Coronavirus is threatening the survival of small businesses such as restaurants, salons, barbershops, bars, and many other businesses. It’s no wonder many are saying “let’s reopen our businesses now”. People are willing to take their chance at life because perhaps staying home to avoid this virus may kill their livelihood regardless.
While there is an extended stay-at-home order many business owners, especially small businesses, are bleeding and bleeding badly. Did we ever think we would have to choose between staying alive or making money to stay alive?
Now more than ever we must really think about the true meaning of shopping local and shopping at small businesses. And when I say small businesses I truly think that they should no longer be called small businesses because I think this crisis has taught us they truly define our economy, so what should we call them?
If you were economically impacted obviously you shouldn’t be doing much of any shopping at all during this crisis and this article doesn’t apply to you. However, when you do go out to make necessary purchases, try and buy from small businesses, the big chain places are making lots of money while small ones suffer. Small businesses make a major economic impact and according to the SBA, since 1990, big businesses eliminated 4 million jobs, while small businesses added 8 million jobs. The more you shop at a local store, the more potential job opportunities you could help them provide.
As a small business owner I tend to shop at other small businesses to support my own business; because I understand that building relationships is going to help my community prosper. Did you know that when people shop local, it also means that tax money stays in our community? Since we can’t escape paying taxes we can at least feel good that the taxes might as well go to support local projects that impact our daily life, in other words, it is better to buy local, please support.
Rosa Julia Parra
