By Linda Perry

This is a call to action for all mountain residents. Please shop local, support our businesses and you will be contributing to the entire well-being of our wonderful Mountain Communities.

I attended the grand opening ceremony for our new Small Business Development Center satellite office located in the heart of Frazier Park last week. There are quite a few dedicated individuals working with our community’s small business owners to help us succeed with our businesses.

These are tough and challenging times for everyone, whether or not you have a business. But I’m telling you that if we don’t all start shopping locally more often than not, we won’t have anywhere left to shop on our mountain in our own communities.

Sure, it appears we can get things cheaper at Walmart but do you figure in your gas, time and the traffic frustrations that go into that equation? When you add these things up you’re not saving as much as you think!

Our business owners provide the amenities we need to be communities, to live, love, work and play in a beautiful place far from the hustle and bustle of suburban and city life.

We, as local businesses, cannot survive without your support. Please consider, the next time you need something, to stay on the mountain and get it here.

The better our businesses do here, the better off we will all be. The better our businesses do, the more employment opportunities there will be for residents. The more local money stays local, the more local businesses can donate to support our local schools and youth activities. Shopping locally is a win-win situation for everyone!

As business owners we are here to provide our Mountain Communities with the products, amenities and services we need so we don’t have to leave our beautiful mountains for the smog and chaos of the city.

Please ‘shop local.’ Support our businesses and you will be contributing to the entire well being of our wonderful Mountain Communities. We, as local businesses, cannot survive without your support.

Sincere thanks to all for your continuing support now and in the future, and thanks to the SBDC for coming to our mountain to help it succeed.

Perry owns Wild at Heart Nursery

This is part of the September 03, 2010 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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