Today, I watched the dream of one of my best friends take its last breaths. My friend had worked hard and sacrificed much for her dream. She created a natural pet food store that was unique in the area. She knew her pet food inventory inside out and backwards. For the last few years, we bought all of our pet food from her, which was a substantial amount given that we have four Shelties and four cats.
But that's all over now. Her last day of business will be this coming Wednesday. By the end of the month, her dream will just be another empty storefront joining others in another typical American small town. How did this happen?
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How did this happen? And in such a short time? Just short months ago, her business was thriving and continued to do so even after the financial markets tanked. I spent an hour talking to her, trying to understand what killed her business. Her face told the story at a glance. She was exhausted from worry, her eyes red and hollow from crying and agonizing over her decision. The story she told me was both heartbreaking and depressing.
We all know that the GM's and Boeing's of the United States are not the real job creation engines of the economy. That title belongs to small businesses, businesses just like my friend's little store. She worked it herself most days. By last summer she was doing well enough that she had been able to hire a part-time employee, so she could have an occasional Saturday or Sunday off to enjoy life with her husband and pets.
The financial crash came and her business didn't change much at all. The same people came and bought the same items - high quality pet food being one of those things that you must have if you have pets. It's a business that thrives on repeat customers, especially if you have a niche market like natural pet foods. Most pet owners remember the tainted pet food scandals of the recent past. Almost none of her inventory was affected. She carried only the best stuff. The products she carried are mostly made in the US and Canada from wholesome, natural and in many cases, certified organic ingredients. Experienced pet owners know that pet food is like the old oil change commericals. "You can either pay me now, or pay me later." Poor food will result in more vet bills over the lifetime of a pet, not to mention that it may well shorten a pet's life. So pay the store now for quality food or pay the vet later - and perhaps more money.
She told me about a small business issue in towns all over America. The town she operated her store in does not have a well-informed and active town board or Chamber of Commerce to work on the local businesses behalf. Indeed, her requests for assistance on parking for her customers and other similar common business needs went unheeded. She is not the only business owner in that town with similar complaints, just the most recent. The town has been slowly losing businesses as it was, and the trend only accelerated after the financial crash.
An even more serious (and all too common problem nationally) was that the local townspeople didn't shop in their own town. This particular town has a very high income level, both from well-off retirees and a local university. However, rather than keep their neighbors in business, the townspeople shopped at malls and box stores in nearby towns. Meanwhile, the local businesses suffered, as did the town's tax base. The demographics of the town are great for businesses, but that only helps if the local people shop in town. She watched over the last few months as business started to drop. She went from doing well to breaking even. A few months ago, her store started to lose money.
She then told me about something that she had withheld from me, but now revealed. She had discovered the ugly side of customer service. Some of the customers, usually not regulars, treated her badly. They threw merchandise at her, swore at her. I could have helped her on that part - Lord knows I knew how to deal with it after 25 years in the airlines. However, she is an older woman, slight of build and polite of habits. She simply wasn't ready for that. She let it hurt her spirit. It was the final blow. The business was losing money and she saw no hope of an upswing in the future.
She tried to sell the business. One or two people came to look at it, but they couldn't get business loans and didn't have the money themselves to turn it around. The upstairs part of her store could have easily been turned into a grooming salon to funnel customers into her store. She couldn't raise the cash to set that up. So in tears, she had to let her dream die.
My eyes teared up as I hugged her in sorrow for her loss. I began to wonder just how many times this scene was being repeated across the nation. Huge mega-banks get multi-billion dollar bailouts. General Motors is partially bought out by the US Government to keep it from failing entirely. But what about the small business owners in their hundreds of thousands across America? Who speaks for them? They are as much laborers in the economy as their employees are.
The lessons I take from this sad story are few, but important. The obvious one is to support your local small businesses. If you don't, no one else will. Every dollar you spend for an item at a mega-chain is one less going to your neighbor's business. If you can get it from a local business, do so.
Another lesson is that those of us who have the experience should consider running for town board and other local positions on the platform of helping small local businesses survive and prosper. Little things like good, accessible parking for customers can make or break a business. A good town board can help those things happen.
Last, but most important: We need to agitate. Our local and state Representatives and Senators need to hear from us loud and clear that small business needs assistance badly. As Washington pours money into the mega-corporations, small businesses are withering nationwide. It's like polishing the hood ornament on a car while ignoring oil changes for the engine. The shiniest hood ornament won't make the car roll down the highway - only the engine will do that.
Over Martin Luther King weekend, I'm going to help her clear out what she has left of her store. She has promised to donate items she can't use to non-profit Sheltie Rescues for the tax break in exchange for my help. I expect to cry with her when she locks the door on her dream for the last time.