Shopping and gift giving is surely different this year and there is a lot of noise showing up in our email inboxes right now.

Black Friday, Cyber Monday. Deal and more deals. It is difficult to compete with the noise. The deep discounts offered by the large corporations are not sustainable for Main Street.

The stock market is not main street.

Small businesses are already struggling in these uncertain times. Many of us are scratching our heads with the curiosity of how to compete.

Truth be told — we can’t.

So I understand in these upcoming weeks that saving a few dollars by spending your money online at these big corporate giants is tempting and frankly, if I were not a small business owner and only a consumer, I may be thinking the same way.

However, if small business is the backbone of our economy and we don’t want our small towns to have empty storefronts, we small business owners must rely on the kindness of the consumer and their wallets to consider spending a little more rather than being on the lookout for the latest deal.

It is a dilemma for sure.

What I ask of people this year is to consider thinking beyond the programmed thought of How much can I save? Or Who has the best deal?

And think instead about supporting the local businesses who have donated to every fundraiser you have attended over the years, the ones who have made you feel welcomed like a guest in your home back when we used to shop that way.