A Message To The Occupiers!

[MikeBjerum]

From Sheriff Jim Wilson:


When you buy from a small mom or pop
business, you are not helping a CEO
Buy a third vacation home.

You are helping a little girl get dance
lessons, a little boy get his team jersey,
a mom or dad put food on the table, a
family pay a mortgage, or a student pay
for college.

Our customers are our shareholders and
they are the ones we strive to make happy.

Thank you for supporting Small Businesses!

Author unknown

Might I also add that it is small main street businesses that give to the local food shelf with more than money - they give time, material and facilities; they are the ones that hire the person that needs a hand up when they really don't need any more employees; "mom & pop" are the ones that will fund a scholarship, pay for a trip to camp, and cover a hospital bill; and the local business is the organization that pays state and local taxes right along with the rest of us to provide the local services we all use.

I could go on and on, but it is my local business owner that sits beside me in the coffee shop, at the high school ball game or concert, on the fishing pier, and in church.

Consider all of this the next time you pull into the parking lot to support Mr. Walton's family!

[jaybet]

So true, and so easy to forget when you're out trying to get things done on the money at hand. Small business is the American way.

[billt]

You have to remember that works both ways. The big oil companies and auto manufacturers, along with Wal-Mart have shareholders that are every day Americans. Many of them are retired and depend on their investments for day to day living expenses. You don't have to be a millionaire to own stock. Many Americans invest through 401-K plans where they work. So these people benefit from big corporations doing well. They also get hurt when they don't. Proof of that is how many retirees were forced back into the work force after the Bear Sterns / Lehman Brothers collapse. If you own 1 share of Exxon / Mobil you will suffer if it goes down. Anyone in this country can invest in stocks. It's not good for anyone when these large companies take a hit.

[alfsauve]

Also don't forget the large business that started as a small mom/pop affairs.  Are we to punish them for providing just because they became very good at what they did?

MidwayUSA comes to mind.

Don't get me wrong, I value and try to patronize my local businesses.  I enjoy being able to handle and inspect products before I buy them.  I like the instant gratification of buying it now and taking it home.  And I like being able to talk to people who know the in's and out's of the products.  But I also value a good price and a wide selection.

[jaybet]

You have to remember that works both ways. The big oil companies and auto manufacturers, along with Wal-Mart have shareholders that are every day Americans. Many of them are retired and depend on their investments for day to day living expenses. You don't have to be a millionaire to own stock. Many Americans invest through 401-K plans where they work. So these people benefit from big corporations doing well. They also get hurt when they don't. Proof of that is how many retirees were forced back into the work force after the Bear Sterns / Lehman Brothers collapse. If you own 1 share of Exxon / Mobil you will suffer if it goes down. Anyone in this country can invest in stocks. It's not good for anyone when these large companies take a hit.

For the vast majority owning stocks is not "making a living". Remember the cardinal rule? "Don't invest more than you are willing to lose".
It's true that the little guy owns a lot of stock. It is also true though, that if Exxon Mobil has a bad day (which, by the way, hasn't happened recently in any big way), the little guy with one share of stock will NOT suffer...he just won't get as large a return for a portion of that year. That scenario also didn't force retirees back into the workforce. The fraud, greed, and outright crime that ran rampant on Wall Street and collapsed our economy is what forced retirees back into the workforce. From what I've seen the large companies generally seem to have done pretty well.

I agree that a small business becoming a big business is also the American way, but at some point they cease being a business entity and take on a life of their own, at which point some are no longer socially responsible. For every 1000 people getting a $2 dividend from some of these companies there are 1000 people losing their small business or working in a lousy job because small businesses have been overwhelmed by a chain replacing their market share with cheap Chinese crap.

I'm a capitalist and have been a small businessman my entire working life, and I feel no sympathy at all for giant corporations. They do what they do and society deals with it. When you're neighbor's house is falling apart because they can't work enough or FOR enough to pay their bills and keep up their home, THAT is when you'll suffer.

[Sponsor]

[billt]

For every 1000 people getting a $2 dividend from some of these companies there are 1000 people losing their small business or working in a lousy job because small businesses have been overwhelmed by a chain replacing their market share with cheap Chinese crap.

True to a point but you must remember you will never have a business climate in a capitalistic society where small businesses do well, while big businesses suffer. The large corporations like K-Mart and Target have been forced to close hundreds of stores, and lay off thousands of workers in the process. Places like Circuit City have gone completely out of business, Wal-Mart is not thriving like it used to. These companies employ millions of middle class Americans. No one wins when big corporation suffer. The trickle down economic effect is far greater than when small businesses are disrupted by large ones.

And you can only blame Wall Street for just so much. They didn't put a gun to anyone's head and force them to buy overpriced homes with mortgages that were set to balloon in 5 years, to the point the buyers knew they would not be able to afford the payments. The people themselves created this housing mess by over borrowing money they had no way of paying back. Now banks and mortgage companies have gone back to solid lending principals that they never should have gotten away from in the first place. Many are now requiring 20% down with sterling credit. Few are able to qualify because most are tapped out with other credit.

The fact of the matter is this nation is becoming involved in a global market, while most of it's citizens spend too much, and save too little. As it does there will be less of a place for small businesses. I'm not saying that is good or bad, but simply the way it is. Pump prices are a good current example. Oil is a global market now. 20 years ago it wasn't. Because of that companies are shipping the reserves we currently have because of the mild winter, overseas. This creates high prices here. That won't be solved by "drill baby drill". If China and Indonesia are willing to pay more for gasoline than we are, guess where it is going to go? Our long term problem is not Chinese goods. It is the fact like it or not, we cannot compete with them. They pay their workers less, and produce more goods cheaper because of it. That is an economic condition mom and pop will never be able to compete with, and big businesses can.

[Timothy]

http://www.downrange.tv/forum/index.php?topic=16252.0

Small business works for me but I'm still trying to stay focused....

[jaybet]

We're trying to take some very complicated business conditions and condense them and it makes for an un-winnable argument either way.
But first off, Bill, I can't think of ONE example where big business has suffered at the hand of small business- it defies the laws of physics. The opposite is not true. WT Grant succumbed to K-Mart, and K-Mart and Target are being beat to death by Walmart- that is all head-to-head big business competition and has nothing to do with "Hurting big business". They failed or are failing because their business model is price and they can't compete with Walmart on price. Circuit City is dead because it was a poorly run company that took back any merchandise no matter what and lost about 20% of their stock out the back door. Best Buy is better run from better locations and hence, beat them to death. They were killed by other big businesses, not by the little guy or the "occupier".

Yes those companies employ thousands, but most at around minimum wage, as opposed to small business, which generates the MOST private sector jobs within the economy, and usually at a higher pay scale. The Mom and Pop sandwich shop might pay 4 or 5 people a living wage, but when the foreigner-owned Subway franchise moves in and beats them on price they close up and the community has lost a revenue producing ratable as well as 5 jobs. Those people can now only find work at Subway or Walmart for near minimum wage.

Big companies target small business sectors for annhialation- they want ALL of that business because that's how they'll increase revenue and dividends on their stock, and that is business, but it doesn't make it right or even desirable. Small business is an extension of the regular guy. Big corporate business is a self serving machine admittedly not all bad, but let's say generally without concience, unless by appearing to have one they can increase sales.  The only natural enemy big business has is bigger business or the government. They have nothing to fear from small business, and do in fact, regularly dismember and feed on small businesses.

[tombogan03884]

J, your argument is not valid. Mom and Pop stores don't grow because they don't want to, a small company that WANTS to grow will find, or create, a niche and fill it.
Want some examples of small company owners that wanted to grow ?
How about Henry Ford, Rockefeller, Potterfield, or Sam Walton ?
Your talk about "the community" losing the income of 5or 6 employees is flawed as well, since the "community" gains the dividends payed to thousands, even 10's of thousands, of investors, like every single member of this forum who has a 401K, IRA, or other retirement account.
The stocks owned by banks ?
Where do you think they get the money to pay interest on your savings account ?
It is simply a fact of nature that many people start business', some grow huge like Debeer's, most only last the life time of the founder.
Are you going to blame Ford because buggy whip makers can't find jobs ?
The law of business is the same as any other survival situation, if you don't adapt to the changing circumstances you will fail.

Lets look at another aspect, at one time the big bitch was that K Mart was killing small business, they were even forcing out companies like Rich's, now Wal - Mart is cutting into their business, so what ?
It is an evolutionary process that has, and will continue to function as long as people engage in trade. Railroads, Steel, oil, communications, all have existed in a near monopoly form at one time or another, all have been changed by competition with some one who developed a different product, process or sales model. It's never going to change unless you want to adapt the Soviet style "planned economy" advocated by BO and the rest of the Socialists.
Russia showed us where that leads, stagnation and decline.

[Timothy]

I don't own stock or shop at Walmart or K-Mart much...my shitty little town is devoid of small business other than pizza, tacos, gyros, Chinese and Thai joints.  Even the pizza is all Greek so it sucks for the most part!  Funny thing though, there are at least six banks on the town square!

Between Home Depot, Target, K-Mart, Walmart and Lowes, there ain't much left here!

I frequented a small business for a ten dollar haircut this morning that I gave the guy a $10.00 tip!  It was still about 20 bucks cheaper than what I was paying at a "salon" where an old friend (girl) worked!