Dear Small Business Owner:
Thank you.
Thank you for being part of what gives our town the flavor it has. Thank you for giving people a reason (outside of family) to come visit.
Thank you for making sure the kids have a sponsor for their sports teams because it helps defray the cost for struggling parents and while we’re talking about sponsorships, thank you for the donations you make to our school PTAs and the events you sponsor. We couldn’t do them without your help. Few people know how little the cost per student funding is.
Thank you for providing your delicious items, professional services, or unique gift ideas. You’ve baled us out of more last-minute situations than we care to remember, and each time you do, the recipient remarks on how thoughtful the gift is. That makes us feel good. Thanks for not charging extra for that.
Thank you for working the long hours it takes to get a small business off the ground. Thank you for employing our community and giving us the option to work close to home. Thank you for the money you contribute to our tax base. Few people think about that when they need our fire department or police officers. Your taxes help with that, too.
Thanks for helping us keep costs down by providing what we need close-by. We know there are probably times when you struggle to open, because like the rest of us you wonder if you’re doing the right thing. You are small business owner. You are.
There are so many things you touch in our town and yet so few of us understand the importance of shopping local. We love to talk about it but we don’t always take the time to think about what our town would be like if we lost you. Bruce Springsteen summed it up brilliantly when he painted a grim picture of a community without business in his song, “My Hometown.”
“Now Main Street’s whitewashed windows and vacant stores
Seems like there ain’t nobody wants to come down here no more”
With out you, small business owner, there’d be a hole in our local economy. There’d be a vacancy in our leisure time.
We need you and you need us and together we make a beautiful community.
See you tomorrow small business owner, or better yet, we’ll see you later today and every day.
#SmallBiz365
