We are wrapping up National Small Business Week and heading into Mother’s Day weekend, which means a lot of businesses in Greene County will be open.

Bonnie Silbaugh has owned Fudge’s Flowers and Gifts in Jefferson for three years and she appreciates the small business culture that Jefferson and Greene County offers for people. She says times have changed from how she saw businesses operate growing up, to now owning one of those businesses.

“I am not competing with the person down the street. We are working together to try and grow the community. If I can’t offer something at my store we try to get it somewhere else and we talk to each other about those things. And so that whole idea of competing with one another in a small town, you don’t need to do that and it doesn’t work. We would rather bring more options into town instead of offering something everywhere. And I think that that seems different to me than it ever used to be.”

She explains what the heart of National Small Business Week means to her.

“You are spending money in town for people that you know and it supports them, and it stays back in town as well. Just to highlight how important community is this week is all that all of us want to do.”

Silbaugh adds that there are plenty of options for people to shop local during Mother’s Day weekend as well.