And on the eighth day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a job creator.” So, God made a small business owner.

He said, “I need someone willing to stay up all night, worrying about how to make payroll. I need someone who’s okay with paying their employees before they make a single dollar. I need someone who will risk signing the front of the check… so others can have the privilege of signing the back. I need someone who will risk their life savings just to break even every year and hope that the next will be better.” So, God made a small business owner.

He went on, “I need somebody with a personality strong enough to handle a complaining customer, yet gentle enough to train a new employee. Someone to stock shelves, skip lunch, run across town to hand-deliver an order, work late, and finally make it home after 10 PM.” So, God made a small business owner.

“I need someone who will work 70 hours a week, every week, and be able to tolerate the media — and even their friends — saying that entrepreneurs ‘aren’t paying their fair share.’” So, God made a small business owner.

God had to have someone willing to put the customer first. Someone willing to open early, stay open late, miss their kid’s baseball games… so that other parents wouldn’t have to do the same. So, God made a small business owner.

He needed someone who would get people what they need, when they need it, for a fair price. Someone who could embody the old-fashioned virtues of self-reliance, hard work, and spending less than one makes.

God knew someone would have to keep the American dream alive.

So, God made a small business owner.

To all my friends and clients in Northwest Arkansas: don’t forget to shop small this holiday season. It means everything to our local entrepreneurs (and our community at large).