If you were downtown this past Saturday, you likely saw quite the bustle of activity along the streets. Ironton aLive organized its second Small Business Saturday event, and it was by all accounts, a huge success.

We thank everyone who made an effort to stop in downtown, decorate a cookie, take a picture with Santa, and most importantly, for shopping in our locally owned businesses. The main purpose of the event, however, was to remind us that we must support our local business owners if we hope to continue the improvements our city is seeing.

If you have ever helped your child sell a football program ad, a placemat ad, a box of candy bars, Little League sponsorship, or any other of the various activities that require fundraising to accomplish, you have most likely asked for a financial commitment from at least a few of the local business owners in Ironton. Most of those business owners are faithful supporters of such endeavors, both financially and physically.

So, if we are willing to ask so much of local business owners, we should be willing to make purchases at their shops as well. We shouldn’t expect businesses to continually contribute to everything we do without the reciprocation of giving them our business.

As a friend said recently, try getting a big box chain store to sponsor your local youth baseball team.

So as we close out another successful event, please remember that you don’t need a special day to “shop small.” Change your mindset of needing to “run to X-store” to get something, and think about what local shop might carry what you are looking for. You may be surprised at the service, price, and convenience of shopping locally.

Let’s continue Small Business Saturday right through the rest of the year, and make it a habit to think local, dine local and shop local. Let’s support those who support us so well.

 

Jon Ferguson

Executive director of Ironton aLive