Putting Your Money Where Your House Is

Today, Sunday, July 7, marks the last day in the week long celebration of local, independent businesses across our nation, coined "Independents Week" by the American Independent Business Alliance.  WFS is, and always has been, an enthusiastic participant in this grass-roots movement to increase the awareness of our independent businesses, here in Altadena and all over the country!



By clicking the link we provided to AMIBA, above, you'll see an article entitled "The Benefits Of Doing Business Locally".  One of the choicest takeaways from it is this:

"When asked to name our favorite restaurant, cafe, or shop, it's typically a unique local business. Your local paper’s "Best of" poll is proof. Those businesses define our sense of place, but we often forget their survival depends on our patronage.

Local owners, typically having invested much of their life savings in their businesses, have a natural interest in the community's long-term health. Community-based businesses are essential to charitable endeavors; their owners frequently serve on local boards and support numerous causes.
Yes, some chains give back to towns in which they locate, and not all local businesses are exemplary models. However, the overall impacts are clear: locally-owned businesses play a key role in our community that chains rarely do."


Our independent businesses work long and hard to provide their communities with unique services and merchandise not found at chain stores.  If those services offered at a local business are a commodity (i.e., a service that is also offered by national chains or institutions), you can bet that the value received by you, the consumer, at that locally-owned business will be greater.  Our bottom-lines depend on us being better, by being different, and by being relevant in our communities.

On this last day of Independents Week, let's all give our local businesses some props.   Or better yet, stop by a favorite neighborhood business tomorrow and say "thanks, I'm glad you're here".  We love hearing that and it never gets old!  Just think - someday, you might have need to call a local business and ask them to stay open a little later for you.  Not too long ago, we had a woman call us right before our usual closing time, in tears, to ask if we could please stay open for her, because her dying father needed to sign a power of attorney form.  Of course, we said, and we stayed and waited for her to drive up from Huntington Memorial Hospital.  I just wonder if Staples would've done that, don't you?

Friends, Scott and I want to let you know that we've sold our home (my family home) in Westchester and will be moving back to Altadena.  We'll need to be out of the house in 30 days, so that means much packing ahead for us, and we'll most likely be taking a blog-break during this time.  Thanks for understanding, and we'll be back after the move.  Have a great week!

Lori and Scott