Small Business - Why We Love It
Holiday shopping is in full swing and Black Friday and Small Business Saturday have come and gone, so now we reflect on what worked and what didn't in our little retail world. But we are also counting our blessings and reflecting on the things we enjoy about this business.
That comes down to PEOPLE. The people we work with and the people we see day in and day out. We love our hometown community - we know what your wife or husband wants for Christmas (usually). Your daughter has been in and she is sure to tell us "when mom comes in tell her this is the one!" Your dad came in and said "when the kids start asking, tell them I like this." We love when someone rushes over to the counter and says "here, hide this!" Just yesterday I was visiting with a mom who had already purchased gifts, had them wrapped and had taken them home...when her daughter walks up with the same top that is wrapped and ready for her Christmas morning! Yes, we are in the business of selling, but the relationships and the fun you are having at our store brings us great joy.
Another blessing, that I wasn't prepared for when we opened 18 years ago, is the people that travel year after year and have made Cornell's Country Store a regular stop. Families that go from Dallas to Denver, and all over the place every year stop, shop and visit. We have many travelers that we have come to recognize that have been stopping, shopping and chatting for years now. One of my favorite comments is "I've been wanting to stop here for years, and now I'm sure glad I did!" Apparently, there are lots of husbands on the road that don't want to let the wife stop and shop? This is news to me, never have I ever heard such a thing from mine ~ wink wink
One of my favorite stories is of a young couple from Montana that stopped one year and visited with our beloved Dude (Bill's dad). Dude would close his service station that he had operated for 60+ years in Clarendon and come sit and visit at the store until we closed at 6. This Montana couple stopped the next year, and after visiting for a minute they said they really stopped to talk to the elderly gentleman that was here every day. It was sad because Dude had passed away, but so wonderful at the same time. How cool is that? Relationships is what it's really all about and the fact that these people all the way from Montana had remembered a visit with a very friendly Texan. Warms our heart every time we tell the tale.
In closing, I hope that you love your job whatever it may be and that you have great relationships wherever your job is. I also hope that if you are a customer of ours that you know that we appreciate you and you make our job worthwhile. We are extra thankful for YOU.
