Small businesses rely on local shoppers

Jessica Campos, director of the Center for Rural Affairs Women’s Business Center in Lyons got it right in a news release this week. “Small businesses are counting on support from local shoppers this holiday season to stay in business.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic raging throughout our country since mid-March, 2020 will be remembered as anything but ordinary.
After the initial fear, shock and shut downs, we’ve fared pretty well and realize we’re pretty fortunate to be living in small town America.
Nonetheless, we have local businesses who were adversely affected and felt the pain of seeing their sales dip almost overnight. I’d say our local eateries were hit the hardest for a period of time.
Brick and mortar stores paid a heavy price and are still reeling as people turned to online shopping, and more especially Amazon.
I doubt no company benefitted any more from all of this than Amazon. They were already a behemonth and the pandemic has made them even more so.
Campos noted small businesses are the backbone of our communities. While the lure of online and big-box shopping can be tempting, every dollar that leaves our communities will never make its way back here.
When a community loses a small business, the loss is more than just economic. Not only are the jobs gone but so is that sponsor of the local ball team, who also supports the post-prom and other fundraisers, along with their annual contributions to our local foundations and charities.
Especially during this holiday season, Campos said supporting local stores will pay important dividends for communities, not just today but in the future as well.