As small business owners we often get posed the question, “How do you stay afloat in such a small community?” To that I answer, “unity, unity, unity!” With that, I’d like to take this opportunity to define unity, provide insight into the benefits and close with some practical applications.
Merriam-Webber defines unity as “a condition of harmony” or a “combination or ordering that promotes an undivided total effect.” This means joining together for the betterment of the local economy at large, or more simply represented by the timeless phrase of “strength in numbers.” We are truly better together!
With small businesses, it’s very easy to become siloed, consuming oneself with fear of scarcity. This generally manifests as angst over shared resources; concern whether the economy can support adjacent businesses within a small radius or fear that there aren’t enough resources to go around entirely. This extreme fear often results in isolation and can be very dangerous to a business, resulting in a top-down trickle effect from owner to employee, negatively impacting the environment and culture of the organization at large. Ultimately it in turn causes low morale, poor performance, reduced productivity and high employee turnover, which is costly for any corporation. Unity, on the other hand, provides a sense of belonging and comradery. It allows partnerships to form, creating a trusted space to allow creativity, forward thinking and pioneering to emerge and evolve. Unity is the key to success of any business.
But can we really challenge the status quo and retrain our mindset to view other local businesses as assets rather than competitors? Can we buy into the concept of unity? And if so, what could unity look like?
Perhaps it means extending a hand across the aisle to increase buying power by purchasing in bulk or sharing the cost of transporting goods. Maybe it’s meeting with one another over a cup of coffee to discuss marketing and advertising strategies that benefit you both or cross branding by carrying one another products in both stores. Whatever it may be, I implore you to reach out, connect and unite with other local businesses in the region – I know you will be blessed in the process as we have been at Dutch Kuntry will our partners. So, let’s band together, join forces and celebrate our successes together. As the great Henry Ford once said, “If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.”
All God’s Many Blessings,
Gerald and Emilie Zimmerman, owners of Dutch Kuntry
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