Small businesses

[Upgradable]

Is the small businessman, private store owner, still the cornerstone of the American economy?

We''ve grown into such a big box culture. Is that better or worse for us?

How do you feel about shopping at either establishment? What are your views?

 

[MonkeyPie]

I actually really like buying from small businesses - I feel like I''m helping them succeed a lot more than if I went to a "big box" store where I was just a number.

 

[Burberrygirl]

I like buying from small businesses. My dad is a small business owner

 

[luckystar112]

Add me to the small business lovers.

Right now I live in an area that is surrounded by big box stores at every turn...Walmarts, Targets, Home Depots, Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, etc. I hate it. There is nothing like strolling along a quaint downtown with lots of shops and pretty things to look at...homemade meals, used books, tiny boutiques, etc.

Last year my DH and I vowed not to do any of our Christmas shopping at a mall or big box store, and it was really fun searching for treasures at the little mom and pop''s. I think we''ll probably do it again this year.

 

[LGK]

As a small business owner, I'm definitely strongly pro-other-small-business. I do my best to avoid shopping at huge chain stores, especially for holiday shopping. But Target gets me occasionally!

I also try to get gas and do most of my shopping in the small town I live in; can't hurt to support the local economy as much as I can.

I never buy makeup from drugstores or department stores- always small businesses usually on the net.

Off topic but I can say that the property taxes and utilities have skyrocketed for our business. Like horrifically. It has hurt a LOT. Like, our water bill was $2500/2 month period, now it's $6200. In a two year period. OUCH.

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 11/6/2009 3:46:30 PM
Author: luckystar112
Add me to the small business lovers.


Right now I live in an area that is surrounded by big box stores at every turn...Walmarts, Targets, Home Depots, Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, etc. I hate it. There is nothing like strolling along a quaint downtown with lots of shops and pretty things to look at...homemade meals, used books, tiny boutiques, etc.


Last year my DH and I vowed not to do any of our Christmas shopping at a mall or big box store, and it was really fun searching for treasures at the little mom and pop''s. I think we''ll probably do it again this year.

Lucky, knowing where you''re from, it''s a HUGE change, isn''t it, to go from quaint little shops to nothing but big box stores? I can relate. I mean, sure, we have big box stores where I grew up (not far from you), but I love the smaller ones.

 

[princesss]

I definitely prefer small, local places to big box stores. However, right now price is my biggest motivator and I can''t afford most of the small places that I love.

 

[Haven]

We try to buy from small, locally owned businesses whenever possible. I hate it that I can go to many different parts of the country and they look exactly like a million other faceless suburbs and towns that I''ve visited because they''re filled with all the same stores.

One of the big motivators for buying our home where we did was the active "downtown" area filled with small businesses. Our town is really good at promoting our local businesses, and we''re proud to live in a place that values small business owners.

 

[D&T]

Date: 11/6/2009 4:10:33 PM
Author: LittleGreyKitten
As a small business owner, I''m definitely strongly pro-other-small-business. I do my best to avoid shopping at huge chain stores, especially for holiday shopping. But Target gets me occasionally!

I also try to get gas and do most of my shopping in the small town I live in; can''t hurt to support the local economy as much as I can.

I never buy makeup from drugstores or department stores- always small businesses usually on the net.

Off topic but I can say that the property taxes and utilities have skyrocketed for our business. Like horrifically. It has hurt a LOT. Like, our water bill was $2500/2 month period, now it''s $6200. In a two year period. OUCH.

add me to the list, as a once small business owner myself.

LGK- hopefully your landlord (if you are leasing a space) is protesting the property taxes with the county, we do these every year as the property taxes are calculated in arrears and doesn''t get billed until at least 1-2 years later, so its slowly catching up but hopefully with down turn in the economy the taxes will slightly be reduced in the upcoming years.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

I do NOT shop at Walmart, but admit I do a monthly stock-up of stuff at Target.

Cat food: I was buying my cats' special cat food from a local shop and they were charging $22 a bag. Well, the other day in Petsmart, I found it for $15. That's just too big of a price difference for me to keep shopping at the local store.

Human food: The primary grocery store I go to only has stores in the NW, so it's semi-locally owned. They have the best prices and I like the store the best and know a lot of the employees from going there so long. I hate going to any of the other stores because they charge too much and with a family of four, price IS a factor for me. Like I said, I won't and absolutely REFUSE to go to Walmart to save a few dollars.

Fish products: I split half a small local store and half regular retail box stores.

For books and stuff, I try and buy them all used. My favorite is Half Priced Books. I just checked. . .I thought they were local, but apparently they have 16 stores nationwide. Still it's a relaxed atmosphere w/out stuffy B&N workers with attitude.

Oh, and a lot of local businesses around my area have gone under over the last year and I've been into most of the retailers and they charged WAY too much for stuff! One was an antique store. My friend's mom worked there for a while and they admitted they'd go to thrift stores, buy stuff, and then take the items to the antique store and mark them up to insane amounts.

 

[LGK]

Date: 11/6/2009 4:38:23 PM
Author: D&T

Date: 11/6/2009 4:10:33 PM
Author: LittleGreyKitten
As a small business owner, I''m definitely strongly pro-other-small-business. I do my best to avoid shopping at huge chain stores, especially for holiday shopping. But Target gets me occasionally!

I also try to get gas and do most of my shopping in the small town I live in; can''t hurt to support the local economy as much as I can.

I never buy makeup from drugstores or department stores- always small businesses usually on the net.

Off topic but I can say that the property taxes and utilities have skyrocketed for our business. Like horrifically. It has hurt a LOT. Like, our water bill was $2500/2 month period, now it''s $6200. In a two year period. OUCH.

add me to the list, as a once small business owner myself.

LGK- hopefully your landlord (if you are leasing a space) is protesting the property taxes with the county, we do these every year as the property taxes are calculated in arrears and doesn''t get billed until at least 1-2 years later, so its slowly catching up but hopefully with down turn in the economy the taxes will slightly be reduced in the upcoming years.

Yeah, we own our own property at least, but the appeal process sucksssss. They will get back to us in a year and a half on it, basically, and meanwhile we have to pay the jacked up rates. They have our building valued at about 3X the appraised value

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 11/6/2009 1:07:24 PM
Author:Upgradable
Is the small businessman, private store owner, still the cornerstone of the American economy?

We've grown into such a big box culture. Is that better or worse for us?

How do you feel about shopping at either establishment? What are your views?

Hm, I have mixed feelings on this topic. I worked for a successful small business (clothing/denim boutique) for 5 years. I still work there on some Saturdays now. (Can't give up that discount!) I think the store is successful because it offers product and expertise that are hard to find at a big box store or the mall. We carry many lines that are only in boutiques or higher end chains that aren't in my area. The prices are relatively reasonable and we make sure to stay competitive with big box stores. If a small business doesn't have anything to set itself apart from a big box chain, it's probably going to lose out to big box stores eventually.

I think a big problem small business face is with wholesale pricing. When you only order 6 or 12 of something, you don't get as good of a price from these companies as when you order 1000. So with certain brands without a set MSRP you could find yourself priced higher than a big chain, and not because you marked up the item too high. If this happened we would call out the sales reps and tell them they needed to sell us the items at a similar cost so we could price the items like the larger retailers did. Most of them would, probably because boutiques are what often build the reputation of a line and keep them relevant. A lot of times a line will do well in a boutique and then stores like Nordstrom and Saks find out about the lines (sometimes from shopping local boutiques!) and try to get them. Every now and then an independent line will refuse to sell to department stores, but most of them cave when they see a check for a million dollars.

Sorry, I got off on a tangent there! As far as where I prefer to shop, of course it's at a small business. I live in the city and there actually aren't any big box stores close by so it works out great! If a small business has good product and is priced competitively, I definitely will shop there. I actually haven't been shopping at a mall in months and even the grocery store I prefer is locally owned. (It's a small chain, but that's what happens when you're good!) I do tend to buy home goods/furniture from bigger chains, though. (Ikea, West Elm, Crate and Barrel, CB2, Target, etc.) I don't have any local home goods stores that aren't insanely expensive so the big boxes win there!

 

[luckystar112]

Date: 11/6/2009 4:23:09 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett

Lucky, knowing where you''re from, it''s a HUGE change, isn''t it, to go from quaint little shops to nothing but big box stores? I can relate. I mean, sure, we have big box stores where I grew up (not far from you), but I love the smaller ones.

Absolutely. Here in Houston, I think a big part of it is the lack of zoning. That, and the further away from downtown you get the more big box stores you see. I swear there are 3 home depots within a 5 mile radius of us.

We didn''t even have a Walmart in my town when I was growing up, we had to go a few towns over. lol. The last time I went home I saw that a whole section had been dedicated to big box stores, but the small shops are still located on the coast and in the little downtown area, so at least there is SOME character there.

 

[Upgradable]

Date: 11/6/2009 9:52:30 PM
Author: thing2of2


Hm, I have mixed feelings on this topic. I worked for a successful small business (clothing/denim boutique) for 5 years. I still work there on some Saturdays now. (Can''t give up that discount!) I think the store is successful because it offers product and expertise that are hard to find at a big box store or the mall. We carry many lines that are only in boutiques or higher end chains that aren''t in my area. The prices are relatively reasonable and we make sure to stay competitive with big box stores. If a small business doesn''t have anything to set itself apart from a big box chain, it''s probably going to lose out to big box stores eventually.

I think a big problem small business face is with wholesale pricing. When you only order 6 or 12 of something, you don''t get as good of a price from these companies as when you order 1000. So with certain brands without a set MSRP you could find yourself priced higher than a big chain, and not because you marked up the item too high. If this happened we would call out the sales reps and tell them they needed to sell us the items at a similar cost so we could price the items like the larger retailers did. Most of them would, probably because boutiques are what often build the reputation of a line and keep them relevant. A lot of times a line will do well in a boutique and then stores like Nordstrom and Saks find out about the lines (sometimes from shopping local boutiques!) and try to get them. Every now and then an independent line will refuse to sell to department stores, but most of them cave when they see a check for a million dollars.

Sorry, I got off on a tangent there! As far as where I prefer to shop, of course it''s at a small business. I live in the city and there actually aren''t any big box stores close by so it works out great! If a small business has good product and is priced competitively, I definitely will shop there. I actually haven''t been shopping at a mall in months and even the grocery store I prefer is locally owned. (It''s a small chain, but that''s what happens when you''re good!) I do tend to buy home goods/furniture from bigger chains, though. (Ikea, West Elm, Crate and Barrel, CB2, Target, etc.) I don''t have any local home goods stores that aren''t insanely expensive so the big boxes win there!

I don''t think this is a tangent at all!! I''m really committed to shop locally if at all possible! And even though price is a major consideration in this economy, I''m willing to take a slight hit shopping at a small business when I factor in the value of expertise, employment and support of local youth, and overall reinfusing the capital into the local economy!!!

 

[Elmorton]

Uppy, watch the documentary Corporation - it''s terrifying, and basically explains how American gov''t has created the demise of the small business owner.

It''s funny, but DH and I have never said "We won''t shop at big box stores, local only!" but we simply prefer going to local business or locally owned franchises because of the better quality of items and service - so it just happens that way. Though absolutely love Target (I know it''s pretty much just as bad as Walmart), typically department stores (with the exception of Von Maur, but where I live, Von Maur IS locally owned!) and big box stores both drive me a little batty in terms of the shopping experience itself. I feel rushed and overwhelmed and I don''t like that.

DH and I are taking a mini vacay before Xmas this year, so all of our gifts are coming from our destination''s really fun downtown shopping area, which is nearly all private and local business.

 

[purrfectpear]

Neither really. I''m strictly online. Other than groceries and restaurants, I don''t think I''ve been inside an actual store more than 3 or 4 times a year max. A little surfing, a couple of clicks, and then the mailman delivers. Books, movies, clothing, furniture, and jewelry. I love online. It cuts down on impulse purchases too.

 

[Arcadian]

We tend to buy the majority of our food from local farms. It tastes better than the stuff at the grocery store for the most part, and I like the thought of supporting family farms in our area(we have quite a few). Most everything else I purchase on the internet.


-A

 

[Octavia]

I support small businesses whenever I can, and I'm willing to pay a bit more in order to do it. Sometimes, though, the cost difference is just ridiculous and pushes me to bigger chains. I always feel a little guilty about it, but I try to balance financial responsibility to our family with financial responsibility to our community. I don't like the idea of lining the pockets of a corporate executive several states away when the money could be cycled back through the local economy instead.

Fortunately, the city I live in has a lot of small businesses (though they've definitely been hit by the economy). All of our cat's food and most of his supplies come from a couple independently-owned shops. We shop at local farmers' markets when they're open, and get a lot of our meat from a buying club (sort of like a CSA -- once a month, we place an order with the farm, whose agricultural practices we strongly support, and then they drop the orders off at a location nearby, where we pick up and pay). For other groceries, I do mostly shop at Whole Foods because there's a dearth of groceries around us, and the bodegas just don't cut it. I do make the occasional purchase at bodegas and at the massively overpriced small grocery store nearby, though, because it's nice to have them around when there's no time to get to a real grocery store. There's also an amazing hardware store a few blocks away that's like Mary Poppins' carpet bag -- it looks tiny, but it has everything! We mostly shop there over Lowes/Home Depot. We try to shop at independent and/or used bookstores and record stores whenever possible.

The one type of item I just can't get away from big retailers for is clothing. Unfortunately, around here, independently owned clothing store = "boutique" = well out of my budget. For the moment, at least, I'm stuck with the sale racks at Ann Taylor Loft for most of my clothing purchases...

 

[Diamond*Dana]

I am a small business owner and also like to support other small business owners...every little bit helps!

 

[miraclesrule]

I can''t stand "StripMall America". Blech...

But even as I say this, I ca''t imagine not having a Costco around the corner.

I adore small boutiques and shops from gardening to food. They are so quaint and friendly and I feel more community oriented when I shop in them.

I also hate it when I travel across the entire U.S. and everything looks the same as is does back home. The same ole, same ole...

Walmart, Old Navy, Payless Shoe Store, PetCo, Applebees (at least our bar is open on Sundsys though)

Blah, blah, blah.......

Boring.

Small business...all the way!

 

[April20]

I enjoy purchasing from small businesses when it makes sense. If I believe in their business, feel it''s important to the community and provides goods/services at a fair prices, I''ll gladly patronize it. I won''t, however, support a small business if I think their prices are unreasonably high or they don''t treat me well when I shop there.

I live in an area with a lot of locally owned restaurants, coffee houses, doggie places, etc. It really adds to our community and neighborhood and I would not want them to disappear. There are a few "big box" stores in the area, but the local places seem to be thriving as well.

 

[miraclesrule]

Not to mention it just scares me...the whole Big Box thing reminds me of WALL E.

 

[Skippy123]

Ugh, this reminded me of a conversation I had not too long ago w/someone. I was talking to this guy who is living in Ireland right now for a couple of years for a job and I thought, wow, it must be wonderful.

He told me no, it isn't because there are no Walmarts.

I looked at him and was in shock!!!!

Anyway, I love small businesses and try my hardest to only eat at local restaurants (no Olive Gardens, TGIF, or other chains if I can help it).

I do shop at Target, TJ's and Costco but I do buy from a local bookstore and always local restaurants. The sad thing is we don't really have local places that replace Target. I do buy from our farmers market. Hubby buys wood from a local lumber yard and computer stuff from a local computer store.

 

[iheartscience]

Date: 11/7/2009 11:18:40 AM
Author: purrfectpear
Neither really. I''m strictly online. Other than groceries and restaurants, I don''t think I''ve been inside an actual store more than 3 or 4 times a year max. A little surfing, a couple of clicks, and then the mailman delivers. Books, movies, clothing, furniture, and jewelry. I love online. It cuts down on impulse purchases too.

Ha, if only that were true for me! I also shop online a lot but I''m way more likely to impulse buy online than in a store!

 

[Upgradable]

Me too, thingy! It''s way easier to just click a button than to get dressed, get in the car, drive to the store, then wait in the checkout line.....