“The Greatest Wealth is Health”
I grew up on a hobby farm two miles west of the small town of Stony Plain, Alberta. The population in 1968 was 1,464 — a fact I found thanks to google, which never ceases to amaze me. In my mind’s eye I can still see the main street in those early days —
The shops, the elementary school,
the junior high and high school,
the curling rink, the hockey rink.
Everyone knew everyone, and the town’s businesses were made up of hard working families. Everyday we supported small business as a way of existence. There was Diana’s Beauty Salon up a long set of stairs over the post office where mom got the latest hair coif. Zyg’s Jewelry across the street where watches were fixed and new earrings and brooches for my mom were purchased on special occasions. Towne House Fashions was where mom shopped for new clothes.
There was Bing’s Restaurant, where many Sundays after church were spent enjoying Chinese food as a family. For a quarter, we could visit the Confectioners (as it was called), with rows and rows of candy to delight and tempt my young palette. Later in the 70s the Red opened as a corner convenience store where we bought slurpees to freeze our brains and licorice galore. There was the family-owned bakery, dry cleaners, insurance, and the town’s resident mechanic.
When I look back on my feral Gen X childhood, this really was supporting small business at its finest – I just didn’t know it. Now some could argue there was no choice, but now in 2024, many of us wish we could go back to a simpler time, the good ol’ days where iPhones are not in the hands of a 5 year old. But where remotes and “rabbit ears” could run the only three channels on TV, and the national anthem was played at the end of the night where the TV actually shut off. Fuzzy snow.
We were an ordinary middle -class family with few riches, but rich — I realized once I reached adulthood. We had a house, we had clothes (albeit I had hand-me-downs from well meaning cousins), plenty of garden food, fresh-baked bread. We traded land for beef. We had a vacation once a year. Granted, as a younger person, I always wanted more, but what naive, self absorbed teen doesn’t?
Given I had zero business knowledge when I decided a B&B at Eagle Mountain Lake was the retirement plan, I feel pretty successful. The name and brand is continuing to grow after two and a half years since opening. I love that folks like to book an overnight stay and celebrate all the things – birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, or just the staycation mental health break we all need. I make a mental note of how they found me – Google mostly — and the feedback of how quiet it is out here, the deer on the lawn, how cute the cottages are, and a lovely breakfast, solidifies that I am on the right track.
I have a respect for small business owners that I never really thought about when I was making a solid paycheck as a teacher. Supporting small business was always something I ensured some of my dollars went to, but it never really occurred to me the level of faith, or blind trust, or sheer grit – or the constant hustle — that it takes to keep this ship going.
There is a level of worry that really never goes away, and there are always the recurring thoughts of how to increase business. This of course all relies on a constant supply of revenue. Big marketing campaigns need big money each month, professional property pictures also need big money, maintenance is constant because the one week a month when everything is running and not broken, means next week 408 problems will magically show up.
The cost of credit card fees is criminal, and whoever owns Mastercard, Visa, and American Express needs to rethink the disproportionate amount that businesses pay to those investors and banks who are making a ridiculous amount of money. Why am I paying thousands each year for this service? There is a fee to be on any travel platform, and of course, my reservation system also charges a fee for my business to be on that outside platform. We call that a double whammy. As a consumer I totally get it. We all want our dollars to stretch a little farther. I see why Joe T Garcia says cash only. If I could figure that out.
Weekly trips to the grocery store means I have guests to cook for, but If I was a big corporate restaurant, I could order from food suppliers, but nope. I shop at the local groceries like the rest of the general population, and buying eggs for twenty million dollars is just the cost of doing business right now. Last week I joked with the stock boy replenishing the eggs, asking if all the chickens had died in the USA. Or were these golden eggs? Yes, in fact a lot of chickens have died, hence one egg is now worth more than a bottle of wine.
In exchange for my golden egg and credit card fee life — I get to do what I want, when I want, without guilt. And this is pretty rich by any definition. I have met so many great people from all walks of life, and while I have yet to buy the Bronco that I want — I am about $90,000 short for that — I am completely content. Completely. I have a level of gratitude that I never had when I was working as a busy teacher. I never had time. Life is slower now, I get to be creative. I am healthy.
So what is the take-away here? Buy the cute homemade cupcakes and fancy cookies from the stay-at-home moms and grandmas. Buy the homemade tamales. Check out Etsy for any handmade product you could ever imagine. Look for small businesses online, or in your neighborhood app. Trust me, you will make a difference to that family.
Book directly on a small business website. Like mine. Or a gift certificate for family or friends who need a night away from their life (see what I did there?) It’s okay if Expedia, AirBNB, and all the other travel platforms make a little less money, but I promise you a great night stay, wonderful customer service, and those dollars will contribute to a new HVAC system I need. 🙂 See you soon!
Colleen McCullough is the owner of
The Virginia May B&B at Eagle Mountain Lake
You can follow the B&B on Instagram
and Facebook @thevirginiamay
