I was reading about some local policy changes intended to make running a small business easier and that got me thinking. I go to restaurants and ethnic food stores which are usually small businesses, and maybe some of the gas stations I use are small businesses too. However, everything else I buy comes from big-box stores or the internet. These have replaced a lot of small businesses, but how is it that there are any little shops left at all? Sometimes I walk into a corner store because I don’t want to go all the way to the big box store or wait for delivery but the prices are so much higher (often by over a hundred percent) that I walk right out again unless I need something very urgently.
I’m not making a moral judgement here. I just don’t know how the economics work out.
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I prefer to support small businesses, but anytime I visit any in my area, they generally offer similar or the exact same products that I can order online for less.
I’m struggling enough right now, and every dollar counts. I’m rooting for the little guys, but I’m not willing to go broke to save them.
Only buying things that are the lowest price has many consequences and not all of them are beneficial to you. Sometimes it’s just that the thing you are buying for the lowest price is crappy and poor quality. But now we are coming to realize that one of those consequences might be the destruction of the world. Figure out how to price that consequence into your economic model, and choose accordingly.
Apparently not destroying the world is more valuable to some people than others. Personally, I would pay at least 1000% more to not destroy the world, because not destroying the world is really important to me. Maybe it’s not as important to other people, I don’t know. The wonderful thing about the world we are destroying is that everyone gets to make their own decisions.
I shop at small businesses if its an option. I prefer my money supporting the community than someone’s fourth yacht.
That being said there is a particular type of small business whose customers are largely old retired people. They’re usually open 8-5, have higher than normal prices, and are in no rush as they usually like to chat - Which their customer base likes.
There are other types of course but sometimes you got to do hunting because they likely don’t have big advertising bucks.
Its very very difficult for small businesses to compete with big box stores. They can’t out price Walmart or outship Amazon. So they usually try to find a niche to focus on… Or wither on the vine.
I try to shop more local small shops these days. But youre right, Amazon has killed off most of them.
Microbreweries, restaurants, candy shops, bakeries, local hardware store.
I use them frequently. Up until 2 years ago, I lived in a town where I could’ve walked to all those spots(not candy store).
Lots of professional services are run out of small businesses - doctor’s offices, law firms, plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, etc.
