As a child, I would often spend a week or more with my grandparents in a small town in Minnesota. I have so many fond memories, including:
Eating breakfast at a (locally-owned) restaurant with my grandpa and uncle before they opened their (locally-owned) hardware store for the day.
Walking to the (locally-owned) drugstore for candy.
Picking up a card for my grandma at the (locally-owned) gift shop.
Spending an afternoon with my cousins at the (you guessed it, locally-owned) bowling alley.
At the time, I didn’t realize how important it was to support small, locally-owned businesses.
And I certainly never expected to own a small business myself. In fact, I chuckled in a ‘yeah, right!’ kind of way when a colleague introduced me as an entrepreneur to her friend – and this was a year and half into my business!
Now, over 17 years of small business ownership later, I fully accept the title – and all of the ups and downs that accompany it.
From my own entrepreneurial experience, as well as having coached hundreds of small business owners at this point, I can assure you that the memes you see – about how your purchase from a small business helps someone feed her family or pay for his daughter’s dance classes or enroll her son in music lessons – are 100% accurate. Small business owners are typically passionate, knowledgeable about their industry, and adore their communities.
I invite you to consider supporting small businesses whenever you can, today – Small Business Saturday – and every day! You can purchase their products and services, or buy gift cards for family, friends, or coworkers.
You can also support them in other ways: Write a glowing online review, share their posts on Facebook along with a comment about your wonderful experience with them, or endorse them on LinkedIn. Even simply liking, commenting, or otherwise engaging with their posts on social media helps more people see their posts and gains them additional exposure.
Business owners face difficult decisions on a regular basis, but perhaps this year in particular. Your support can truly make a difference!
Thank you for supporting big dreams by shopping small!
You can enjoy an entire year of personal and professional development while also supporting a small business by enrolling in the 2021 ASPIRE Success Club – click here!