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June Commentary by Jack Wolcott
Like our recent elections, the diversity and quality of our community is directly affected by the individual buying decisions we all make each day. And just as informed voters are necessary for a representative election, so too informed consumers are critical to sustaining and nourishing a healthy business environment. A primary goal of the Corvallis Independent Business Alliance is to help people understand the reciprocal nature of local business.
One of the best parts of this equation is the “feel good” factor. Because you have made a decision to educate yourself about the differences in where you choose to shop and which products to buy, you deserve credit for making a difference in things you value and in which you believe. An educated consumer is one of the secret strengths of an independent business. We rely on our customers to appreciate the extra efforts we put into selecting our merchandise, training our staff and giving great customer service.
Price is an important part of the buying decision, but it should always be seen in perspective to your personal values. When you consider how your money multiplies when it is spent with a locally owned, independently operated business, you should feel proud that you are actively supporting your broader community — not just one business or one product. Every dollar spent locally creates almost 3½ times as much economic impact as it does when it is spent in a national chain store.
But also like an election, it is not enough for just a few well-intentioned people to participate. Similar to some of the ballot measures that require a majority vote before the result becomes valid, community support is critical. It really does “take a village” to create significant and lasting change. CIBA is not asking or expecting people to do an unrealistically disproportionate share, just do what they are able. When individuals do what they can and help others learn the significance of individual choice, then we have another multiplier effect and the benefits keep accumulating for our community.
July 1-7 is National Independents Week. Thomas Jefferson envisioned a nation of shopkeepers, so what better time to honor the hometown businesses that make our communities unique, keep entrepreneurship alive, give back to the community in time, talent, goods and services, and do so much more. It’s also a time to remind ourselves of the independent decision-making ability each of us possesses to choose the future look and feel of the place we make our home.
You can take the Indie Challenge — use Independents Week to explore your community’s independently owned businesses and see how much of your purchasing for that week you can do with them. You’ll keep your money circulating in your community more than three times as long than spending it at chains, where it leaves immediately for somewhere else. Every dollar you spend at a locally owned business helps your community in many ways.
So the old saying “If it feels good, do it” really does apply to community economics after all. If you don’t feel good with what you are doing, there is probably a valid reason for it. Each person is different and has a unique set of needs and values. You should shop where you feel appreciated and where you feel good supporting the owner’s efforts to satisfy your wants and needs. CIBA is committed to assisting you in finding your own best way to help your community and yourself feel good.
jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman, 3:34 PM [link]
April Commentary by Jack Wolcott
When is cheap cheap enough? What else do you buy when you let price determine your decisions? The Corvallis Independent Business Alliance recognizes that cost is very important in making buying decisions. But our members have also worked hard to satisfy their customers’ needs and have been in business long enough to recognize that it is usually not the only determining factor in deciding which business to patronize.
It is often a cumulative result made up of many individual experiences and personal values.
Trust, previous experience, familiarity with the staff and owner, real value, and desire to support the business all play a major role in the final decision. Our concern is that price and perceived convenience are pushing aside the other, more “people friendly” values and that someday soon we will find ourselves living in a community in which we are uncomfortable.
Once the total shopping experience, interaction with friends and the personal satisfaction of mutual support are minimized, it is not long before community quality of life is also diminished. Warehouse-type stores encourage impulse and often unnecessary purchases, they require a faster pace and high turnover, and they often depend on unrealistic expectations. The local business, by contrast, builds on customer satisfaction, owner knowledge and passion and relevance to the community.
CIBA has chosen to take a positive, education-based approach to empower consumers to make their own informed decisions. We are not necessarily against national retailers. Rather, we are for locally owned businesses. We encourage you to examine your thoughts as you wander the aisles of the giant warehouse stores: What attracts you to an item, what influences your decision to buy or not buy it, how genuine do you feel the service offered is, etc.? Do you really need everything you buy? Now do the same thing when you visit your favorite local store.
Ask yourself a couple of basic questions. How cheap is cheap enough? How fast is fast enough? How reliable is reliable enough? And how convenient is convenient enough? Now consider what else you bought at the warehouse store, how long it took you to find it, how comfortable the shopping experience was, and how your purchase contributed to the values you want your community to sustain.
A community is composed of individuals, and the values of the community are determined by the individual choices of its members. An independent business usually doesn’t succeed or fail because of a couple of great or poor seasons. It is more often the cumulative effect of people buying “just a couple of items” at a “great deal” at some national chain store.
It may not seem significant at the time, but many studies have shown the dramatic effect on a business’s bottom line of many customers buying just that one item at a small savings elsewhere. As owners, we know that everyone who patronizes our business makes a purposeful decision to support us. We are aware that we can never take this support for granted and must strive every day to deserve it. That is why CIBA firmly believes that locally owned businesses are so critical to the long-term vitality of our community.
jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman, 3:33 PM [link]
March Commentary by Jack Wolcott
I believe that Corvallis is poised at a crucial juncture in determining the quality of life for our children. It may or may not manifest itself in time to significantly affect your retirement, but it will certainly determine the basic parameters and range of choices that your children will inherit.
We must not lose control of our business environment to those who do not have a vested interest in the health, diversity and long-term prosperity of the local community. If the basic decisions of a business are determined by an impartial “outside” business plan, then local good will becomes just another commodity to be assigned a price and relative value. Tax breaks and corporate write-offs justify closing a store even though it still makes a modest profit and there is no longer any local competition because they drove them out of business earlier. Once a business is gone, it is very difficult to replace it.
Corvallis will be seeing the effects of its first “category killer” superstore this fall when Home Depot opens. We already have a few large national retailers, but they tend to focus on a specific area. The home improvement warehouse store will directly target about 30 different types of businesses!
The Corvallis Independent Business Alliance has chosen to pursue a positive, education-based approach to this encroachment. We value our community and recognize that without the community’s support, we would have no lasting foundation and little prospect for attracting and sustaining our customers.
I have written about the detrimental effects of how these national retailers send their money out of our local economy as fast as possible, so I am not going to discuss it right now. CIBA will be meeting with the different categories of businesses in the coming months as we help them find what is unique about their store and how best to position themselves for long-term survival.
I want to encourage you to work with us as we help them identify a practical business plan, any unfilled needs and how they may better serve their clientele. Talk with your favorite business and let them know that they are not alone and be practical about what level of continued business they can expect from you. Tell them what you value about them, what you think their strong points are and what you would like to see them improve upon. A business needs to know realistically if the effort will be worthwhile in the long run.
One of the best traits of independent businesses is that we tend to be passionate about what we carry and why we choose to be in business. We view our other local “competitors” as friends sharing common interests and are willing to work with each other to build a better retail environment for our community. We know we can compete successfully if we have our community’s support.
Locally owned, independently operated businesses are run by your friends and neighbors. You meet them while you do your shopping, and you see them at sporting, cultural and school events. You share common interests and mutually beneficial goals. Your kids play together. CIBA believes locally owned businesses are a community resource worth investing in and preserving.
jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman@consbio.org">jerryheilman, 3:33 PM [link]
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