Aug 12, 2020 3 min read

We are living in a moment of collective stress that seems to be compounding daily, an uncertainty that has affected every person. There is a quiet sadness that permeates our lives these days. Where there once was a spark of recognition, there are now darting eyes behind a mask. Where there once was an embrace, there is now scurrying six feet away.

We had never experienced anything like this before. We do not know exactly when it is going to end, or how it is going to impact us in the long term.

What are the likely long-term impacts on retail bricks-and-mortar shopping? For business owners, new growth opportunities in a post-COVID recovery will require a renewed entrepreneurial spirit.

If we are to emerge from this year of chaos and move forward, we must embrace the free exchange of ideas and changes in consumer habits. Ideas are where solutions are born, and the creativity and innovation of our small businesses will drive our revitalization efforts.

But we as consumers have skin in this game as well, especially here in the Mon Valley. We are the face of the Valley, which is a brand that we wear wherever we go. Every one of us is a member of our sales team, the best representatives our communities have. No marketing team will ever devise a campaign better than us.

Think about it: We love this place, we live here, we raise families here. Who better to tell the world about our place? If the Mon Valley were a business, we are the employees.

I remember when the downtown business districts in Charleroi, Donora, Monessen and Monongahela were full of small local businesses. They were owned and operated by families and sustained by the community. We called them business owners. Now they are called entrepreneurs.

I wonder what those earlier business operators would think about that fancy word? Small business districts have long been the foundation of local and regional economies. Even when steel was king in these parts, it was the power of these small business districts that made the Mon Valley what it was.

Our small businesses lend character to our community and keep profits recirculating in the local economy. That is more important now than ever. We must continue to nurture our small business community. Losing even one business will have far-reaching consequences for a community. Take away the River House Café, Prima Diva Boutique, Fourth Street Barbeque or Perked Up Café from the business district of Charleroi and we will be left with a virtual ghost town.

Small businesses breathe life into our underutilized business districts. Residents feel as if their voices are being heard and see government and developers sharing their visions. Local pride follows, as entrepreneurs infuse our revitalization with excitement. Our residents become friendlier, our communities become more livable, and we all become a part of something special.

Jamie Protin is founder and principal of The Protin Group in Belle Vernon.

To submit business-related columns, email Rick Shrum at rshrum@observer-reporter.com.