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Why Buy Local when most everything is cheaper on line?

I've read that many people are very happy with the way Amazon and others do business. They say that small businesses should give up and close their doors since they can't compete. (Amazon reportedly earned $1.55 billion in shipping revenues in 2011. But, they spent $3.99 billion in shipping and fulfillment costs for a net loss of 2.4 billion dollars. Local stores cannot compete with that kind of deficit spending.)

Is Amazon using their vast resources to under price products in one industry after another to destroy their competition? That is a judgment call that each of us should make before we order from Amazon, Target, Wal-Mart and others doing the same thing on a smaller scale.

Think about what your town would be like without its small businesses. Where would you and members of your family work? What if the only store in town was Wal-Mart or a catalog store owned by Wal-Mart? Wal-Mart and fast food restaurants can only hire so many people and they don't offer a large variety of challenging jobs or internships leading to more challenging jobs and better incomes. Money spent at your local Wal-Mart does not stay in your community.

Living Social, Groupon and daily deal offers sound good, but, a small business can't stay in business selling its goods and services at or below its cost. (Big corporations sometimes sell below cost until they destroy their competition and then jack their prices up.)

Are you or someone you know (family or friend) looking for a good job? Do you have children who are tying to get their first real job? Or, who just finished high school or college and are looking for a full time job? Without small businesses where are they going to find one?

Small businesses built our wonderful country. They provide the foundation for our communities. They provide jobs, expertise and a place to go when we can't stand it anymore and need to get out of our homes or apartments.

Yes, small businesses charge more than Amazon and corporations like Wal-Mart. Because we don't ship massive amounts of products we don't qualify for the rock bottom shipping rates and below wholesale prices that corporations demand and receive. Since we don't buy millions of an item, Amazon and others can sell products retail for about the same price that we are able to purchase them wholesale. And, we don't have expensive lawyers and accountants to figure out how we can avoid paying or collecting taxes.

I read an article that stated that Amazon paid $55 million dollars just on Pay Per Click (PPC) ads in 2011. (Those are the ads that are at the top of the page when you do a Google search.) Small businesses can't compete with that level of advertising. But, we are here when you need help or advice or need to exchange a product. We speak the language you do and live in and support your community.

Our government isn't the solution, it is a big part of the problem. We can do our part by supporting our local retail businesses as much as possible. If we don't they will close and our children and grandchildren will be working for the government, big corporations, chain restaurants and the few remaining small businesses that are selling hand made items or providing services that aren't big enough to attract competition from big business.

How many store fronts are vacant in your neighborhood? Have you lost a store that you used to visit? Less than a mile from my store is a 12 store strip mall. Half the stores in that mall are gone. A bigger mall where my bank is located is almost a ghost town including a vacant building that used to host a Wal-Mart store. And the 43,000 sq foot anchor store, across from my bank, in another mall  next to Office Depot, remains empty. The store on the other side of Office Depot has also closed its doors.

All I'm asking is that you think twice before saving a dollar or two online. If losing the small businesses (that pay taxes and invest time and money in your local community) isn't important to you, than buy everything online or at Wal-Mart. But, don't complain when you are unable to buy something locally, in an emergency, because there isn't anyone left to sell it to you. 

It is our choice. What we do today will determine the quality of life and opportunities that our children and their children will inherit.

Ron Nixon - Owner
RWR Innovations LLC