I'm not ashamed to admit it: I'm a small business junkie.

After one too many bad experiences in crowded shopping centers and box stores, three years ago I vowed to shop at local businesses whenever possible. Overall, it wasn't a difficult sacrifice for me to make: Stepping into a Wal-Mart has always made me shudder, and I've never set foot in a mall without my blood pressure nearly increasing to heart-attack levels. I'll admit that I missed my beloved Starbucks Frappuccinos at first, but once the withdrawals subsided, I realized something: I never hated shopping like I had always suspected; I just hated big-box stores.

My friends believe I'm wasting my money by shopping at local boutiques, coffee shops and foods stores whose prices are slightly higher than the plethora of superstores located only two miles from my home. But in my opinion, my money is best spent on the "little guy" who smiles when I walk in the door, never fails to ask how I'm doing and always offers a quality product. So when I moved to the 12 South area of Nashville a year ago, I instantly found myself in small business heaven.

Within a span of three blocks, this up-and-coming area boasts six clothing boutiques, an art supply store, two coffee shops, a dry cleaner, three restaurants, a neighborhood bar and more. Whether you're browsing the boutiques on a Saturday afternoon or looking for a great place to grab a bite after work, one thing's for sure: There's something unique about these neighborhood businesses. Here are a few of my favorites:

two elle
Past style meets the present at two elle, a lifestyle boutique of men's and women's clothing, and home decor. With everything from funky patterned skirts and bohemian sweaters to classic button-down shirts, this unique specialty shop has something for everyone .

Portland Brew
This classic neighborhood coffee joint serves up choice coffees and teas from all over the world--and with a good conscience, too. With a fair trade certified sticker declaring their global mindset on the front door, Portland Brew buys their coffee from other fair trade certified companies, ensuring that everyone gets a fair cut of the cash--even coffee bean farmers in Guatemala.

12 South Taproom
The perfect location to meet friends for a relaxing dinner after a long workweek, the 12 South Taproom has various beers on tap, including select brews from Nashville's Yazoo Brewing Company, live entertainment and an impressive menu that redeems the reputation of "bar food."

I love patronizing these small businesses because their owners are idealists--they have to be in order to stand their dreams up to big corporations. And the fact that I shop locally, in many ways, makes me an idealist too. Instead of simply looking at buying clothes, food and other necessities as shopping, I prefer to look at it as investing in someone else's dream--and that's hardly a waste of money.

At Hammock, we're in the business of helping small businesses grow. Many of our employees are the children of seasoned entrepreneurs, and when given the chance, we always support local businesses with our needs. Through our custom media craft blog, and work with smallbusiness.com and NFIB's MyBusiness magazine, we at Hammock believe in giving small business owners the tools and tips they need to grow. That probably makes us idealists too.