August 31, 2023 – Peg Bos once said, “The Clovis way of life was adopted by a commercial experience and it has stuck with us. New people are an advantage to us, it allows us to show our way of life when they walk into our businesses.” What the first female mayor of Clovis and former president of the Clovis Museum could less eloquently be interpreted as saying is, Clovis is small business.

From its humble beginnings as the small block-plus that the now citizens know as “Old Town”, Clovis has seen the second highest percentage of growth amongst similarly sized cities in California according to Biggestuscities.com.

But how has Clovis kept that small town feeling, the life that many residents seek upon arrival? The “Clovis Way of Life”?

Many look to the small businesses in the area, those places that one goes to with the hopes of not only finding what they need, but achieving a more personal and customizable customer experience.

According to Brooke Chau, former Clovis Roundup reporter and current Morning Reporter for ‘Good Morning Tuscon’, the math for shopping locally is compelling. For every $100 spent at a locally-owned business, $73 remains in the local economy. Compared to when $100 is spent at a major corporation, only about $43 remains in the local economy.

Tammy Shultz, owner of Clovis Appliance says, “We pride ourselves in taking care of customers the best we can. With us, we treat them [customers] the way we wanted to be treated, it’s the values my dad instilled in me at a young age.” There is a reason that Clovis Appliance has been in business for over 72 years, and perhaps it’s simply due to the sheer benefits of buying locally from a family owned and operated business.

Greg Newman, President and CEO of the Clovis Chamber of Commerce, believes that local businesses are the backbone to successful communities and weighed in on the impacts of shopping locally.

“Strolling down the streets of Old Town really brings you back in time. You can stop at a local shop and most often have the owner of the shop there to answer your questions, provide a service or ring up your purchase,” said Newman.

“There are many local shops in our community that have been around for decades serving our community. I would recommend that our community make the effort to visit these local stores, find the owner, say hello and thank them.”

Another one of those small businesses is the Foundry, a high-quality clothing, accessories, stationary, home goods, & baby products store.

The Foundry opened its doors in Old Town Clovis in 2012 as Vintage on Fourth. In just three years, the inventory and client base more than doubled. Owner Karen Chisum, packed up the store’s merchandise, moved to a bigger spot, and officially established The Foundry.

“The reason I love Old Town Clovis is the rich history of quality and standards. When you shop in our community you can be confident that you’ll be treated with a warm smile, and have a variety of products available within walking distance in a safe, family friendly environment.”

Perhaps the leaders of Clovis can help put it best. Business Development Manager for the City of Clovis, Shawn Miller once stated that “Old town is like the hub on a wheel. There are ‘spokes’ which extend from the hub to the rest of the wheel. Every part is necessary for the wheel to work, therefore, every part is important.”

And just as every part holds its own importance, so do small businesses hold their importance to the “community” aspect of a community. Whether it be going down to the hardware store or grabbing a coffee at the local coffee shop, small business help bring a certain life to a community that corporations can have a negative effect on if allowed.

In short, just as the general public of Clovis believes in small business, the “Clovis Way of Life” promotes and trusts in the belief that it is small business.

For more information on what Old Town Clovis has to offer, visit www.oldtownclovis.org.