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The fragility of small and local

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Staff

The recent announcements of the closings of two small, locally owned and operated businesses is a somber wake-up call that even in our relatively insulated community, the poor economy is taking a real toll.

We’re all used to seeing some regular turnover of small businesses in our college-oriented towns, particularly in downtown Chapel Hill. But this feels different.

A bike shop and a coworking facility – perhaps they’ll rise again. We sure hope so. But it’s tough out there right now, as our local small-business owners and operators will readily tell you.

Sure, Cycle 9 can carry on as an Internet business, but shouldn’t our bike-crazy community be able to support two bike stores in Carrboro?

Carrboro Creative Coworking is essentially an incubator for other small, local businesses. Its failure cannot bode well for the health of our smaller operators.

From the viewpoint of our larger local economy, it may not seem so significant that these two businesses are closing, but both Carrboro Creative Coworking and Cycle 9 have business plans that were vetted by the Small Business & Technology Center and the Town of Carrboro, and received money from the Carrboro Revolving Loan Fund. These aren’t fly-by-night operations. [Full disclosure: The Citizen also received a loan from this fund in 2009.]

To further complicate matters, the $100 million budget cut to the university and the ideological budget battle being waged in Congress make it unlikely that the economic pressure on our small independent businesses will abate any time soon. Small operations just hanging on in the hope that the economy will improve have more tough decisions ahead.

So should we just sit around and watch as our prized local businesses wither and die?

Absolutely not. It’s time to get out your wallets or reach into your pocketbooks and spend some money.

The plan put forth by The 3/50 Project is a good place to start your personal economic stimulus plan. This plan asks that you think about which three local businesses you’d really miss if they were gone, and to spend $50 each month with them.

Can’t afford $50? Make it $25 – or whatever amount you can – to help keep three local spots that enhance your life from going under. Got more than three local shops you love? Share your wealth with all of them.

Do it on purpose, and do it now. Hesitate, and more businesses will be lost.

What this is really about is acknowledging that this poor economy may be the new economy, at least for a good while. As dollars become harder to come by, it means that we as a community must value and support our local economy by spending our money wisely, and, once again, on purpose.

Our local shopkeepers, farmers, professionals and tradespeople are our neighbors and our friends. They enhance our lives in more ways than we can count, helping make our community the wonderful place it is. To support them is to support our way of life.

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