A Matter of Perspective

Before I began to sell ads for the newspaper I would pretty much shop, get my gasoline and do whatever without much thought.

But since I have begun to sell ads, I have really started to pay attention to where I spend my money.

There are several gas stations that I now divide my fuel consumption between because they advertise regularly in our newspaper.

Trust me, none of them are going to get rich off of the small amount that I personally use in my vehicles, but I hope it will make an impact.

In fact, I know what I do makes an impact because my granddaughter recently asked me why I don’t get gas at one of the area gas stations.

I explained, “Because they don’t advertise with us.”

“So?” came her response.

It gave me a perfect opportunity to explain the importance of supporting those businesses that support us.

“When a company spends their advertising money with us, to me, that shows that they have faith that our ads will draw our readers’ attention to their business and then maybe they will shop there, too,” I said.

“If I go to another place and spend my money there then I am not helping out the company that invested their advertising money with us,” I added.

Now don’t get me wrong or call me a liar because I do shop at some “big box” stores in the area, as well.

But I get 90% of my groceries right here in Clarissa. I spend my fuel allowance between three or four gas stations locally.

I might not need everything that I sell ads for, but you might and if you don’t see an ad how will you know their product exists?

I understand now why it is important to support our advertisers and not always go for the “cheaper” price.

In the end, the cost is higher if we drive out our small-town businesses. We have to support them if we want them to continue to operate successfully.

We all want to save money, but without us supporting small enterprises, like I said, the cost will be higher.

Shop our small-town businesses. They are the ones that are putting money back into our small-town economies!