Giving Outside of the Box…

I received a creative email from my friend, Terri O’Brien, the other day. Terri and her husband Tim are the owners of Alphabet Soup in downtown Wake Forest.  Alphabet Soup carries educational supplies for teachers and home schooling families as well as great choices of children toys, puzzles and games to stimulate growing minds. Her message was simple, shop “outside the box” …the big box that is! In this email she was encouraging her customers to do their shopping in downtown Wake Forest and support the small and family owned businesses of our downtown. This allows, she points out, more fun, less hassle and a great shopping experience and more unique gifts to choose from than you are likely to find anywhere else.

One might think that message is self serving to the merchants of downtown, but I realize it is just the opposite. Later that evening I was glancing over my daughters Senior paper about Entrepreneurship. In her paper she points out that not only are small businesses responsible for more job creation in our economy than any other sector, but also that local merchants have a vested interest in the health of their community in which they do business.

On the flip side, a big business will abandon a community if profit margins do not meet their expectations, often leaving behind jobless family members and empty eyesores that are almost impossible to fill.

So really, in reality, shopping at our small mom and pop businesses is more a benefit to the community than it is to mom and pop. Every day our small business owners are employing your neighbors, giving to local community charities and schools, and making your community a better place to live, work and play.

Add that to the benefits that Terri pointed out of better selection, better service and an enjoyable shopping experience and you know you can’t lose by shopping this holiday season in downtown Wake Forest!

We look forward to serving you in our store this season!

Elizabeth Johnson