Using My Voice as a Business Owner

I have thought of myself first as a business owner ever since I opened Dune. I see the world through that small business lens, understanding how economic shifts and news stories in my area may affect what I do for a living, and the service that I’m able to provide for Dune’s customers and the Stoughton community. This year, it became apparent that I needed to expand my mindset.

Now that lens that I see the world through has another layer: activism.

Our country has seen many hard times this year on an economic, social, racial, environmental, and even physical level. We’ve been cooped up inside due to a global pandemic, watched as entire cities have succumbed to forest fires and hurricanes, and we’ve expressed outrage online and in the streets over racial inequality in America. 

Through these times, I knew in my heart what I felt about each issue. What I knew in my gut was right. In the past, I may have held back my opinions, particularly on my business social media channels, in order to avoid conflict. This time, I knew I could not.

Using My Voice as a Business Owner

As business owners, especially small business owners, we subconsciously follow unwritten rules that we believe will help our businesses survive. We try to steer clear of controversial issues so that we don’t offend any potential customer or scare people away from checking out our brand. Running a small business can be difficult enough.

However, these rules don’t apply to our world today. They simply can’t be used to make decisions about the issues that our entire community is facing. When something is so important, so imperative to discuss in order to affect change, we can’t be afraid of offending others in our path toward making that change.

We require masks to be worn in Dune at this time. Climate change is real. We stand with the Black Lives Matter movement.

It feels like table stakes, but it’s important for me to be clear about where I stand.

When I think about small business owners, I think of them, us, as pivotal voices in our community. We represent the financial success of the local economy, and with that comes a significant amount of clout. It is up to us to put aside worry over losing business, of offending someone who may not agree with us, and to stand up for what is right. Publicly. Consistently. Actively.

I know that I speak from a place of privilege. As a white woman, I have been privileged to hold back on publicly voicing my opinions. Now, I need to step into the world as an ally and use my voice to amplify the voices of others and make change. Beyond using my voice, I need to use my social capital as a business owner in the community to make a difference, advocating for policies and initiatives locally that support those who do not have the same privileges, as well as those that promote positive steps toward sustainability.

There is so much going on in the world right now. As small business owners, we are fighting our own fights to keep our doors open amidst economic and social turmoil. However, it is more important than ever for us to be vocal about our values, to fight for what is right, and to be true allies for those that are fighting against prejudice and injustice in addition to the challenges we’re facing. I won’t stop speaking up or taking action. I hope you’ll join me.