The holiday season is in full swing and everyone is rushing to get their holiday shopping done. With Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday happening recently everyone is either starting their holiday shopping or finishing it.
The holiday season is a very busy time, and trying to shop for everyone and get gifts sorted out in time for the holidays can be time consuming and stressful. Mixed with holiday parties, and the finals season if you’re in school, it can be a lot to balance.
It can be hard to find time to go shopping for everyone in your life. After talking to family and friends, I have found that most people are doing their holiday shopping online, and mostly through Amazon. The convenience of online shopping and the free two-day shipping benefit offered with Amazon Prime make Amazon a prime shopping “destination.”
With the holiday season, it is important to remember that continuing to shop small - even past Small Business Saturday - is important. Etsy is a great online outlet for supporting small businesses. Even one purchase through one Etsy shop could potentially be enough to pay for that artist’s groceries for the week.
Having a part-time job in a boutique has also shown me the importance of shopping small. A lot goes in to a small business, and it takes a lot for them to stay in business. The purchases you make while shopping can do a lot more for a small business like a boutique than a big company like Amazon. I have self published my own poetry book and I sell my book through Amazon. Even the purchases that are my made of my book help me a lot too.
It is easy to get caught up in how convenient shopping at big box stores is. But shopping small is even more important around the holiday season. Shopping small has the ability to help individuals - to pay for their groceries for the week or to help them pay their bills.
Shopping small is also a way to get more unique, individual and personal gifts for people. Supporting local businesses or artists is the best way to shop for the holiday season. With the holiday season in full swing, and the holidays approaching us very quickly, remember how much you can help someone by choosing to shop small or by choosing to buy from someone’s shop on Etsy.
Even sharing the work of your friend's shop or Etsy page or going into the small boutique and buying something in your town is very important. Choose to support local businesses, even when the convenience of Amazon is hard to resist.
Even though Small Business Saturday is over, small businesses and shops still need your support. Choosing them over Amazon will help them celebrate the holidays with their own loved ones and bring them a fresh financial start to the upcoming New Year.
When making your shopping choices and decisions this holiday season, choose to shop small.
