Shop our Businesses in IRB
In a recession, the economy operates backwards. It recedes instead of advancing. Most folks you talk to in IRB have all felt the pinch…albeit to differing degrees. But, the folks most affected by the economic downturn are our small businesses—our shops, restaurants, bars, salons, etc.
The official definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth marked by a slump in consumer spending. Only a very few number of businesses—like funeral homes--are truly recession-proof. (Death and taxes, right?) For the average retailer here on the barrier island, the challenge is to keep the doors open with less revenue while maintaining the same quality and level of service. Nearly 70% of the U.S. economy relies on consumer spending. For our local restaurants, hotels, shops, bars, etc. in IRB, that percentage is undoubtedly much higher.
It’s more important now than ever to “buy” locally. As a community, IRB is fortunate to have so many solid small businesses headed by smart, successful proprietors. They deserve our respect and our support—now and always.
In lean times, businesses tend to reduce advertising expenditures, so we must be proactive patrons—and visit without waiting to be “coaxed” to do so. Some IRB businesses have intelligently explored ways to replace the business robbed by the economy. My Place, J.D.’s and Crabby Bill’s appeared at last Tuesday's commission meeting (10/28) to ask the City to allow them to extend live entertainment hours by one hour on the weekends. Please urge your City Commission to grant this request. And hopefully, as former City Commission candidate and IRB P & Z Board Member Don House suggested, the deadline for businesses to comply with the new sign ordinance will also be extended. As a community, we need to do everything possible to keep the businesses we love from being downturn casualties…even if it means lesser emphasis on the esthetics...at least in the short run.
You’ll notice a new addition to the right-hand column of the IRBeHEARD blog—IRBeBiz. E-mail us at irbeheard@cmdinc.net with a great experience you’ve had with an IRB business. We’ll share it with our readers in an upcoming posting—a little FREE word-of-blog advertising for our local businesses!
Shop, eat, party, pamper, recreate…right here at home in IRB. It saves on gas!
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
In a recession, the economy operates backwards. It recedes instead of advancing. Most folks you talk to in IRB have all felt the pinch…albeit to differing degrees. But, the folks most affected by the economic downturn are our small businesses—our shops, restaurants, bars, salons, etc.
The official definition of a recession is two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth marked by a slump in consumer spending. Only a very few number of businesses—like funeral homes--are truly recession-proof. (Death and taxes, right?) For the average retailer here on the barrier island, the challenge is to keep the doors open with less revenue while maintaining the same quality and level of service. Nearly 70% of the U.S. economy relies on consumer spending. For our local restaurants, hotels, shops, bars, etc. in IRB, that percentage is undoubtedly much higher.
It’s more important now than ever to “buy” locally. As a community, IRB is fortunate to have so many solid small businesses headed by smart, successful proprietors. They deserve our respect and our support—now and always.
In lean times, businesses tend to reduce advertising expenditures, so we must be proactive patrons—and visit without waiting to be “coaxed” to do so. Some IRB businesses have intelligently explored ways to replace the business robbed by the economy. My Place, J.D.’s and Crabby Bill’s appeared at last Tuesday's commission meeting (10/28) to ask the City to allow them to extend live entertainment hours by one hour on the weekends. Please urge your City Commission to grant this request. And hopefully, as former City Commission candidate and IRB P & Z Board Member Don House suggested, the deadline for businesses to comply with the new sign ordinance will also be extended. As a community, we need to do everything possible to keep the businesses we love from being downturn casualties…even if it means lesser emphasis on the esthetics...at least in the short run.
You’ll notice a new addition to the right-hand column of the IRBeHEARD blog—IRBeBiz. E-mail us at irbeheard@cmdinc.net with a great experience you’ve had with an IRB business. We’ll share it with our readers in an upcoming posting—a little FREE word-of-blog advertising for our local businesses!
Shop, eat, party, pamper, recreate…right here at home in IRB. It saves on gas!
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
