Shop local

Small business is the backbone of our economy and deserves our patronage

Rockdale, like many small towns, has an economy that is improving. Recent investments have seen downtown looking better and abuzz with activity. But like any place, businesses here face their own set of challenges.

Rising costs in rent and employee insurance, the challenge of finding employees and offering wages that match the cost of living are just a few of these challenges.

But small businesses carry on through the challenges, create attractive local and visitor experiences, and keep the economic wheels turning within Milam County.

And it’s these same businesses that support the nonprofits and charitable organizations in our community. You won’t see any donation checks from Facebook, Amazon.com or Instagram or other corporate giants. It’s the “Mom and Pop Shops” that make for successful fund-raising campaigns, whether for the RISD school support, agricultural student efforts or arts support.

A drive down an interstate quickly reminds us that chain stores are everywhere, but it’s the independent small businesses that are unique and provide unique experiences and products. Small businesses have often built relationships with their customers and they carry inventory different from those in the everyday national chain store.

Shopping locally is the best way to protect our Mom and Pop shops. When you cast a ballot with your wallet, a part of that financial exchange filters down to employees, to their benefi ts, to their families. Another part goes to other local businesses, which in turn, use it to support their employees.

And a part of it goes to support local governmental efforts, which supports roads and water systems, policies that encourage development, and much more.

It’s said for every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $73 remains in the local economy. Compare that to just $43 that remains in a local economy when spent locally at a chain store and compare it to $0 when you spend $100 out of town.

This country has a bad habit of “hero worship” of corporate personalities and bigger-than-life personalities who run our largest corporations. Their skills are admirable (most of the time), but small business owners do all the same work and more, often just as successfully, but for a fraction of the publicity.

Shopping locally increases our community’s wealth, our tax revenue and, in the end, our standard of living.

Shopping locally is a win-win-win — for you, for locally owned businesses and for our community. — K.E.C.