Talking with Brenda Carlson last week on the one-year anniversary of her new shop in Watkins reminded me of how vital our local shops are. Vital to our economy (providing goods and services, employing local residents, and paying local taxes to provide the many services upon which we all rely).
It takes more than a dream to create a new business, and far more than that to keep it going.
The statistics for small businesses are eye-opening: more than 50% of small businesses have been in business fewer than five years; the average life of a startup business is five years; and only 20% of new businesses make it to their 15th anniversary.
New or old, we need our local businesses – and they need us too. Unlike online businesses that can reach customers anywhere in the world, your local brick-and–mortar business is geographically dependent on local customers to purchase their goods or services. Rather than a possible audience of billions of people, their reach is a few thousand at best.
We’ve witnessed the loss of key businesses, and the community impact of those losses. Both Kimball and Eden Valley lost their grocery stores a few years ago, at least in part because consumers think nothing of driving 20 miles each way to save 3 cents on a can of soup. J&R Family Market is the last local grocer remaining, and they work hard to keep up with what their customers want and expect in their store.
Longer ago, there was a car dealership in Watkins. After it closed, consumers had fewer choices. And locals say it was a serious blow to Watkins as a whole, with people coming to Watkins (and doing other business while they were there).
The loss of Playland Ballroom as the local spot for gatherings of all kinds still hurts.
Competition is generally good for business. It usually encourages business owners and staff to do better, to be better. That said, it’s pretty hard to compete with mega-corporation Amazon, for instance, with its 310 million active customers. But what has Amazon done for our communities lately? Not a thing!
In addition to paying taxes and providing local jobs, our local businesses are frequently asked to sponsor all kinds of local things: sports scoreboards, school yearbooks, class field trips, food drives, libraries, festivals, team T-shirts, historical societies, and local chambers of commerce. Walmart and Amazon won’t do that.
When the tornado went through Watkins eight years ago, who responded, ready to help out? Church groups, local organizations, and small businesses from around the state. We take care of each other. We care about each other. Our customers represent more than an income blip on a chart.
And yet we so often take our local businesses for granted. They’ve been there, and they’ll always be there, right? Wrong!
After a series of gut-punching challenges we all faced in recent years, small businesses are hurting. We adapt as much as we can (and that’s a lot), but sometimes it’s not enough.
At the very least, “follow” and “like” them on Facebook. Share when they do something well, or get something right. That costs you nothing!
Speaking for myself and probably many others, I’m weary. The Tri-County News has only two sources of revenue: advertising and subscriptions. Like everywhere else, advertising revenue is being split among so many more options, even though print advertising in newspapers is still very effective. Our subscribers are heavily skewed to the over-50 set and, frankly, they are vanishing more than new, younger subscribers are signing up.
I have long said that what’s good for our communities and businesses is good for us and, conversely, what’s good for us is good for our local communities and businesses. The Tri-County News cross-pollinates news from schools, businesses, sports, government, and more. No other organization does that. We celebrate your kids’ achievements. We inform and entertain. Every week we bring you fresh and local news that’s important to our readers and our communities.
Now would be a great time to subscribe to the Tri-County News – what else can you get delivered to you for 85 cents a week?
If you’re a local business looking to increase your exposure, promote yourself, and reach new customers, talk to us about an ad campaign. We can help!