‘Thanks for shopping local’

Many businesses and their customers are starting to see green now that a number of “Thanks for shopping local” signs have been placed in the windows of local businesses.

Mayor Gabe Carroll said one of the most important aspects of a healthy small business community is the resiliency it provides for the community.

“Large employers are great, but they carry an inherent risk,” he said. “If they go under, they take hundreds of jobs with them. If you have a hundred small businesses, your risk is spread out and your community can weather economic downturns and bounce back quicker.”

Carroll said he hopes to see the community continue to support local businesses because losing them means losing a piece of the fabric that binds a community together.

“A small business tends to recirculate money in the local economy. They reinvest in their business, employ local residents, donate to local causes, and the owners of those businesses tend to live in their community and keep the fruits of their labor local,” Carroll said.

Ellen Gerharz, Creston Chamber of Commerce executive director, said most of the local businesses are “small businesses,” as small businesses are defined as those with 500 employees or less.

Gerharz said Creston has been very fortunate as most local businesses have continued to thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic because of customer loyalty and an increase of support from residents. She also said their success was also largely due to businesses making themselves more available in creative ways.

“There are a lot more businesses that are using social media now than had done so before,” she said.

During the last year, local businesses ramped up their social media presence on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to not only showcase their products and services, but as a way to interact with customers directly.

“In terms of the impact of the pandemic, Creston has been largely fortunate,” said Carroll. “Some businesses like restaurants and bars have struggled but adapted with innovative ways to provide takeout or delivery, and residents here have stepped up to support them.  It seems that each small business has adapted their hours, safety measures, online presence or customer service and used the available programs from the state and federal level to weather the storm.”

“I think that has really, really helped them,” said Gerharz.

Gerharz said area restaurants have gone “above and beyond” and Crestonians have been responding by patronizing local eateries to ensure their favorite spots will continue to be around after the pandemic is a thing of the past.

“So I think it’s been kind of a combined effort,” said Gerharz. “Each business owner has to decide what works best for them. If they think things are going well, they are probably going to grow on that. But, several of them have continued to try new things.”

Carroll said, as a small business owner himself, he’s been “incredibly fortunate” to have the support of the community.

“Our office took a month off to evaluate our procedures at the start of the pandemic, and our patients were understanding of the disruption to business.  Once we reopened, they trusted us to take the necessary precautions to keep them safe, and returned to our office.  We saw a dip in our business, but were largely able to get through the toughest months,” he said.

Gerharz commended a number of businesses for their efforts, such as marketing by Coen’s, whose ad in the Creston News Advertiser, she said, has a “fresh, new look.”

“It became very simple, it’s easy to read,” said Gerharz. “Does your average reader look at that, I don’t know, but I do.”

As businesses from coast to coast continue to close their doors, Gerharz said Creston is lucky to have its businesses remain during the pandemic. She said, should amenities such as local businesses leave the community, residents could follow, as well, and the ripple would be felt by the community as a whole.

Gerharz said the “Thanks for shopping local” campaign is simply a reminder of what the area has to offer. She also said, with social media, everyone can take part in supporting local businesses by sharing their information. Carroll agreed.

“When we opened our office, the community helped spread the word about our services,” he said. “Other small businesses gave us advice from how to manage our online presence to where we could find the best deals for supplies and services. Even our “competitors” (Dr. Hopkins and Dr. Madden) wanted us to succeed and didn’t hesitate to give advice.

“Spread the word so it ripples further and further,” said Gerharz. “We’re going to get through all of this together.”

For chamber updates and news of future promotions, follow Creston Chamber of Commerce on Facebook or visit crestoniowachamber.com.