Good Morning, today is Small Business Saturday. Is anyone else supporting your local businesses today?
My locally owned yoga studio sells annual and 6 month passes today at a great price, I’ll be buying.
I’m going to several shops to buy gifts and restock my own pantry with spices, tea, and fancy olive oils and balsamic vinegars.
While I’m out and about, I might stop by the yarn shop which also happens to be running a sale today. ? Because you can never have too much yarn.
Well, may be buying car from our local dealership today—does that count?
I’ll be stopping to shop at a local small business that sells local popular sweatshirts, t-shirts, etc. for a couple of Christmas gifts. And maybe a stop afterwards at a local coffee shop. Later, planning dinner out at a small local gastropub.
(side note: We are in Ohio but near the Michigan border. Some small businesses here were complaining that that the OSU-UM game today - starting at noon - puts a big crimp in their small business Saturday business. It’s probably true!)
I believe it’s the U-M vs. OSU game. 
^^I actually pondered that! No worries, I may live in Ohio but the last thing I am is a Buckeye - we’re a Go Blue (actually even more, Go GREEN!) family! Gave them the first seed in the title since they are in Columbus. 
I am going to the independent bookstore in my town, as well as the one in the next town and will buy at least one thing in each. They are both good stores, but I constantly fear they’ll go out of business…and feel guilty anytime I order a book from Amazon. So I’ve pledged to support them today and remember to do all my book buying with them rather than online.
@HImom, no, that doesn’t count.
Ok. Will go to some small restaurants, perhaps. Actually we do frequent small restaurants fairly often. I can’t think of much I need—personally or for gifts.
What do you guys consider a “small business”? Just curious. Revenue? Number of stores? Ownership?
I probably won’t make it out today but I did take my husband to a wonderful small Irish gift center on Monday. The owner had locked the door while she checked something in the basement so we had to call to have her open the door. H found small gifts for a dozen people on his list. She tucked in Irish tea bags for free and sent us home with really delightful blueberry scones that were left over from a fundraiser the night before. I will try to go back to do some of my own shopping. I would love to shop at more local small businesses. Unfortunately, I will also have to do much of my shopping online
We are heading out to shop for trees at two independent nurseries. Not sure if any of them qualify as small businesses, but they are both locally owned. These are going to be ravine trees, not our Christmas tree.
This is how “small business” is described on the American Express site:
Small businesses are generally independently-owned and can exist in a variety of forms including, but not limited to, corner stores, online boutiques, among many others. They can give a neighborhood strength and create vibrant, diverse communities.
So, that’s vague…but I do tend to think of the actual “small store/business” in size that is local to the area. That’s my own interpretation!
I think of it that way, too, but what SBA thinks of as a small business depends on the industry.
https://www.fundera.com/blog/sba-definition-of-small-business
I didn’t shop today, but I try to support my local independently owned businesses year round when I can.
I hadn’t really thought about he definition is small business. The yoga studio is locally owned and not a chain. The owner also teaches there and seems to know everyone who practices there.
I am pretty sure that yoga studios where the owners teach are small businesses no matter how you slice it.
We got a bunch of ravine trees at one nursery and a locally baked kringle at the other. Did not find a Christmas tree! All of the potted trees were tiny. :((
The lovely people who made our kitchen cypress butcher block were hosting a holiday pop up with a few shops. The had someone giving out food samples too. And drink, because it’s all legal in Nola, lol! The drink was vodka with sweet potato syrup and chicory/pecan bitters. That helped with the shopping!
We bought some of those bitters for a friend who is quite a mixologist, and some spice blends for other friends. H picked out a glorious grilling spatula for himself and I picked out some jewelry at a different shop on the way home. All locally made, which is great!
We stopped and looked for things for our great neice and found a (cough) strap on unicorn horn and a unicorn rescue kit from another shop. Not made locally but that’s OK. Ended the day with some tapas. It was fun! H wants to shop more tomorrow, lol.
I picked up quite a few gifts at craft fairs this fall. I’ve enjoyed talking with the owners at various booths and hearing about how their products/projects developed. There are so many talented people spending their nights and weekends doing what they love while working all week to support their families. My hat is off to anyone trying to make a go of their small business.