Small businesses play such an important role in our economy, but in many ways we took them for granted before the start of the pandemic. Last March, when the US became the epicenter of the virus, 70% of US businesses shut down.  Many of these closures were mandated by the government to try to stop the spread of the virus, while others were closed due to the impact of the loss of revenue.  Small business owners and employees were deeply affected, and while that level of vulnerability was disheartening to witness, it ignited our intention to be supportive.  

May is Small Business Month, and I am so glad we are taking time to appreciate them. This time, let’s not wait for a pandemic to find ways to support small businesses. Let’s be intentional on turning over our dollars with small businesses as often as we can. It is so easy to go through our lives doing what we do and leveraging Amazon for all of our purposes. It’s just so easy. And yet, the opportunity to extend your power – your financial power – in support of your local community is always there, and yet not always actualized.  This is where I challenge us all to do better. 

Don’t over engineer this. Small efforts matter. We have focused on restaurants during the pandemic.  What other small businesses can you support?  I just bought some hair care products from a local retailer. What are you about to purchase that likely is available in your community? Let’s continue building together.

Dr. Lisa

Our theme song is “Hey Brother” by Avicii