Can we prevent another small business from closing?

by Lori Trotter

It has been a little while since I've written. My crazy life has a way of getting in the way, and many days I am just trying to keep my head above water. 

But I have something to share that I don't think people are talking about enough. Small business is tough in our present economy, and for all the small business owners out there, my hat goes off to you! There is a misconception that if you own a small business, you have it made. In many ways, this couldn't be farther from the truth.

Many people love visiting small, independently owned stores, coffee shops & restaurants found in area downtowns. Through the years, I thought it would be fun to own & run a small store. I've learned these past months it is fun but it is A LOT of work! My favorite thing about the retail side of UpStyled Goods is getting to tell people that we sell items made locally, in NC, or Made in the USA. I also love sharing why we only sell goods made here, as our family has seen firsthand what overseas production has done to so many great people, colleagues and their businesses. 

Overseas production and online shopping changed everything for "Mom and Pop" shops. It also changed things for U.S. manufacturing. Our family runs both - a small store/salon and a contract cut & sew business. Since the pandemic, managing Trotters Sewing Company at times feels like a roller coaster ride in the dark with all kinds of twists and turns. It's difficult to predict sales because things change so quickly. With the retail store that features local merchandise as well as our own upcycled goods, it has felt overwhelming. I knew it would be tough, and I'm okay with tough, but I wasn't fully prepared for how difficult it would be to support these businesses financially in our post pandemic economy. 

I've joked with my husband that we chose the worst possible time to open a small retail store. Since opening in October of 2023, a new boutique in Downtown Asheboro has already closed and another is closing after 8 years of business. I also read that a boutique in Archdale is closing after six years of business. This week, I was forwarded a post from a friend about a small bakery in Charlotte. The owner wrote, "If things don't turn around, we're done." She shared there were others in the same shopping venue that may be closing too and ended the post with "No one talks about this, and it's bull...."

My hope is this blog will give people something to talk about. Why are so many small businesses struggling & eventually closing? Why don't more people buy from the "mom and pop" businesses the way people once did?

Small business owners in your community are neighbors trying to support their families. Ninety-nine percent of the time the owners are good people selling really good coffee or hamburgers or in our case, upcycled goods, bags, and locally made jewelry, cards, gifts, etc. None of these businesses are a one stop shop all, as the big chains are. But that is the beauty of a small business .... none of them are the same. They are unique, special, and someone's dream for the future. 

The economy does not look "good" no matter what they tell us on TV, and rising inflation hurt everyone. We still have to purchase food, clothes, gifts, etc. so why don't we go to small businesses for some of these items first? For the past several years, I've tried to make an effort to change my buying habits, but I order from Amazon, go to Wal-Mart or Target just like everyone else. But I look to see where the goods and foods we purchase come from, and my husband and I choose Made in the USA when we can.

I believe that if we all did this, and shopped locally more, we would discover great face to face customer service the way it was when our parents and grandparents shopped. They didn't need the world at their fingertips to purchase items they needed. They went down the street to the local businesses, bought their goods and usually stayed a little while longer to talk with their neighbor. That goodness is something we could all use more of today, and while we slowed down and possibly made a new friend, we also are blessing our neighbors and their families.