Sorry, but if big business offers cheaper goods, that's where my money goes. I will never understand the appeal of these mom-and-pop businesses which charge so much more for the same things I can get cheaply at Wal-Mart. Maybe when government stops taking so much of my money I'll be nicer to small business, but right now I'm perfectly happy to let Neal take up the slack.

Neal-why don't you put your money where your mouth is--and stop advertising for the 'big guys'?
Stop promoting ProFlowers.Com,and start promoting the local florists in each of your markets? Or any other local business in your radio markets?

I have been doing this for years. I live in Floral City Florida and we are a one blinking lite town. Our local businesses are our backbown, do not buy from them them you get a box store. I hate box stores. I go to Jims hardware and Anthonys pizza. It is better than any huge store.

Where do you buy your gas? Do you got out of your way to pay .02/gal more to a small business owner?

Not all businesses are failing...and it is not always about price. If you have something that is of value to people, extensively researched the local area that would benefit from that need where you plan to open the business, marketed your value well, positioned yourself so that you are available at convenient times and offered outstanding customer service, there is a very high chance your little business will thrive.
If any of the above changes then close the business quick or figure out how to change to keep your customer base. Otherwise your business will most likely become unprofitable. The strip malls are empty because they either could not attract suitable vendors that met the needs of the neighborhood or the neighborhood changed. The same is true for rural stores or big city malls.

I also could mention two other factors regarding small business success...the owners lack of management knowledge and greed but they have less to do with strip mall store success.

You are not guaranteed success when you open a business...you have to earn it. Success comes with planning, preparation, luck and a great deal of work.

Just wait... something else will replace those strip malls. It's all about meeting the needs of the neighborhoods in many cases.

Todd,
Why should the landlord lower the rental agreement just because your business isn't doing so well? I'm not sure what kind of business you ran, but I have never walked into a convenience store and seen someone try to buy a candy bar for less than the sticker price by saying, "Look, I know the candy bar costs $1.30, but I only have $0.85 in my pocket. Will you take that?"

Suggesting you support your local merchant is a nice suggestion. Insisting that you do, is not a free economy. Personally, as an employee of a wholesale club - I find that I would encourage you to save money and help me keep my job and the jobs of many small businesses who supply us by shopping at our club. Maybe you could call us a "small" business in the realm of wholesale clubs, since we have less than 200 stores up and down the eastern seaboard (you know our initials) - so shop with us! Then I also encourage you to be in constant contact with your representatives insisting they support free enterprise.

Is that old Service Merchandise building at the corner of East Blvd. and Woodley Rd. still a ghetto flea market, and the old pharmacy next to a hair extension/gold tooth emporium?

To the detractors that are trying to point out an inconsistency between Neal's statement and his libertarian beliefs, you're going down the wrong road. Neal didn't say "we need to pass a law to force people to shop locally". That's the kind of thing that you would hear from a socialist. There's nothing inconsistent about supporting the free market and its principles, while also (with YOUR OWN MONEY) looking out for the little guy.

I would support small businesses, but I cannot afford to pay $6 for a half-gallon of milk or $3 for a loaf of plain white bread. When they bring their prices down to a reasonable level, I will shop there. They don't have to be as low as Walmart, but they definitely don't have to be as high as they are.

Are these "space available" signs only due to businesses closing? Almost all of the commercial development over the past 10 years in northern Cobb County (GA) has been strip malls. There are several intersections (which was open land 15 years ago) that have dry cleaner storefronts on all 4 corners. I'm sure the economy has threatened and killed some small businesses. But I don't think the number of available storefronts is an adequate measurement of the economy.

The store that gets my business is the store that gives me the best value. The best value does not necessarily mean the lowest price.

As someone stated before, I buy from whomever offers me the best price for the products I desire. If that happens to be a small business, good for them.

The fact of the matter is that many of these small businesses would fail regardless of the economy due to poor and ridiculous business models. Many developers over the past 5 years put up strip malls before even having contracted any tenants. No different than the condo-flippers that went under these past 2 years.

For instance, over the past week, I have seen ridiculous small business shops that I fully expect to fold anytime now. One was a Calendar Store. Are you kidding me? A store dedicated to calendars? Then, I saw a Christmas store - a store soley dedicated to Christmas decorations. Good grief. How long can that last?

And that lovely CPSIA (to test everything intended for children under 12 for lead and phthalates) is going to drive more small businesses to close. It's not a free market when the government interferes with everything.

I wonder what they'll put in all those empty store fronts. How much bigger can that "For Lease" company get?

If you want confirmation of Neal's statement about closed storefronts, just drive up the East Boulevard in Montgomery, Alabama and see for yourself...

Empty strip malls are not necesarilly due to the lack of small businesses.I have watched developers in Florida and in Texas overwhelm formerly residential/agriculture zones with storefronts without having renters.It is especially frustrating to watch as big retailers (Wal-mart,Target,Home Depot,ect.)open up one of these areas outside of already established business zones,as this inevitibly creates heavy traffic to roads and highways that are not ready for the increased congestion,not to mention inflating property values of nearby residents who are suddenly in a "business area" with the resultant tax increases.

There's a lot of brand new construction here in my area, beautiful brick clad construction, filled with non-sensical small businesses like "No-Brand Computers" (where you know last years products line the shelves under a patina of dust, and the guy behind the counter doesn't know any more about computers than you do), and "Yet Another Nail Salon and Tuscan Day Spa" (as if the tanning bed upstairs in the spare room equate to "Day Spa", and you add "Tuscan" to lend it some panache), and GOP Party HQ (which I'll assume isn't a full-time enterprise, or a small business even).

It's amazing what Business Plans banks are providing loans for because an awful lot of people are otherwise willing to risk their livelihoods on endeavors that just don't make good financial sense.

Yes, yes, maybe you want to sell beads, you want to be the Beading Czar, and you're willing to sit in a chair for hours on end, just not on Sunday, mind you, and have people browse the bead bins to make their perfect bangle chain. But does that make you automatically a success? Do you deserve to succeed because you have a passion for beads and you're willing to live in a bead store selling them? Do we need a bailout for bead stores??

And is your failure indicative of a bad business environment?

Was it really Bush's fault, c'mon, don't we all know who they're going to blame?, that nobody wants to buy a cell phone, or beads, or any number of other "small business" type products, from your store, one of fifteen in the same mall?

When folks complain about losing jobs overseas, they aren't complaining that the "Measuring Cup Pantry" was moved overseas. And, conversly, is America going to survive with nothing but small business bringing in paychecks?

I'd imagine we'd get more bang for the buck assuring the survival, and sound fitness, of the big industries which fueled our emergence as a civilization.

I'd say people should be working for businesses and industries that make sense. The Mom & Pop's should be the exception that adds the spice and flavor, and not the backbone.

Naturally, I don't want them infecting that backbone with the cancer of onerous taxation or government control either.

If people understood that small business - NOT GOVERNMENT - is what empowers the real America... sadly, small business will continue to suffer as taxes and regulations continue to grow.
Brent Riggs
www.riggsreport.com

It isn't always because of failing businesses. In some areas, the empty storefronts are due to excessive and unnecessary construction. Over the last 3-5 years in Kansas City, construction of new commercial space has drastically outpaced the rate of growth of the local economy. I've watched developers build entire strip malls without a single tenant lined up, and they just sit there for a couple of years. It has happened with residential development in KC as well. It's clear that the construction industry here was blind to the fact that conditions had changed.

NEal thats a great point. Everyone is still going to want the cheapest price but thinking that Walmart or Bestbuy has the cheapest price is a just a gimmick. It's all in the marketing. They market that they have the lowest prices but many small businesses will put their items from their brick and mortar store online. Just check out ebay and you will see how many home based businesses there are and not because they are expensive but because they are cheaper than the competition. Abebooks has book stores listing their inventory for sale. the list goes on. Plenty of sites to google for any products you "feel" are cheaper in the discount stores including Costco and BJ's. Plus you are helping the other types of commerce involved ie shipping companies, packaging etc. So, just because you want to help a local business does not mean you have to go to their actual store, you will be surprised how many local stores actually have a website! My local grocer even has a website and will deliver grocery's for free:) Besides, who doesn't want to shop in their underwear!