#SmallBusinessSaturday

In the movie "You've Got Mail" a small, local bookstore is run out of business by a large chain store. Meg Ryan, the local store owner, puts up a valiant fight to save her children's bookstore but in the end Tom Hanks, the chain store owner, wins and the big bad Fox Books wins. 

Unfortunately the takeover of local businesses isn't isolated to just big cities like NYC and the takeovers are damaging to communities around the country. The chain stores impact a community in ways that are seen immediately and cannot be seen until years down the road. 

One immediate loss to the community is that of the personal touch - the personal knowledge of the customers who come into the store - the finger on the pulse of the community. Oh the chain stores will try, they will do what they can to try and be part of the community but their efforts are surface, they are simply too big to truly be a part of the community they are in.

A scene from the movie illustrates the above quote from Chuck Todd in the most perfect way.

When I was in high school we had a bookstore in town that was locally owned but eventually it closed - pushed out of business by chain stores. I admit - I rarely shopped there. Although I didn't shop for books anywhere else either. I remember feeling regret when it closed. Feeling this sinking feeling that our town had lost another local connection. And we had. As I've gotten older I've wished more than once for that bookstore to still be open - I would shop there more than anywhere else because I've seen the importance of local businesses.

Don't get me wrong, I've spent a fair amount of money at Barnes & Noble - the chain bookstore in our town. When someone gives me a gift card I'm not going to turn it down and sometimes it's the easiest place to buy BUT when I have a choice, when I have opportunity, when I come into knowledge of it I will always go to the local place first. Not only does the money I spend go back into the community I live in but there are other reasons - just as compelling, in my opinion, to shop local first and most. Click here for an unpacking of the reasons. 

So as we head toward the Christmas holidays, one of the biggest purchasing seasons of the year, research your local small businesses and spend your money there. And then continue the habit and shop local year round.