Small Business Saturday

We have never been a Black Friday shopping house. The crowds don’t interest me, the mania makes me nervous and when I shop, I like to take my time, do some research about what I am buying and then stroll through the store. So that doesn’t fit in with the theme of the day. It’s not like we don’t shop at the big box stores form time to time. But, as I have discussed in my post about buying locally, I just think there is another way to spend your dollar to support your town and neighborhood.

So, something like Small Business Saturday appeals to me. It encourages visiting locally and family owned businesses, visiting town centers and downtowns and keeping your dollars in businesses that support your area. American Express is the sponsor for this event, which does tie it in to big business, but at least some large organization is thinking about the little guys. The event is a great way to support small, green friendly toy and baby stores like Nurture in Pennsylvania, Giggling Green Bean in Denver, Green Design in Princeton, NJ, Sweet Peas in Portland, OR or Granola Babies in California (several of which have been featured in Green Child Magazine). It’s also a great way to shop for the adults on your lists. How so? Take a look at my suggestions below to get some great gifts and experiences for the ones you love.

1) For the foodie – Find a local cooking school or bakery that offers lessons or grab a gift certificate to a family owned restaurant. If you want to keep it green, talk to the owners or chef to see how much of their food they are able to source locally and try to find a place to which the gift recipient can walk or bike. Also, if you are someone who cans or cooks, think about visiting a local food market (they are still out there) and buy produce and ingredients that you can craft into something delicious!

2) For the pet lover – Hit up the local pet shop to find some gifts for the owner and pet or make a donation in their names to the local shelter.

3) For the gardener – Find your local nursery that supports organic and sustainable practices, like Terrain, and get a gift certificate for a class or items that can enrich their garden spaces. Also, online shops like Beekman1802.com are new businesses that are making it imperative to support their local communities.

4) For the crafter – Visit your local yarn shops, quilting stores, needlepoint shops and dollhouse or train stores. Many places, like Down Cellar in Basking Ridge, NJ offer the opportunity for customers to make a wishlist and then send their friends and families in to buy off of the list. Ask at your local places to see if they have a similar program.

5) For the athlete – Stop by your locally owned running store and see what new clothes are available in sustainable fabrics, like organic cotton or recycled fleece, or see if they offer a gift certificate for someone to use towards a new set of sneakers.

6) For the reader – Search well to find a good, independent bookstore. I know, it’s not an easy one nowadays. But, if you can find a good spot, ask the bookseller for suggestions in the genre which your friend or family member likes best. Teachers also always appreciate a good bookstore gift card to use for themselves or to add to their classroom library.

7) For the sentimentalist – Contact a local photographer and book a session for family portraits. Many of the folks who friends have used and recommended for this are moms who are finding second careers and ways to support their families and be stay at home moms at the same time, like Joei Brock in the Philadelphia area.

Lots of small towns have also started to sell town gift certificates that you can use at their downtown shops. Contact the local borough or town halls and ask if they have such a program and how you can support it. I hope that everyone takes a moment to enjoy this new tradition, get back to their downtowns, find small businesses to support online and enjoy the holiday shopping season. Have fun shopping small!