July 3, 2007
Local business helps hold a community together
By Wendy Halleck
MY VIEW
When I was a child, growing up in Chicago, my grandmother would take me on errand runs. We would stop at the butcher, the fruit stand, the bakery and the local coffee shop. My grandmother was one of many immigrant women in her neighborhood, but wherever we stopped, she was greeted by name. She seemed to be an important person to each shop owner. Holding her hand, I felt important, too.
I am now a local shop owner. I'm lucky. I have a great staff and a wonderful place to go to work each day. Some who know my business might think the greatest perk would be getting the first crack at new merchandise, but for me the best part of being an independent business owner has been the opportunity to connect with and be part of this community.
Over the past 18 years, I have met interesting people and formed lasting and loyal friendships. I have seen the children of my customers grow into adults and become my customers. I have been invited to weddings and, sadly, to funerals. I think I speak for most local business owners when I say that, above all, it is this connection that makes the other struggles of business ownership worthwhile. It is a solid foundation for a great quality of life.
I was excited to become a part of the local business community when I opened my doors in 1989. I felt that I found a real hometown when I moved to Tallahassee, and I wanted to be a part of it. There was a local hardware store up the street, a locally owned bagel shop and a feminist bookstore near campus. It was hard to say where the center of town was, but local treasures were everywhere.
As Tallahassee grew, I became concerned about the type of growth I saw. Both of the malls had expanded and were growing still. New corporate chains filled the retail spaces. We were becoming homogenized, along with the rest of America.
On the surface it seemed like progress. Tallahassee was now on the map, becoming more sophisticated and being offered more “choices." But to my mind, products and services that are based on formulaic concepts devised in offices far removed from our community are less of a “choice."
I have come to accept and, dare I admit, to even appreciate some of these mega-businesses. Sometimes there is just no other choice. There are certainly some corporations that operate better than others, but we must keep in mind that it is responsibility to shareholders - not responsibility to customers or community - that guides the bottom-line decisions of large corporations.
It is locally owned businesses and community organizations that truly add interest, diversity, character and heart to our hometowns. It is also locally owned businesses that provide economic and overall community health and stability.
When compared with their chain competitors, locally owned businesses have a more sustainable impact on the local economy. Their tax dollars and profits are recycled back into the community. Locally owned businesses hire local people and offer quality jobs. They build relationships and employ the services of local musicians, artists, accountants, merchants, graphic designers, printers, painters, contractors and craftspeople. They send their children to local schools and support the services that keep our community healthy.
While we have lost some locally owned businesses to corporate competition, many local favorites still are here. Happily there are many new talented and creative entrepreneurs who are willing to take a chance, even in a global economy, to add their unique talents, products and services to our community.
This week is National Independents Week. It is a week of celebration and recognition of locally owned independent businesses across the country.
The members of Locally Owned Tallahassee will be sponsoring two free events for the community. We invite the entire community, our customers, our friends, our staff, our families and all independent business owners to join us. Let's stay connected. Let's keep our sense of community. Let's have fun.
Friday: 7:30 p.m., Mickee Faust Club, Railroad Square. Films "Small Shops in the Age of the Bog Box" and "Wal-Mart-The High Cost of Low Price."
Saturday: 8-midnight, American Legion Hall, 229 Lake Ella Drive. Party with Moon Pie Fever.
Wendy Halleck is owner of Quarter Moon Imports on Lake Ella and a member of Locally Owned Tallahassee. Go to www.LocallyOwnedTallahassee.com.