Small business owners in your town might have spent their whole life on this business and it holds a special place in their hearts. They might have been passed down through generations and these businesses thrive on people coming in and ordering things from them instead of chains.
Right now, all non-essential business is closed down and only doing the online ordering for shops and online pickup or delivery for restaurants. This is honestly a small business owner's worst nightmare. They normally have a lot of business because people walk in and see how special the place is, which can't happen right now. Most of these owners depend on this business to pay bills, keep their family supported, and keep their small business running. The chains are a little bit different, they can afford their shop closures for a small-time because they have made so much money.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, "Forty-three percent of small-town business owners throughout the United States anticipate permanent foreclosure because they simply don't have enough money to pay their payments with the virus happening." I expect that some of them will close down and will not have enough money to reopen. I know in my personal life I love my brand name clothing and products but I never thought about until now how when I buy from those places I am just a small part of the puzzle but for small businesses, I play a big part in keeping them afloat.
Also, there is like no chance of someone wearing the same thing as you if you shop local instead of at a chain which is great; no one wants to be wearing the same outfit as someone else. It is so sad to think of someone who has spent their whole life giving back to the community who loses their business because funds are low.
The majority of the time these small business owners are the sweetest, kindest people you will ever meet. Just take some time to go to those local businesses that are able to stay open right now and buy a gift card to use once this pandemic is over. Let this be an eye-opener as to why you should always shop local. There is more to it than you just buying your one item. It means nothing to the chain stores and everything to local businesses. You are providing for the owner's family and livelihood.
So the next time you are deciding what to order in for dinner, go to that local restaurant and pick up some food and if you like it to make it a point to keep supporting while this whole pandemic is happening.
