Yesterday with much trepidation I asked a roaster to cancel an order for a few coffee mugs.  I only gained the confidence to type “ I hate to be a pain, and will certainly avoid doing so in the future, but can I cancel the mug order” after asking my partner if it was bad form to ask for a refund. I talked myself down such a rabbit hole, feeling guilty for making extra work for someone, for causing a fuss. The fear of making a request that might make me more of a complicated client for them, lead them to ‘drop me’ was so daunting that I almost avoided it entirely.

Where in the world does this aversion to taking up space come from?

There are innumerable ways that small businesses give back. Local businesses contribute to a unique sense of place of a community that fosters community pride. They tend to give back more charitably than big box stores and create more local jobs. As well, local businesses, in ways chain businesses do not, increase the richness of the local economy. For every $100 spent at a locally owned business, $43 stays in the local economy. Reversely, only $13 of the $100 remains in the local economy when spent at non-locally owned businesses. These extra dollars circulating in the community are an investment in local job creation and preserving diverse and prosperous communities.

Kayla Bellman, Founder, participates in a Q & A with her Alma Mater, Emory MDP about the role of specialty coffee and Finca to Filter in international development.