HGTV's Ben Napier Makes A Conscious Effort To Support Small Businesses

Beloved HGTV stars Ben and Erin Napier have completely transformed their hometown, Laurel, Mississippi, over the years, and thanks to their show, "Home Town," viewers have been along for the ride. During a 2026 interview, Ben and Erin noted just how much their small town had changed in the decade since their show started airing, noting that many small businesses like coffee shops and galleries have popped up in Laurel. Ben went on to explain that he's a big advocate for putting money in the pockets of small businesses, and he's made a pact to do so himself regularly. So, every week, he pops into a men's store to buy something.

"I buy something in that store every week no matter what," he shared, per Parade. "Sometimes it's a gift that I'm gonna give away, and other times it's something that I'm not gonna use that day." Ben is of the opinion that there's a certain responsibility one has to support the small local businesses in your area, especially if that area also happens to be a small town filled with businesses that really need the support to continue to thrive.

Ben would know. While he and Erin live a really lavish lifestyle these days, he knows what it's like to be in a small business owner's shoes. He started his own business after college, after initially working as a youth minister. Eventually, he gave that up to pursue another passion — woodworking. He opened Laurel Mercantile Co., and the rest is history, really. The small business eventually evolved into Scotsman General Store & Woodshop and Scotsman Manufacturing Co. as his HGTV show with Erin became widely popular. Ben has undergone quite the transformation, and so have his businesses, so it's no wonder he wants to see other small businesses thrive.

Ben Napier being so passionate about supporting small businesses might have something to do with the fact that he knows what it's like to be strapped for cash. Ben's childhood was filled with tragedy, and he knows what it's like to lose everything.

While sitting down for a chat on the "WHOA That's Good Podcast" in 2025, he recalled how his family fell on hard times after his father got a dodgy loan from the bank that ended up not panning out in his favor. "When I was a little kid, my parents lost everything financially," he said. "The only thing the bank didn't take from his family was their Datsun car, which was falling apart and had no resale value. On one road trip, "the hood flew up and busted the windshield," Ben recalled. "My dad's solution was he jerked the hood off the car and threw it in the ditch and kept going."

In another interview with Country Living, Ben shared how, during his days in college, he was still struggling financially and had to rely on free meals to make it through the day. "I've been down in my life at times where if I didn't make it to the free lunch that I was going to get at the cafeteria, then I was not going to eat that day in college," he admitted. While this was a hard time for Ben, he noted that it made him stronger. "I survived it and I'm here," he said. It also shaped his life's motto. He told "WHOA That's Good" that he has a simple, yet positive outlook on life, no matter what happens: "Do the best you can and don't worry about it, because at the end of the day, everything's going to be okay."