Another Black Friday is in the books and now it’s time to shop your local small businesses.

Whether it is retail, service oriented, an exercise facility or an eating establishment – consider helping families support themselves and their employees by supporting their business.

If you do support small businesses, than thank you!  If it’s not something you’ve given much thought to then I’ll ask….before making your next purchase – whatever it may be  – will you stop, and take a moment to consider the services and goods your local small business can offer?

You see, I belong to one of those families. My husband and his brother own a retail store in our town; appliances, floor covering, mattresses, countertops and coming soon – cabinet re-facing. Pretty much anything you need or want to remodel a kitchen or  bathroom. However, in this day and age, with the fierce competition of larger national retailers the success of our entrepreneurship is in danger of faltering.

Do you need some convincing?  Well, lets look at some reasons for keeping it local and shopping small:

1. Any extras you find with a large retailer we will also offer. We are quite capable of competing with the big boys on their prices and financing options.

2. Our sales team is going to offer you a higher level of customer service.

Simply put – they do extensive training and have a better knowledge of the products available.  They are genuinely interested in helping you find the best solution for your situation. Our associates understand that by making you happy, keeping you satisfied and becoming a repeat customer they are helping our small business succeed and this translates into job security for them.

After all – if they succeed then we succeed. And, by the same token – if we succeed, they succeed.

3. If you do have a problem or an issue that has left you dissatisfied then the associate helping you is going to have a direct line to the owner. And, I promise you,  owners will return your calls and work to resolve any issues that may occur.

4. Okay, here’s a downside… the hours a small business is open may not always be as extensive as a larger retailer. But, depending on the type of establishment it is the owner may be willing to work around that. It never hurts to ask.

5. For retail establishments, repeat customers can often find out when each of their items was purchased. Whatever information you may need on whatever items you bought – all of that history is usually available with the click of a button.

At your local favorite restaurant or café – eat there enough and they will probably greet you by name and know what you want to order before you even say a word.

6. Small businesses are committed to giving back to the community. We love supporting causes that directly benefit our neighbors and our town.

7. We are also committed to supporting other small businesses in our city. We want them to succeed, too!

So I’m asking you – wherever you live – please look for and shop at the small companies that make up the fabric of your community. Give us a chance to help you and give you a better experience then you’ll get with a large company. Seriously, it doesn’t cost anything to check us out and see what you’ve been missing. And, if we can’t find what you need or get what you want than those big chain stores are just down the road.

Come see us. We need YOUR business to stay in business.

Oh – and tell your friends too.