Small business owners in your town spend their whole life building a business. These places might get passed down to different generations, and they thrive on shoppers to keep them up and running.

Every non-essential business is shutting down due to COVID-19, an unprecedented pandemic. This is a small business owner's worst nightmare. Most of these owners need the money to keep their family supported, their bills paid, and their business running.

Now, I'm not saying stop going to Target (because who doesn't love Target!). Simply show a little love for homemade wood decorations, fresh-brewed coffee made with love, homemade ice cream, one-of-a-kind outfits, and freshly cooked meals.

Many businesses like Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, Home Depot, Walmart, and Target can actually thrive with a store closure.

"Forty-three percent of small-town business owners throughout the United States anticipate permanent foreclosure because they simply don't have enough money to pay their payments with the virus happening," according to the US Chamber of commerce. So many businesses who fortunately will not have to shut down permanently will still never be back to usual.

We all absolutely love our brand name clothing stores and our familiar grocery stores, but how many of you actually ever shopped at a local farmers' market or a local boutique within your town?

Who hates when you show up to a party wearing the same exact thing as someone because you both went to Forever 21, H&M, American Eagle, or another chain operation? Chances are if you shop local at a store, you will find a unique outfit that is handmade for only one person.

It is beyond heartbreaking when someone loses a piece of their heart because funds are low: someone who spent their entire life giving back to the community, someone who worshiped the business they created and simply someone who is losing a place they called home.

A majority of the time, these small businesses are the most compassionate, loving, and community-infused people you will ever meet. Take a minute to go out of your usual routine, and go the road less traveled for those small business goodies.

The coronavirus should be a huge eye-opener as to why you really need to shop local. When you shop local, you are buying more than the item on the shelf, you are buying food for their family's table and clothes to wear on their back.

You are providing faith that they can make it through hardships and bumps in the road. Don't be the reason they have to shut their doors for good.