Small Business Saturday is the day after Black Friday (before Cyber Monday!) created with the purpose of celebrating and supporting small businesses and small business owners.
You’ve probably seen the American Express commercial. The bank/credit card company does a big push for shopping small this time of year to support local small businesses.
No matter the size of your community – from San Francisco to where I live in San Luis Obispo or my home town of Wimberley, Texas – small businesses are at the core of what makes local communities special.
How To Support Small Business Saturday 2022
How to support Small Business Saturday 2022? It’s the peak of the holiday shopping season, so the easiest way to support a small business is to shop small! Gift something from a local business or even a gift card! I know everyone says it’s impersonal, but I love gift cards.
If you’re on a budget, you can support small businesses by simply following them on social media or sign up to receive marketing materials.
Following a small business is an easy way to help expand their X and reach new customers, or can even serve as a reminder to get that one thing you have your eye on when your budget allows.
20+ Small Businesses To Support This Small Business Saturday
If you’re looking for a small business to support, you’ve come to the right place! We asked our team to share their favorite small or local businesses.
FragileGlassHouse is Whimsy Writer Jafei’s pick. It is a Bay Area stained glass art shop. The pieces are absolutely beautiful and perfect for gifting or decorating your own space
Rosemary's Garden is Whimsy Writer Tenae’s pick! This herb shop is in Sebastopol, but they ship! Buying online is a great way to support local businesses like this one!
Grounds & Hound is my (Taylor 👋 ) first pick. It's an organic and eco-friendly specialty coffee company who supports rescue pups with every purchase. The coffee is great, but I also love their merch!
When we asked Whimsy Writer, Meg Mezeske, what her/their favorite small business is. She/They responded, “My local independent bookstore! If you’re in the Bay Area, check out Books Inc. Or if you’re anywhere else in the US, use the Indie Bookstore Finder by IndieBound.org to find yours.
Pro tip: Many indie bookstores will ship across the country, so you can still support your local favorites even if you move away.”
While we’re talking about books, I also love an indie bookstore and try to visit one in every destination I visit! Another way to support is to purchase through bookshop.org, every purchase supports indie bookstores and you can even choose a bookstore to support. But here are some of my favorite book stores that you can purchase from online:
Len Collective is based in San Luis Obispo, and it’s filled with beautiful handmade jewelry, natural apothecary, home goods, and one-of-a-kind gifts. I could spend hours browsing the shop, but you can also purchase online!
Of Earth Home & Lifestyle is a small women owned business with a curated collection of specialty items from beautiful pieces for the home to delicious candles and fun paper goods.
Other small businesses I like to support are local coffee shops! You can support with a cup of coffee, but many are also roasters, Make every cup at home special with a cup from these small coffee shops:
Love of Earth Co. is all about living a sustainable lifestyle at an affordable price. I’m trying to make small changes to be more sustainable, so I bought the Produce Bag Kit to try and avoid using the plastic bags available at the grocery store. I love them!
I’ve had my eye on esby apparel for some time now. Their mission is to create pieces that are useful for many different occasions at the highest quality to last a long time. It’s a small women owned business that offers inclusive sizing on most styles and promotes slow fashion.
If you’re looking for trendy jewelry worn by the likes of Angelina Jolie, Lizzo and Meg Thee Stallion, check out Nina Berenato!
This AAPI women owned business is on pretty much every gift guide we shared this year. You can’t go wrong with gifting yourself (#selfcare), friends or family with these beauty tools rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine. If you're new to Gua Sha, use our handy guide.
Alrighty, now let’s get into Kara’s picks! First up is Good & Well Supply Co. A candle company dedicated to ethically sourced, home grown products
A collection of candles and other products centered around finding balance within a busy world.
Thin Wild Mercury is a fragrance line that draws inspiration from LA, specifically stories of particular places and times told by others.
More candles because candles make the best gift for nearly everyone! HazelCandleCo creates nature inspired apothecary, and Kara is a big fan!
If candles aren’t the best gift, then chocolates are! Bar and Cocoa is all about making people happy through ethical, high quality chocolate.
Akashi-Kama is a small online fashion brand with a simple mission statement: “Inspired and designed by Asian Americans. Created for Everyone.”
Arden Cove had to make the list! Kara deems business owned by two sisters as her “top pick for an anti-theft travel purse.”
Last, but not least, Kara’s final pick is I Love Chamoy! Born after her dad was diagnosed with diabetes, Annie wanted to create a chamoy for her day and others who have to limit their sugar intake.
Other Small Brands We Love!
These aren’t your typical mom and pop shops in the downtown square, but they are small (with about 50 or less employees, according to LinkedIn) and most of which are women owned or founded!
What is your favorite local small business? Or are you a small business owner yourself? Let us know in the comments!
