It’s Your Fault “Main Street” is Dying
By: Shaun Black
Tags: Entrepreneurship, The Ascent, Marketing, Community, Digital Marketing

Before we get into this, full disclosure: Yes, I shop at Amazon. And Target. And Costco. Clearly, I’m not a loony, ranting hippie. I see the undeniable value that a consolidated-supply-chain-mega-retail-opolie creates. Things cost less, and if I’m lucky the trip to retrieve my goods doesn’t require a car, but rather a leisurely stroll to my own front door.

The thing is, I hate patronizing online stores and big boxes because I can’t escape the feeling that my choices are literally killing my community.

Perhaps I’m just feeling nostalgic today, but recently I’ve been thinking about “main streets.” You kThere’s the diner next to the bookstore next to the corner grocery next to the office supply store…

It’s beautiful.

It’s romantic.

And mostly notably, it’s endangered.

Though economies tend to grow over time, in the short run, they’re pretty much a zero-sum game. When you show up to the office tomorrow morning and notice you’re running short on paperclips, you have a choice: Get in the car and drive to Ol’ Millie’s Office Supply or just buy these.

You know what I’m talking about:

Sure, it takes less than 30 seconds to find the paperclips on Amazon. But Millie has been a cornerstone of the community for decades. Her father sat on the city council. Her daughter went to the same high school you went to. When the town flooded — you remember that, don’t you? — who was right next to you sandbagging?

Yes, Amazon is slightly less expensive and more convenient, but somehow that seems less important these days. Our communities don’t need drone delivery, but they desperately need more of Millie.

Only one company can get the sale; only one company gets your money. Choose wisely.

If all this seems a bit preachy, maybe it’s because I struggle mightily with this. Especially as an entrepreneur working with companies in their nascent stages, the siren’s call of savings can be difficult to overcome. But these choices are beginning to weigh on me. It breaks my heart to see things like this:

So I’ve decided to rethink my priorities. It’s easy to always select the lowest cost provider, but it’s clear that this can no longer be the only consideration. In addition to price, here’s what I’ll be considering from here on out:

Customer Service.

This is the primary way that local companies can compete. Local companies need to acknowledge that they have a “home field advantage” when competing against the industry titans. Understanding the needs of local families and businesses allows for a more seamless service experience, and, in the rare cases where something goes wrong, working with a local purveyor has obvious advantages.

Economic Interdependence.

The entrepreneur in me has a deep and abiding respect for open markets, but the fact is that economies are like ecosystems in that when one part of them fails, it’s rarely isolated. As we saw during our last two major recessions, one involving housing and one involving technology, the rot spreads. The best way to backstop against major economic disasters and strengthen community is to patronize like-minded organizations. This includes hiring service providers that are active in the community. To be clear, I’m not saying that all spending should be local. But I am saying that I’d rather do business with people recognizing the ethical quandaries inherent in spending choices, as well as those inclined to make choices that benefit our slowly wilting main streets.

Community Service.

When local non-profits want to improve our communities, their top fundraising targets are local businesses. If a business that I patronize doesn’t donate some of their financial resources back to the community, that’s their fault. If a business doesn’t have the resources to donate because I didn’t patronize them, it’s tough not to think that’s my fault.

Let me say this as straight-forward as possible:

Local businesses are often less convenient, more time-consuming, and more expensive.

But after writing this, I don’t care nearly as much about that. Why?

Because local businesses care more. About me, my business, and our shared community.

If you agree, share this article, follow me for future rants, or give a shout out to your favorite small, local business in the comments. Who knows, if the nostalgia continues, maybe I’ll do a post on one of them in the future…

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Shaun Black is a serial entrepreneur and the Founder of KOHA. Catch his entrepreneur interview video series, “When in Doubt” on Facebook.