When local businesses become “Big Time.”
When I was little, we lived 30 minutes from our small county seat. That was where we went to the grocery store to get regular daily items. The town was tiny, with a handful of local businesses and shops that had been there for ages.
Suppose you wanted something special, you had to either order it or get on the interstate and travel another hour and a half to the big city. If you needed special medical care, a specific brand of car, or a variety of options, you had to wait to go to the city.
We did order things from a catalog on occasion. I remember my first skates came from Montgomery Ward. I think we picked them out in the catalog and stopped in town to order at a catalog store. The catalog store was a lady behind a counter with a phone. I also think we picked them up in the store when they finally arrived.
Today we order the ordinary instead of the special. I can do everyday things from amazon because it is quick and easy. It doesn’t matter if it meets my expectations as much because it’s just a few dollars. Even the city now is filled with things I can find easily and get it the next day, maybe two from Amazon.
But, local now is something different. I believe it’s our opportunity to be what was once found in a catalog or on a trip to the city. Local can become the “Something Special.”
What if, as local small business owners, we change our focus from ordinary to extraordinary. Concentrating on things that are not just a few dollars and low quality.
What if, we focus on what needs to be seen and touched. We can focus on personal attention, flexibility, and customer satisfaction.
Local merchants didn’t always have the opportunity to be unique when they had to concentrate on what was necessary. But now, we can offer the special.
I believe local businesses have the most incredible opportunity of all time to be something special. We must think outside the box and strive to be something special instead of being caught up in the game of being ordinary. I believe it’s a game we can win if we focus on being the best, being unique, and staying sincere and approachable.
I also believe we need each other, all local and small businesses must contribute and support one another. In addition, we need our local officials and communities to support us and recognize bigger isn’t always better. We need them to see us as unique, mutually benefiting business partners that help grow and shape the communities we serve.
It’s easy to say all this in a blog. But, as a small businesses owner, it is sometimes overwhelming. You are trying to be unique and competitive. Some may feel they will pay more locally, but I don’t believe that’s true if you look at the whole picture: the service, the options, the flexibility, and ease. Talk about the price with your local vendors. Share your concerns and listen to their responses. I believe you will realize more value than you think.
I dream of a world where I am part of the local business going Big Time. The best hospitals, shopping, and opportunity are local. We all thrive and live in our local community. We have the best ball teams and fields to play. The out of towners always want to come to our fields. The local teams have locally owned supporters signs end over end on every inch of the fence.
The restaurants are packed as they serve every variety with the best quality at a fair price. Medical care becomes personal because they see you living and thriving and notice when you aren’t. Food is locally grown and sold maximized for the benefits and opportunity.
There are book stores and theatres to open our minds and to develop more possibilities. Opportunities for higher education. There will be all different types of housing available. That means we will need to be open-minded to what all generations want and need. That doesn’t happen by focusing just on the young. It doesn’t happen by keeping everything just as it is. It happens by each generation relying on each other for insight and wisdom.
Jobs are plenty and pay well. Kids love their town and develop into creative functioning adults who continue to bring the best to the community.
This can be possible with a fresh eye toward the potential and a blind eye to the cynics. It is a world of optimism instead of doubt, fear, or greed. It’s a world where we all contribute. We all thrive. It’s us against the rest. It’s how local businesses make it Big Time!
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