Shop small!
“Small Business Saturday.”
What a strange concept.
I suppose, like Valentine’s Day, it’s a day to try to catch up and make good for all of the neglect you’ve shown the rest of the year.
I mean, if you really valued small businesses, wouldn’t you be using them a lot more frequently than just one day in 365?
Or, maybe it’s more like rooting for the underdog, or cheering on David as he takes on Goliath. Everyone likes a champion that comes from behind to win. (Just ask the Chicago Cubs. Or the Buffalo Bills.)
Or, perhaps it’s just a “feel good” thing … even as you again prepare to worship at the altar of the Almighty Amazon, you feel the urge to try to get into Heaven by tossing some cash to smaller players. (No, I’m NOT saying that doing your holiday shopping via Amazon means you’re going to Hell. On the other hand, that would make for some interesting commercials by Amazon’s competitors!)
Maybe it’s just this: A day that we dedicate to making that most simple of human connections with actual people that we can see, and talk to, and touch, who are running a business that we can actually visit, rather than faceless automatons accessible through a website address. A twinkle in the eyes, a mask-hidden smile, joy in the voice, as the small business owner finds that perfect thing that you were looking for. Satisfaction, and a sense of completion, rather than just “click.”
Ultimately, does the reason really matter? We should support small businesses. Like family, they’re part of the foundation on which America is built. And make no mistake: America is very much a work in progress. You, I, we build it every day. Every day, it’s something different. Something vital. Something new.
Small businesses aren’t “just businesses.” They’re examples of faith in the future, fonts of creativity, testaments of love, and concrete examples of hard work.
They’re not “sellers of stuff,” but members of your community.
Maybe it’s not such a strange concept after all.
Maybe, just maybe, it’s exactly what it’s supposed to be.
Although … wouldn’t it be cool if we celebrated Small Business Saturday … every Saturday?