Canaries in Palmer’s business community?

Businesses going out of business bring a measure of sadness to any community — whether that business has been a fixture for many years or a recent startup.

I’ve witnessed the long hours and incredible dedication entrepreneurs must be willing to invest to succeed. And I’ve, like many in the community, made a point of trying and buying. Sometimes that hasn’t been enough.

As residents of downtown Palmer, my wife and I’ve often thought we buy heavily from local merchants and use local services. I began thinking about what that means and decided it would be useful to make a list. As a reader you might want to think about what would be on your list.

Since we both walk a lot, we wear out shoes. The last three out of four pair were purchased in Palmer. And our bikes have received regular care at the local bike shop.

Although we prefer to walk, we do drive — my wife commutes to Anchorage. Our Prius sips gas but we typically buy at a local Palmer station. My first choice for car service is in Palmer as well

Since we are homeowners, there are always fixes and improvements. A local building supplier is my first choice and specialty shops have provided important big items like window coverings.

For food we shop local supermarkets with a rare excursion to a big box in Anchorage. And our daily food and dining out brings us to a prominent local coffee shop and restaurants in Palmer as opposed to Anchorage by 10 to 1.

We have three chickens and a garden. Our chickenfeed and garden supplies come from a local feed store.

For reading, the local bookstore gets our business for both browsing and ordering. Although being a book addict I’ve had to agree to ration my purchases.

For services, our accountant is in Palmer as is my doctor. Both my wife and I are made presentable at a local hair salon.

I’m involved with a number of organizations and whenever a large gathering is conjured up, my first choice is one of the venues in Palmer including the historic Palmer Depot.

As spenders in Palmer, my wife and I may be on the heavy end of the spectrum. But the more important question for me has to do with encouraging businesses and services in Palmer. In addition to being a customer, giving feedback that helps them do better seems welcome. Repeat business is critical to any business. We use businesses in Palmer not because they are in Palmer but because they are good businesses in Palmer that work on getting better.

Going into business is an inherently risky choice. Statistics abound about failure rates. As you put together your list of businesses and services that attract your attention and money in this time of economic uncertainty, consider which ones make your life better and would be sorely missed should they no longer be part of Palmer’s life.

Small businesses are like canaries in a coal mine, each one seems small but what they say about a community is worth more than their weight in gold.

Mike Chmielewski is a member of the Palmer City Council.