Chamber Addresses Business Closings

A Message from the Mid County Chamber of Commerce
By: Executive Director, Jeannine Beck

Is the Maplewood business community going to be okay?
Yes!

In light of the recent string of businesses that announced closings, we feel compelled to reassure the community that downtown Maplewood remains a vibrant business hub for dining, shopping and entertainment. The simultaneous closings cannot be ignored, but don’t warrant panic either. They also don’t represent the entire business climate in downtown Maplewood. Don’t lose sight of the fact that many of our businesses are flourishing, expanding, and making long term commitments to the neighborhood.

The businesses that have recently closed have done so for a variety of reasons, none of which have to do with shortcomings of our downtown shopping district. This is true in the City of Maplewood and across the St. Louis region.

Operating a small business isn’t for the faint of heart. To realize the dream of owning a small business – a successful one – requires the proprietor to make significant sacrifices in other parts of their life. Some common reasons businesses close are due to change in circumstances, such as marriage, divorce, health, starting a family, burn-out, or other factors that might cause a shift in priorities or prompt a need for change. Additional causes for a business to close or move are lease negotiations, labor shortages, outgrowing their space or that their sales can’t support their operating costs.

The truth is that behind small businesses are people with unique life stories and specific circumstances. Whether the business is choosing to close, relocate, or take sales online, each one is doing so for different reasons. While we as a community mourn each business closing, it often marks a new beginning for the small business owners that have left and opens up opportunities for others to come to Maplewood.

This isn’t to say that we aren’t being proactive in addressing the closings. The Mid County Chamber of Commerce and the Maplewood Special Business District are working in collaboration with property owners to attract new businesses to our downtown area. Also, our reputation for being a desirable place to open a business speaks for itself. Between the Chamber and the City, we provide more resources and support to small businesses than most municipalities.

Finally, we ask for your support!  We’re heartened by the concern expressed by the community regarding the closings. In this same spirit of care, we look for your help in rallying around new businesses that open in the area, while not forgetting the existing ones. Most importantly, please continue to shop small and with locally owned businesses. Whether it’s once a week, or once a month, every transaction counts! Together, we will keep the heartbeat of our downtown business district alive and thriving.