You may think business exists to make money. But it doesn’t. Profit is a byproduct of our labors to provide the necessities and desires of our community. Business exists for us, not the other way around. Although it can often feel that way.

There was a time when many companies, even large ones, were proud of how many employees they had, how many families they supported and what they contributed to the communities they served. In other words—the greater good. And they made a profit.

At the Local Business Institute we often talk about business, not as B to B or B to C, but as H to H—Human to Human. Because a small, local business is one human helping another human. At times, we seem to have forgotten this.

It’s easy to paint all business with one swath of a giant brush. In an era where large corporations sacrifice employees for shareholders and the billionaire’s club grows larger and larger, big business is no longer about humans. It’s about greed and the bottom line.

But walk into a small local business and connect with the resident human. They’re your neighbors and friends. They care about the community as much as you do—it’s where their business lives too. Local businesses are the places where we gather, celebrate life’s milestones and provide for our family’s needs. Locally-owned businesses nourish the heart and soul of any community. They are, in fact, what gives a community its unique character and identity—reflecting our unique culture and keeping our communities from being “Anywhere, USA”.

Local business is the direct response of neighbors to the needs of other neighbors. It is the storefront of our hopes and dreams as individuals and as a community. Entrepreneurs embrace their talents with a passion that feeds both their endeavors and our culture. From the unique shops to the musicians (independent businesses one and all) to the entrepreneurial spirit that exudes the attitude that anything can be done—local business makes it happen every day.

This symbiotic human endeavor flourishes where the greeting from a clerk can make someone’s day. Where the transaction is a relationship. Where the investment is supporting something (and someone) of value. What can a local business uniquely offer? Along with shirts, sandwiches and services, they bring kindness, care and compassion–all while making a profit.

Think I’m being sentimental? Perhaps. But in these times, I long for kindness with a smile on the side. If you doubt me, put on your human suit, walk into a local business with a smile on your face and connect to H to H. This is what it’s all about. It’s about us as a community of humans.