Since a national observance of our freedom stirs the patriot heart, mine included, let’s compare business today to business in 1783 as the Revolutionary War was winding down. Many businesses were decimated through the ravages of war. Many were shuttered as men were conscripted or fought with the militia. Paper currency was practically worthless. And those were just the challenges facing individual businesses.

Our new nation had to quickly master a number needs throughout the colonies. Think of the bloated role of national government today, and it’s easy to see how bereft this new nation felt in severing its ties. Many of the services we take for granted didn’t exist in 1783. They’d won the war, but could they save the country? We sometimes feel that way after starting a business: I did it! Yay! Wait…what just happened here? What if I can’t hold it together? Starting a business is the easy part, isn’t it? Keeping it on that high wire of success is the hard part.

The newly formed United States experienced lots of missteps and false starts. It was a period of instability and change. The Articles of Confederation did little to unify the states into a cohesive nation. Each state chartered its own banks and often printed its own money. Yes, a lot grew rich, but many lost their shirts. Does it sound at all like the uncertainty of 2022? We’re still trying to get our balance amid shortages of materials, labor and investment money.

Running a business in 2022 offers some very definite parallels. We need money, marketing and clients. We need to prove ourselves from the git-go. We need to survive. The spirit of ’76 still exists within us today, and it may well be the driving force to economic recovery for our nation. We all need to fluff up our incomes and yes, it can come from doing business abroad or with people across the metro…but we develop a more stable base when we conduct business with each other. Buying local can apply to more than just produce at a farmer’s market. We all salivate over vine-ripened tomatoes for a BLT, and love juicy freshly picked sweet corn…so let’s just extrapolate that concept to working jointly with each other.

It's called collaboration and these are great reasons for doing business within the Blue Springs community:

·        Fresh perspectives are invigorating

·        A stronger network is a stronger safety net

·        What you learn from an area business is a closer parallel to your own customers

·        You can save a lot of money trading services and helping one another

·        Solve each other’s problems

Entrepreneurs and small businesses remain the backbone of our nation. When we lock arms with one another, we form a network of support ensuring individual success, and that’s what the Chamber is all about. As we help each other grow, the outcome will be success. Wobbling on a highwire isn’t so scary with a safety net below.