared, groceries, new Spongebob lunchpails for the kids, and an ottoman - all at 2:00 in the morning? And for a great price . . . right?
What we often fail to realize is the actual price we pay is not as inexpensive as we think. That is because - every bit of money which we spend at WalMart goes to some large conglomerate in Arkansas, rather than knocking around in our home town and strengthening our economy.
For instance: if I buy my tires at WalMart instead of going to Modern Tire - I might save a little money. However, that is less money in Larry's pocket, so he cannot eat every morning at Mary's Diner. That means less money in Mary's pocket, so she cannot go buy new clothes at Bailes Cobb. Thus, Earl doesn't feel comfortable buying that new car, so Ed Murdock closes the Ford Dealership, putting all employees of the Ford Dealership out of work. One of the employees of the Ford Dealership turns out to be my neighbor. Now his house is in danger of foreclosure, so he sells it at a really low price, thus bringing my real estate value down. All because I said, "Times are tough, so I need to go to Walmart and save some money rather than going to the tire company which has serviced my needs for decades."
Doesn't make much sense when you look at it that way - does it?
Here's another problem: When the large, convienent, discount, conglomerates are the only ones left standing, do you think they will leave their prices the same? It is not going to happen . . . Think of it this way: if you owned a business selling - let's say - umbrellas. Somehow, you end up being the only store in 35 miles who sells umbrellas, during hurricane season. If you raise your prices by 20%, people are still going to buy from you because you are the only person with umbrellas in the pouring rain. Would you leave your prices the same knowing that? I certainly wouldn't! That's the beauty and the beast of Capitalism.
Shopping locally is the only way to slow the on-coming train of economic disaster. Small business owners in Hartwell have grown our economy by 4.5 times over the course of their working lives. They have helped us till our soil, defend our ideals, teach our children, and raise a new generation to build upon our successes. And yet, many now struggle to get by. Hartwell is more than a lake, it is a tight-knit community. Our small business owners have worked hard to take care of us, and now we must be here for them, as well as for the health of our local economy.
Please join me - let's keep all remaining small businesses in Hartwell (or whever you live) open. WalMart is still good for buying items in bulk in the wee hours of the night, but it is not the only retailer in town. Let's work together to keep it that way. Strengthen our Local Economy. It is Important . . . Shop Locally!
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