With all the media hype about corporate empires taking the plunge into chapter 11 as a result of the economy, it’s easy to overlook the little guys who are struggling to keep their doors open.  Mom & Pop, brick-and-mortar operations have been on the decline since the advent of the department store, and today it’s even harder.  They have to compete against on-line-only retailers that have little to no overhead, wholesale shopping clubs that buy and sell in volume and the Wal-Tar-K-get-marts that are springing up anywhere there are more than two people living within ten miles of each other.  That’s why, if you happen to come across a small company producing a specialized product that’s still in business, chances are, that product is amazing. 

 Depending on the product, it will most likely be made in the U.S.A.  I’m not against outsourcing to China or India or what have you, but I am against OSJ (Off-shore Junk).  If your product designers are on a different continent and speak a different language from your manufacturers, you’re gonna have quality control issues, which means crappy limited warranties and lots of frustration.  If it’s made in the U.S.A. it’s probably better quality. 

 You’re more likely to receive better service from a small business.  Have you ever called customer support for your computer and had the pleasure of talking to “James” in “Chicago,” except he has a thick Indian accent and pronounces the “Ch?”  It’s frustrating enough to need to call someone about a product, let alone someone who can’t understand you.  With a small company, you might be able to talk to the president or even the person who made it.

 Small businesses will go the extra mile to make you happy and add that personal touch.  When I bought one of my watches from a small watch retailer, the shop sent me a box of cookies with my order.  They could’ve been laced with anthrax for all I knew, but they were delicious. 

 Most recently, I ordered a hat from Stormy Kromer (on sale for $10).  They’ve been around since 1903, are made in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and make some pretty sweet outerwear.  After placing my order on line, I was greeted with what I thought would be the typical “Order Confirmation” e-mail.  Here’s what they wrote:

 Dear “mysterious dude who writes that man-blog,” (<- can’t have any stalkers, ya know)

 Just thought we would let you know that in just a few minutes, your order #WSK27485XXXX will be carefully removed from our Stormy Kromer shelves, placed into some sort of container, and sent on its way to you. And if it’s cold where you are, then you are correct in feeling pretty darn good about that. If it’s warm where you are, keep it to yourself… no point in rubbing it in.

 Prior to its departure, a semi-qualified team of almost 50 inspectors (actually, it’ll be just one person, but she’s really good) will check your order to make sure it passes muster. Our “packing specialist” will then ask for a collective moment of silence, and a reverent calm will fall over the entire factory as we all watch her place your order into some sort of shipping thingamajig.

 Of course, all of this excitement will give rise to a big party afterwards, resulting in the whole factory taking the remainder of the day off to walk your package to the local post office, where most of our town will show up and join in to wish it a cheerful Bon Voyage!

 Once your order has shipped, the party is over and everyone’s back to work, we’ll be in touch with your tracking number.

 I hope you enjoyed shopping with us. As you can tell, we sure do. In fact, we are considering nominating you for Customer of the Year! We’ll see.

 You can view your order information and the status of your order at any time, by visiting our website and clicking the “Login” link in the upper left corner.

 http://www.stormykromer.com

 Please feel free to contact a member of staff if you have any questions or problems with your purchase.   

 Now, how refreshing is that?  So, in conclusion, support a small business.

* In memory of Ol’ Man Kromer, who died a long time ago, never having known the joy of the internet.