"Shop Local" is NOT an entitlement

    The “Shop Local” movement is wonderful.  It has done so much and brought tons of awareness and added sales for so many businesses and communities, especially small & rural towns.
Having lived and traveled all over this great big United States, I have spentmuch time in very small towns. Over the years- long before “shop local” and “shop small” became catch phrases, I noticed that a considerable amount of shop owners seem to think they are entitled to your business.

     As a business owner, in any size community, it is your prerogative to ignore customers, treat them badly or carry shoddy merchandise.  You have choices. But when you do choose to treat your customers badly you have no right to expect them to patronize your business.
   Did you know it only takes a customer 7 seconds to form an opinion of your business??

  Do not make the mistake that just because you may be the only such-and-such in xyz town, that the good folks have to shop with you.
                                                       ~Nothing could be further from the truth~

   UPS, FedX, USPS are our friends along with Amazon, EBay & Etsy and a whole host of other options that are Not YOU.  There are neighboring towns or we may just chose to save our purchase for the next trip to the city and spend ALL of our dollars there.

  People are not obligated to shop with you just because you have a business. You have to earn it.
But if you are friendly and helpful, even when you don’t have what we need, we will remember and patronize you regularly.
Try to remember that even in a small town, the people who live there do not owe you a living. It’s up to you to make us want to shop there. You have to earn it. And it will repay you ten-fold.
~Katy~