I’m pretty sure you can ask almost anyone what they think about small businesses and you’ll get the same response a majority of the time:

“Oh, I love small businesses!”

It’s an easy thing to say, and how can you not love a small business anyway? Just a few people, working away at their dream, whatever that dream may be.

Why, then, are so many of us spending so much of our disposable income shopping online? Putting money in the pockets of billionaires who would rather spend their money building a rocket than paying taxes? I don’t know about you, but that’s not for me.

Before I go too much further, let me back up a little and make a confession: I, too, used to be a rampant online shopper. Anything we needed around the house, and lots of things we probably didn’t, into the cart and delivered free to my house in two days or less. It’s so easy! And the internet, especially that giant website named after a river in South America, has EVERYTHING!

But then some things started happening. I got out of the rat race and away from the “corporate bloodsuckers” of the world, determined to live a life that was more about happiness and less about money. I learned how little that giant “river” website actually pays the small businesses that sell items through them. In my job at the local Chamber of Commerce, I started meeting all of these great small business owners and feeling like it was not only my responsibility to support them, but it was more fun than I thought it would be. And then there was the final straw. I was talking to a coworker at the Chamber and he mentioned that he was recently at a friend’s house and they gave him a bottle of water. He said it was good-tasting water and he asked them where they got it. They told him they order it online by the case.

Yes, you read that right. People are ordering bottled water, by the case, from the internet. I had never even thought of that. My tap water tastes pretty good, but if it didn’t, well let’s just say I’d exhaust quite a few other options before I turned to the internet for cases of water.

I won’t lie to you; I still do the occasional online shopping and I shop in the “big-box” stores now and then. But only when I can’t get something from a small business, and even then I get things directly from the manufacturer whenever possible as opposed to a reseller, so at least the money stays in the hands of the people building it as much as possible.

Sure, I will submit to you that shopping locally from small businesses is not as easy as online shopping with fast, free delivery. I probably pay more for things than I did before, and it takes time to physically go to these businesses. But have you shopped with a small business lately? It’s great! There are real people there. You can have conversations with them. They actually care about whether or not you are satisfied with the product. And they even care about you!

We have an event coming up so recently I was doing some shopping to prepare. I went to Hudson River Homesteaders and had a great conversation with Amy. She’s a real person. I only recently met her, but I’ve known her husband and sister-in-law for years now. We commiserated a bit about small business life, and she gave me a lead for a place that might want to host an event with us. Then I stopped in at Grimaldi Farm and chatted with Dom and his dad. They both know our friend, former co-worker, and fellow small business owner, James. We talked about how we all know him and they helped me find exactly what I was looking for at their store.

When I need Elevated Gatherings apparel, I get it from A&C Custom Apparel. They’re making high-quality stuff in their garage. Last time I was there I met their daughter and got to pet one of their dogs.

I get my dog food, bird seed, and garden supplies at the local Agway. Every time I go in there, they know my name and I’m in their pet and bird club so I get a free bag of dog food or a $10 coupon every now and again. When I don’t know what is the best dirt to buy for a particular plant, they make a recommendation (which has been spot-on every time) and if I’m buying a heavy bag of something they have a teenager who will load it all in my car for me.

I could go on and on, and I know I’ve failed to name several of my frequently visited small businesses, but you get the point. And you have a choice, like we all do: support small, keep money in your community, and make a difference in real people’s lives, or feed the nameless, faceless machine that is the online shopping world. As much as I can, I choose the former, and I hope you will too.