Born in the USA! What does Small Town America have to do with Big Business?

Business is about community. 

Born in the USA. 

I was born in a small town in the midwest. A Place called Hillsdale Michigan. It is one of those small towns in the midwest where most everyone knew you. My dad ran a business on the main street of town and when I went anywhere with him, he was like Norm on Cheers, everyone knew his name.  Our main street was small but had some great businesses that I loved.

There was Dick's Dandy Diner (an old caboose from a train) the bakery with the best glazed doughnuts, the telephone company, the city hall was right across the street from my dad's office and there was the church. One street over was the drug store and on the corner another diner. All run by very nice people. There were the tree lined streets, kids playing in yards and it was a great place to grow up. In looking back on this I realized what made our little town so special was the sense of community. Neighbor helping neighbor.  

Small towns/Big business. 

When I set out to produce the books and buddies for my business, I really wanted to honor my past. I have been told, "It will be to expensive!" "You can't get it done here!" "People don't want quality they want quantity" I say really? To the answer you can't get it done here, wrong. There are companies here in the USA producing some incredible high quality products. My buddies are done by such a place. They have been in business in the US for over 50 years. I work with a place to create custom fabrics that has been doing business for almost 30 years. It is possible to find these places, and more and more are popping up all of the time. 

People who believe the best way to do things is in our own back yard. The best people to hire are our friends and neighbors. The best way for us to get out of our financial slump is to start producing again. People in a larger community than the one I grew up in, a community called the USA.

Friends are community. 

My stories are about community. A community much like the one I grew up in. The inhabitants of Brambleberry Hollow are friends, be they penguins,bears, dogs, foxes, cows, sheep or moose. They run the Snow Cone Palace, the Art Gallery, and the Tea shop. They help each other out, they teach each other about their differences and about what they all have in common. My friends are Born in the USA, just like me. Whether you live in a small town, a large city or a Hollow we are a community.

What do you do to support yours? Do you buy local? Do you give back? Do you help a neighbor when he is down? Do you laugh with your friends over a fun day at the beach? We can all do our part to support friends, family, and people who are trying to bring back some of that pride of, Made in the USA.