[Nick C]

I have tried to support small and local businesses for a long time. Especially those that utilize fair trade practices. Then I know that my money is not going to support the slave labor that most major corporations use.

I totally respect people who put forth the effort to strive to succeed with positive business practices to benefit the global and local economies. I have a close friend who started an online business http://www.theokobox.com/ that I was just checking out that got me thinking to ask this.

[Andy]

I do every way i can, i got a friend who owns a small business and he loves what he does and helping people, but his business has hit a huge slump last year or two and struggling to make ends meat as customers stopped going to his store more often, not cause he wasn't giving good customer service, as he gives superb service as well as advice as he has had the business for over 20 yrs but people now days are turning to the Internet for their products purely cause of price, to them the reason is, for example, in the store, they selling a TV for 2499.00 and give a discount and do it for 1995.00, the person then goes on the Internet and checks out eBay or googles the TVs model number and sees someone selling the same TV at 1195.00 brand new, so they say, but they will still buy off the Internet, even though they dont know who the seller is and what support they will get if the TV has a problem or advice and that's why i support small business, because if everyone decided to support the Internet business, the small businesses would close down and then who would you go to for help, you may have to send to another state for the closest retailer and wait weeks to get it back when a small business can help you with it and get it back to you within a day or two but people dont see that and dont quite care about their local store anymore and would rather have a great price from a stranger than great service and support from a business

[devhead]

Sure, i do what I can to help the locals.