Our Observation

The holiday shopping season is off to a busy start, with preliminary estimates showing an increase in sales from last December. But as you’re scouring those Sunday newspaper flyers and websites for deals, make sure you don’t forget about your community-based merchants.

These are your brothers and sisters, your friends and your children’s friends’ parents who combine their sweat, blood and tears to make Winter Park, Maitland and Baldwin Park the communities that they are.

While a local knick-knack or specialty store on Park Avenue or Hannibal Square can’t offer the same stellar deals as those big box stores, money spent there genuinely benefits your backyard, your neighbors and yourself.

You’re stimulating the entire economy. Most new jobs are created by local businesses. From 1993-2008, small businesses created about 65 percent of the net new jobs in the private sector, according to a March report from the Small Business Association Office of Advocacy, “An Analysis of Small Business and Jobs”.

Economist Brian Headd notes in the report that many of the new jobs are in new business startups, but an even larger share are in expanding firms of all sizes —particularly mid-sized firms with 20-499 employees.

A lot of mom and pop stores have been pushed out over the years by rising rents and corporate competitors not likely to sponsor your child’s high school sports team. And these small box stores offer many one-of-a-kind gifts that can be more meaningful than the hottest “Toy Story” action figure or plasma TV.

So when you’re making that list and checking it twice, include some of our local entrepreneurs: Go to Lombardi’s Seafood instead of Publix for that salmon filet. Go to the Doggie Door instead of Pet Supermarket for that pet toy. Go to Thread instead of Express for that holiday outfit. Go to Tugboat & the Bird instead of Babies ‘R’ Us for booties. And go to The Paper Shop instead of Hallmark for the perfect stationary.

This is also true in the restaurant business. This holiday, instead of buying gift cards for Chili’s or Olive Garden, how about getting your loved ones a gift certificate to Linda’s Winter Park Diner or 4Rivers Smokehouse or Nelore Brazilian Steakhouse?

And when you walk into that locally owned retail store or restaurant, get to know the folks that own them, and every once in a while, let them know that you’re glad they’re part of the community.

And on the flip side — I’m talking to you, small businesses — when you’re looking to promote yourselves, look no further than your local little league team or your annual community event — they’re all hurting for funding and you’ll reach the perfect demographic. And forget the TV and the daily paper and put ads in your local community newspaper. It’s also more targeted, and it’s easier on the budget.

After all, your community is your family. Think how much more successful we’d all be if we live, work and play hand-and-hand.