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Commerce builds communities

By Becky McCray

What do customers want? Doing business makes us think about other people’s perspective. Photo by Deb Brown, used by permission.

 

You’ve probably heard me say this one before:

The best way to save your town is to start your own small business.

I have four reasons that back that up:

  1. You’ll decide what values to put first
  2. More small businesses means more jobs*
  3. Locally-owned businesses are the key to local prosperity*
  4. You’ll return more of what you earn to the local economy*

*Research-backed conclusions. Read more here: Want to help save your small town? Start your own business.

Now I have a fifth reason, and it’s a bit deeper.

Buying and selling requires us to talk to each other.

Community happens when people talk to each other. We’re rebuilding social capital while we’re chatting over a purchase. I see value in building bonds like this.

And there’s a deeper level.

Selling something requires us to think about other people.

We have to think about what other people will like, what they will buy. That is thinking about another person’s perspective. That’s a valuable skill. I’ve been considering lately how many large challenges we face as a society that come down to not thinking from other people’s perspectives. Our communities could use more empathy.

So you’ll be hearing me say this one now:

Local commerce rebuilds community.

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About Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.
  • How cooperatives improve small town economies - May 8, 2022
  • Metaverse business idea: virtual world tour guide - April 15, 2022
  • Make extra money from extra workspace: co-working and 3rd workplaces in small towns - March 28, 2022
  • Trade show booth design trend: hand drawn visuals - March 21, 2022
  • New business sign design? Don’t use cursive script - February 14, 2022
  • Way more people prefer rural than urban, new Pew Research study finds - February 1, 2022
  • Top 5 Rural and small town trends 2022 - January 3, 2022
  • How to start a real small small business - December 17, 2021
  • Tip for better pop-ups and shed businesses - December 5, 2021
  • Small town business idea: cat grooming - November 15, 2021

September 10, 2018 Filed Under: community, economic development, entrepreneurship, rural

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