With the couple of roller-coaster years we have behind us, the upcoming holidays might be just what's needed to take our weary minds off the mess that the world has become. So, how do you shop smart and with a purpose this season? Glad you asked! I've put together a list of three places where your shopping will make most impact.
Let me first explain why I chose these particular three. Unless you've been living under a rock for the past two years, you know that small businesses are the ones that felt the brunt of the crisis. Many of them have shuttered their doors forever, and most of those that are still here are barely holding on. That's why the three options I'm sharing with you today are what you need if you're interested in supporting small business owners in your local community and nation wide. The reason why you should support them? Because they're ordinary folks who, just like you, work hard to earn a living. If you can't relate to that, then this blog post isn't for you.
-
Local craft shows and holiday bazaars. Not only will you find unique gifts here (that is, if your area allows the craft shows and bazaars this year), but you'll meet the person who made the items you're buying face to face. You can ask questions about the products to your heart's content. The vendors are always thrilled that you're interested in their products. Last but not least, most of the vendors at these events have limited quantities of their products available, and most probably, you won't see another person wearing that same knit hat you bought the moment you start walking down the street.
-
Local mom-and-pop stores. If your local small shops are still open, chances are they're barely scraping by. Make their holidays merry by spending some of your money there. You'll feel better too knowing you helped someone from your own community instead of spending to enrich Amazon or Costco by buying imported stuff from who-knows-where that's found on their shelves.
-
Small businesses online. If you're still leery about venturing outside and mingling with other holiday shoppers, you can still support small business by shopping from independent stores online. This can be your local store's website, or you can shop from someone half way across the country. The only thing you need to do is make sure that what you're buying is handcrafted and that the website is an honest-to-goodness small business. How do you find this information? Just search the website you're planning to shop for an About section to see the business owner's story, and make sure to read product descriptions to ascertain that what you're buying is really handcrafted by the people who are selling it.
Hope you have fun shopping with small businesses this holiday season. If you have jewelry and women's accessories on your holiday shopping list, don't miss checking out Buckaroo Bling. Just click one of the photos below.
