this Christmas i'm going small.
not smaller in the celebrating, not smaller in the giving, not smaller in the loving...
smaller in the shopping. small businesses are getting my support this Christmas. this year i'm doing my Christmas shopping on Etsy, at local mom-and-pop shops, and from local consultant's online catalogs.
we are in a season when more and more people are turning their hobbies and talents into income for their families. these are our friends, our family members, and our neighbors, all doing their part to support themselves and their families financially.
what can i do to help? if i'm shopping for goods and services anyway, why not shop the local and small businesses? almost every gift i plan on buying can be bought at the big box store down the street. doing that takes very little effort and produces little to no joy.
shopping smaller businesses, on the other hand, takes a little more effort but it is incredibly joyous!
seeking out a small and local business can be fun. think about your friend that sells skin care products, or homemade soaps, or the family that just moved to town and opened a coffee shop. what fun to seek them out and make a decision to support them this year! and now think about the gift recipient- how much more meaningful is a gift that is personalized, or handmade, or made locally, or supports a greater cause, or is simply not straight off the big box store shelves.
supporting small businesses blesses the shop owners, and giving unique gifts blesses the recipients.
join me, Marci at Overcoming Busy, and Stef Layton as we feature and support small businesses each Tuesday until Christmas. follow the chatter on Twitter by searching #shopsmall.
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