Truth be told...

As it turns out, enough business owners are concerned that street closure will have a negative impact on traffic that we decided to keep the traffic flowing on event day.

There were some heated discussions, but not necessarily about keeping the street open. Apparently that was a no-brainer! Discussion during the noontime meeting centered around keeping customers happy. Small businesses may not be able to keep up with the prices or selection of big box retailers like Wal Mart or Home Depot, but they can keep customers and bring in more business and by showing customers that they care. It's not just about a friendly smile and asking about people's kids (though these are good practices). Sometimes you need to spend some money on the community to make some money on the community! For example, one business owner was so excited about the youth baseball team his store sponsors that he insisted I come to the store to see the team picture! Another business owner told us about Mt. Airy's "Best of the Best" award that goes to the business each year that does the best in community service.

There's a lot the business association can do to give back to the community, and some of the business owners most engaged in the association are anxious to start.