Small businesses are the backbone of communities. They provide a thriving vitality that boosts our economy and character. According to Elavon, small businesses fuel the job market. “Small companies generated 12.9 million jobs over the past 25 years, accounting for 66% of employment growth in the U.S.”
The Office of Advocacy added: “…they create two-thirds of net new jobs and drive U.S. innovation and competitiveness.”
Being drawn in by the warm experiences, both employees and customers enjoy the vitality and comfort of small businesses. One example of such would be the Rustic Roast, a cafe located at 182 Waccamaw Medical Park Ct. in Conway.
The Rustic Roast provides a nostalgic environment. One of the owners is Kim Broesder.
“For years as we were dreaming of opening the coffee shop we would take weekend trips to antique shops and find treasures to eventually display in the shop,” Broesder shared.
The Rustic Roast, as previously mentioned, found these antiquities which inspired their name in a way.
Broesder commented that “rustic means you get what you see, something raw and real.”
As such, Broesder was also proud to admit that her hope was achieved in which they’ve “created a space that fosters community.”
More examples of small businesses in Conway includes The Next Chapter, a bookstore, at 325 Main Street and a goods shop at 1011 3rd Avenue called Good Day Sunshine. Each of these small businesses have their own story which adds to the importance and environment.
The bookstore Our Next Chapter is an example of a great story.
The owners, Bob and Lisa Martire, opened their bookstore after a life-changing car accident which involved Bob Martire to leave his career as a dentist behind when his wrist broke.
According to an interview conducted by Joel Vazquez-Juarbe from abc15 News with the couple, Lisa Martire came up with the idea to open a store in order to “start our next chapter.”
Other than the environment provided, small businesses are an important factor in the job market and the local economy specifically.
Elavon confirms the benefits in the local economy, bringing in the point that small businesses are far more helpful unlike a big corporation would in regard to the local economy.
Backing this up, Forbes comments, “Big corporations might get a lot of attention when it comes to creating jobs, but small businesses employ more people and are more resilient when times get tough.”
In short, make sure you support your local small businesses to, not only boost the economy, but to also keep the community alive. To do so, shop locally and spread the word.
