The Mississippi Fish Shack just turned three weeks old. Kimberly Perry moved her business from Boonville and isn't surprised that thousands of people have found their way to her business already.

"I thought the economy would be a lot better for my customers and I was getting a lot of customers from all over. I just needed a building. I already knew my product was going to do well," Perry said.

Perry thought the changing economy would affect her small business.

"It really hasn't, that's what surprises me," she said. "Prices have definitely gone up in food but the people love my food and i'm getting more customers, so really everything is balancing out."

Some small business owners say customer loyalty is the key element to their success and survival. But small business owners are as important to the economy as their customers.

"They're the people that are starting most of the new jobs," said Donald Laird with the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. "They're also the people that are more innovative and quick. They can move a little faster than some of the larger corporations but so they're very very important for Columbia or any community."

Even with the high price of gas and many people trying to stretch their budgets, Perry doesn't think her business will take a hit.

"I'm very optimistic about everything," she said.