It is a new day in the business world. After the economic boom recently experienced in this country, today’s state of affairs could look to many CEO’s like a serious crisis. It has in fact proven devastating for several large corporations and major retailers across the country. Our region is certainly feeling the effects of today’s economic problems, especially with the State of California being among those making drastic changes in wages. If you think it is frightening for corporate retailers, imagine how the small businesses in the Sierras must be feeling. Dare to take a look with me at how devastating the effects could be on the local merchants and the people who live and vacation here and then to flip the coin to take a look at what good news we can all bring to this table.
For many of us in this Nor Cal region of the Sierras, there are only a handful of small businesses in our home town. Imagine if the only grocery store closed in one of these small communities. This could easily mean an extra hour of driving to a nearby town every time a guy needs groceries. Suppose the gas station you count on suddenly realizes the effects of a torn up economy and closes its doors. There are many businesses that our small communities rely on and the time is NOW to show our support for the businesses in our communities.
Now, take a look with me if you will into how much of an effect we could really have in our little nook of the Sierras if we all just began to shop locally more. It is an unfortunate fact that many people in our mountain region have long chosen to do much of their shopping out of the area. Just by recognizing an important need and shifting a good portion of those purchases to the mom and pop businesses they depend on, we could actually strengthen our economy to a level exceeding anything it has seen before, even in this economy. I can see the headlines now, “Northeastern CA Refuses to Take Part in Recession.”
Likewise for businesses, it is a new day as well. Successful companies across America are reaching out for an extra piece of the market and if they are wise, they are paying close attention to the needs of their current customers. The easiest revenue to get is the repeat business you have come to enjoy for years, and are counting on for years to come. In this new day, even old, good customers are most likely taking a second look at their expenses and where to trim them. Take some steps to enhance your business. It is being done all over the mountain and it is encouraging to see local businesses banding together and so many individual businesses working hard to attract more customers and provide even better customer service.
