General Manager Laurel Hardin displays new merchandise at Petree Garden Center & Florist, 2470 East Road. Visit petreegardencenter.com or call 505.257.6030. Photo by John McHale/ladailypost.com
By LAURAL HARDIN
Petree Garden Center & Florist
Where you shop and how you spend matters, Los Alamos, small businesses need you.
I have a childhood memory of my grandmother making rag rugs from the scraps of cloth she saved. Every washrag, flower sack and dish towel squirreled away for some future use. It seemed quirky and antiquated at the time, but now I have a new understanding of my grandmother’s innate tendency to conserve, reuse and repurpose old things.
Living through the great depression irrevocably changed an entire generation, much the way my children will be forever influenced by experiencing a world pandemic. I also understand the saving of things wasn’t just about frugality. It was partly about control. Much of life now, as it was back then, is out of our control. All we can really do is prepare in whatever way possible for events we can’t fully predict. Sometimes fear gets the better of us and all the T.P. vanishes from shelves. Sometimes we fill pantries and get the sudden urge to become master bakers. All of these things are about giving ourselves something to grasp onto and some small sense of control in scary and uncertain times.
I have been wrestling fear and doubt as so many things are simply out of my control. Running a small business in the midst of this pandemic has been challenging in myriad ways. But the most significant challenge has been continuing to plan, prepare and order inventory with so many uncertainties.
Will Los Alamos be insulated form massive layoffs, will COVID numbers go up, will my staff stay healthy and will my supply chains be secure? And will the community shop local and support small business this holiday season? This is undoubtedly beyond my control and it definitely keeps me up at night. But there are things I can control, like making it as safe as possible to shop with social distancing, sanitizing, curbside pickup and delivery. Stocking the shop with lots of carefully selected items, posting on social media and writing articles and advertising in print.
I’ve taken small business recovery and e-commerce classes. I’ve done everything I can to ensure the future of the business and the livelihoods of my staff. The rest is up to you. Yes, you, each and every community member. The real and likely closure of local businesses is in your hands. Or rather, in your wallets. Every time you purchase something, you make a choice. If that item you just ordered on Amazon is already on a local shelf then you have chosen to support a mega corporation over local economic stability.
Most of us rarely think about it in such deliberate terms, but how we spend our money has real and immediate consequences, especially now. Los Alamos has some amazing restaurants, small retailers and local service providers. And they all need your concerted and persistent support, right now. Most small business have made significant changes to their business model, at great cost, to accommodate customers during this pandemic.
Many continue to offer phone orders, curbside pickup and delivery. Most have gift cards that can be purchased with just a phone call. They have done all that they can to keep you safe, serve your needs and stay in business. So many things are beyond our control, but you have absolute authority on where and how you spend this holiday season. Please, choose to support your local businesses and preserve your local economy.
We’re counting on you Los Alamos.