Why I Shop Small

Small businesses are more than just a place to buy stuff, they are also space for our communities to come together. These are places where we can build relationships with the people who make our clothes, grow our food, and design the products we use every day. When you support small businesses that produce handmade products, you’re not just getting your shopping done, you’re making a difference in the lives of these entrepreneurs and their families.

As a society, we are more connected than ever before. It only takes a few taps on a phone screen to have almost anything you can imagine shipped directly to your door. Shopping has become something that is instantaneous; in many different stores, big and small, all over the world. While this has increased our access to the things we need, it also has led to a significant decrease in the number of small businesses. However, I believe that it is important to support these local businesses for many reasons and not just because I am one.

Photography by Michaela Jerabek for Hedgemade Goods Co. in Portland, OR. Please see Blog Post "Gramercy: In other words...Thank You!" for even more small business recommendations HERE!

I shop at small businesses because I am supporting my local community and I have cultivated relationships with the store owner and their staff. Not only does this give me the ability to learn about the people that make the things I love, it also means that I am supporting the people who create products that aren’t outsourced or mass produced.

For me, these shops are able to provide a personal and more meaningful experience for their customers that larger companies cannot offer. They also have a better understanding of what their customers want because they are spending the time to talk with them on a regular basis and better learn what their customers really need. And finally, shopping at small businesses helps create jobs for other people in the community while generating revenue for our local economy that would not exist otherwise.

Photography available online through their website and reviews of Fengari Fiber Arts of Half Moon Bay, CA. Please see Blog Post "Gramercy: In other words...Thank You!" for even more small business recommendations HERE!

When you shop small, you’re helping to create a more diverse and equitable marketplace. So, the next time you’re out shopping, consider supporting a small business. Not only can you find unique items, but you can also make a huge difference in so many lives, all while crossing Uncle Freddy off of your holiday shopping list!

Photography by Michaela Jerabek at Tickle Thy Fantasy at the Northern California Renaissance Faire-Casa de Fruta, CA. Please see Blog Post "Gramercy: In other words...Thank You!"

for even more small business recommendations HERE!

To check out my list of some notable small business I love please check out my last Blog post "Gramercy: In other words...Thank You!" and thank you for reading!