Small business mortality is a fact of life, but the success of the small business is vital to our local economy and for creating the charming characteristics of Athens.
When I first came to Athens in 1974 good jobs were abundant – Westinghouse, Reliance, DuPont and Certainteed, to name a few, were always advertising for workers. My first job in Athens was working weekends at DuPont; a great paying part-time job that provided opportunities for growth and advancement. But as the manufacturing and service industry continue to export jobs at an alarming rate; our local economy becomes more dependent on small business. Since my time at DuPont, I have been involved with small businesses in Athens for nearly 30 years and have first-hand knowledge of the struggles and obstacles they face.
The first obstacle occurred in the 80’s with expanding urban sprawl and the birth of the Mall. But even though the mall changed the nature of the game, there was still a playing field for small businesses. Many businesses had the opportunity to relocate to the mall, but for some, relocating was not an option due to current lease obligations, high mall rents, long operating hours, and mundane mall environments. The uniform set up of the Mall takes away from the unique character each business had established in their stores. Independent stores outside the mall were forced to evolve to avoid becoming extinct.
Shortly after the malls, came the “big box” specialty stores with tons of merchandise, huge advertising campaigns, gimmick pricing, constant sales and little service. These mega stores did not just change how and where consumers shopped, they destroyed the entire retail playing field. But, because price is everything to these mega stores, and service and quality do not matter, they leave a small opening in which small businesses can compete.
With the proliferation of malls, big box and chain stores and consumers becoming used to little or no service, the Internet boomed. With Internet sales over 10 billion last year and climbing, small businesses must either find away to compete against the web, get a web presence or lose sales.
The small businesses of our community help define the character of Athens; they create jobs, generate tax income, partner with our schools, volunteer and give generously to charities. But battered by big department stores, malls, big box stores, internet sales and now the housing and economic slump, I again bring up the question - how much more can our local small businesses endure?
Our local business owners are passionate about their businesses; they’re not looking for sympathy or governmental handouts, they’re asking for a chance to compete and to show that quality and service do matter. The next time you need a T.J Maxx or Olive Garden fix, try one of our local shops and restaurants instead and discover the heart of Athens.
