What makes Memphis...Memphis?

I'm the daughter of a small business owner. A literal Mom & Pop (and grandparent and uncle and great-uncles and cousins and countless family friends) operation that employed just over 100 people in the busy summer paving season, Bonds Company built just about every road in northeast Mississippi. I learned at a very early age to appreciate the contributions of a small business to it's community. And it's not just about not trusting The Man or wanting to stick it to big corporations. Data from the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Census Bureau suggests small firms (those that employ less than 500 people) provide jobs to just over half of all employed in the private sector. These operations fuel our local economies.

But it's not the statistical data that makes me all warm and fuzzy for the little guy. It's what they do to make their surroundings unique. And I know you feel the same way, too. Here's a scenario: an out-of-towner asks you for a restaurant or retail recommendation for their trip to Memphis. I'm willing to bet you won't say any of the following:

• Oh, definitely check out the Chili's Grill & Bar at Poplar & Perkins. Their southwestern eggrolls are outta sight!
• Be sure and swing by the Wal-Mart Super Center on Germantown Parkway. Their kitchen do-dad selection is exhaustive!
• Stop in at the Walgreens at (insert darn near any intersection here). What a great candy selection and their customer service is dreamy.
• There's a Pizza Hut on Union that serves THE. BEST. PIZZA. Trust me on this one.

Instead, you'll wax poetic about your favorite barbeque joint and recommend they try the sandwich or the BBQ nachos or the ribs; you'll say they should check out Lit on Summer or Union for their cooking needs; you'll say the Peanut Shoppe is where they'll need to go to satisfy their sweet tooth and be greeted by some of the nicest proprietors in town; you'll send them to Trolley Stop Market, a restaurant/locavore market led by local farmers Jill & Keith Forrester for what might be the best pizza on the planet. You'll recommend all your favorite hole-in-the-wall-only-in-Memphis places because you want your traveling friends to have the most authentic experience.

And you'll be disappointed when your favorite local institution isn't here anymore. The Memphis Heritage Foundation and it's supporters got a lot of flack for being late to show concern for the hulking Methodist Church at the intersection of Union and Cooper, only rallying around the decaying building when a national chain threatened to tear it down and replace it with an Any Suburb, USA-designed drugstore. The drug store got it's way and the church is coming down even as I type. Nashvillians rallied around their own Davis-Kidd Booksellers location only after it was announced the store would be closed at the end of 2010. The "Keep Davis-Kidd Nashville Open" facebook page had more than 3500 fans only four days after it was created, more than twice the amount of fans the store's actual facebook fan page had. The rallying cry was too late; the store WOULD be closing. Where were all those vocal supporters before?

Think about all the places you really treasure where you live. Would there be a void if it went away? Can you do something about it? Absolutely. The 3/50 Project is an organization dedicated to promoting "stronger local economies through support of independent retailers and the consumers who shop with them." The premise is this: pick 3 of your favorite places and pledge to spend $50 at each of them on a monthly basis. Stick with three for a year, if you'd like. Change it up monthly. Whatever it is, make a commitment to vote with your dollars - vote for the success of the business by SHOPPING/EATING/DRINKING/BEING there! And think about it: it's the local businesses that are raising the bar on best practices, customer service and sustainability. The behemoths seem to be in reaction mode (I'm looking at you, Wal-Mart), constantly revamping their "green" standards, their food sourcing, their safety records, their employer-provided health insurance.

Frankly, it's the locals who make our communities better. And while this is pretty funny, it doesn't have to be true. Commit to supporting those places that really do matter to you so you won't be scrambling to join the riotous mob that's too late to make a difference.