Supporting Small Business

It’s Shop Small Saturday! Change the world, start at home. Think global, act local. Two awesome phrases that apply beautifully to this day intended to draw attention to small business owners around the world.  

…Small business is the lifeblood of our communities. Shopping with small business owners helps breed entrepreneurs, disrupts large, tired industries, and directly benefits communities. I have helped scale businesses from small and mid-sized to large and global most of my career, and this day of the year always reminds me that every big business started out as one. The brands we grow all started as one small shop with founders full of passion and purpose. Many end up closing their doors not long after they start, some make it a while and then close or sell. Others grow successfully as a life-long small business, while some use that success to invest in growth beyond their first small business or location.  

No matter their growth path, small business owners go ALL IN. In most cases, their only income is that business. Their ability to pay their bills, put food on the table, and save for their families is solely dependent on the performance of that business. Their ability to make a living depends on them making a product you love, being great to their employees, standing for something that resonates with you, getting it to you at a price you think is fair while allowing their desired profit, and giving you such great, consistent experience that you visit again (on line or in store) and tell your friends. It’s simple, but not easy. 

Franchising is a bit off a hybrid of big business and small business. It’s brands you know and love, but owned and run by small business owners in your community. They are ALL IN on that small business, too, but while they are in business for themselves, they are not by themselves, as they have a network of fellow franchisees and a powerful brand to help them. I look at local franchisees and independent small businesses as places I go to support on Small Business Saturday.  

Supporting small business is important to do more than one day. I try to be conscious of this with these techniques: look for those trying to make their way - whether it’s an ETSY shop on line, a small maker space in a city, a local farmers or product market, or a friend branching from making products in their home to looking for funding to scale production. 

Small business support means something even more for those who can afford it - not just an occasional purchase, but investment of time and/or money in the business. Look for opportunities to invest in small businesses with underestimated and underrepresented founders. The talent is there, but often the funding is not. Whether it’s a non-profit or for-profit start up, they need money to build their website, buy their first truck, hire much needed support, upgrade packaging, and more. Being an investor helping founders with their dreams is a wonderful way to support small business, especially if life has afforded you privilege and resources to do so. 

And for those of you running small businesses reading this - thank you! The struggle and hustle is real, but you are where it all starts. Rock on! 

I’d love to support more small business when on line or in a different city. What’s your favorite small business on line or in your home town?