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by Reverie de Escobedo When I was a kid growing up in a suburb of Chicago in the fifties, there was nothing quite like going to Shaw’s neighborhood grocery store for a Popsicle and some candy on a hot summer’s day or stopping to see the latest comics Mr. Shaw might have gotten in that week. And no one had a better hot soup and hot chocolate with marshmallows on top than Ma Rose’s diner, if Dad would drive us down there when the weather was nippier and our pals were on the way to the skating pond at the local park. The best part of all was that those places would run a tab for us, if need be. We were pretty well known to each other and we would pay it up the next time we were in, which would be in a day or two at the most. Everyone knew everyone. Sure, our families would do what we called a “big shop” once every two weeks at the Jewel or the IGA supermarket, but what kept us going for our daily needs were the small stores dotted here and there, up one street and down the next, and not just for food, either. We could get just the right present for our friends or the latest gadget at any of two or three places and we could hardly wait to see what surprises would appear at any given time. Well, we don’t have to live in the “olden days” to enjoy the benefits of neighborhood shops, people who know us, and the joys of feeling at home. In Santa Fe and across the nation, we can all be a part of the community spirit and that sense of belonging right here and now, by taking advantage of the wonderful local shops and businesses in our home towns. Thanks to the growing number of independent local business alliances such as the Santa Fe Independent Business and Community Alliance, more and more people are becoming aware of the need for all of us to appreciate, no, cherish and nurture what we have, before it is too late, and to even help our communities to grow and to prosper, so that we and our children, and those who come after them, can benefit from what small businesses have to offer. Now, some people may think that small businesses don’t have the selection that giant stores do. That’s because they just need to look at things in a new way. In Santa Fe, as in other communities, if you venture in to our large number of unique, creative and interesting shops, you’ll find items that bigger chain stores don’t often choose because they are looking for the common denominator, for what only a wider crowd might pick. So, you will find that special scarf, that one-of a-kind pin, the CD that your eclectic music lover may not have heard, those unusual shoes in a tone of blue that matches your eyes - all things that no one else will have, precious expressions made by local artisans or hand selected by caring merchants. Another plus is that you will not have to look like everybody else and their brother or sister because you can also find unique clothing and accessories at many locally owned places. And, no one is rushing you. Someone is actually talking with you, perhaps a neighbor, maybe a new friend who shares your interests. You are also helping to preserve the local culture when you purchase the wonderful handcrafted objects that have been so lovingly worked on. And someone who specializes in what you are looking for may know just where to look. If you don’t see what you need, it can be ordered. You may protest that prices aren’t as low as in bargain barns. On the surface, this may be true. But let’s look at the bigger picture. When a large store comes to town, it hires some local people, but it sends many of its jobs out of town. For example, its accountants, bankers, carpenters, architects, suppliers, managers, etc. are from out of town or even out of state. These are the higher paying positions. The lower paying positions go to townspeople. And, fewer people are employed than had been employed in the local businesses, businesses that may need to close because they cannot compete with the bigger chain stores. So, for every three jobs created, three or four are actually lost. The money that you spend in these huge chain stores is actually just money that you have stopped spending in local businesses - money that used to go to your neighbors who used to employ local bankers, accountants, carpenters, etc., in their local businesses. This same money also used to circulate within your community again and again to help pay for parks and roads, improved services and other city needs. The sense of community and the feeling of belonging, of seeing your friends and neighbors as you enter this or that shop, the activities you go to with your children, the special services that are provided for you by professionals and the smaller businesses may be gone before you know it. And along with their disappearance will come a sense of longing that you may not even realize is there, it’s just a feeling of wishing that “the good ol’ days” were here again and how did they disappear and when? Luckily for us, Santa Fe has a larger than average number of small businesses, but bigger stores are growing and employing more and more local people. It is up to all of us to take action to make sure that we are not among those who wish for what was. Luckily, we can make Santa Fe, or you can make your hometown, a town that is successful in maintaining a sense of community and a feeling of belonging, and become known as a small business community. You can do your part quite easily. Shop locally whenever you can. In Santa Fe, you can get “The Link,” a directory of local businesses that are members of the Santa Fe Independent Business and Community Alliance. Check the SFIBCA web site, www.santafealliance.com, for ideas on ways to support our local businesses and read the “Angelou Report on Santa Fe Businesses” to find ways to work with “box” stores since they are going to come into the community anyway . If you are an educator, you can build lesson plans around the ways small businesses support local communities. Whether you live in Santa Fe or somewhere else, you can visit the AMIBA web site, www.AMIBA.net, to learn more about the importance of doing business locally and to find out if an independent business alliance exists in your hometown. Action, education and awareness are the keys to change, keys that can open many doors. It’s up to us to turn those keys and open those doors. This isn’t just about economics. It is a whole new way of thinking that can change the way we live. Once our minds are open to the possibilities, our wallets are open to the benefits and our hearts are open to the joy – and, we will all be better off thanks to shopping locally.
GO TO THE REST OF THE SPRING 2004 NEWSLETTER
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