Have you been asking yourself why you should support small businesses? Because small businesses keep us connected!
How much impact do small businesses really have? Well, I’m glad you asked! By 2021, there were approximately 32.5 million small businesses in the US – that accounts for 99.9% of all US businesses. That’s just incredible to me!
Whether I’m shopping at a farmer’s market or on someone’s website, I love the idea of supporting the people who are doing it on their own; who are coming up with these ideas and products and services and then providing them to their clients and customers.
I suspect that in the last two years since March 2020, these numbers have changed dramatically. With the shifts taking place in the workforce and in the homeplace, more people are starting their own businesses. Or at least side businesses. I think the pandemic and the corresponding quarantine(s) have changed how people view the workplace and their work-life balance.
Not only does running your own business open the possibilities of being more connected to your own family because of the potential for more flexible work demands, but I feel like it connects us to each other. When I buy a photograph from an Etsy shop, it warms my heart to think that the photographer took and developed the picture and then carefully packed it up and mailed it to me. I feel connected to that photographer in a way that just doesn’t happen when you buy a picture form a big box store.
My favorite places can show you exactly why you should support small businesses!
Creative Market sells beautiful digital products, so you have access to them immediately upon purchase. No waiting on the postal service! But they aren’t made by Creative Market, they are made by wonderful creative people! Personally, I have quite a few files and collections from different independent creators such as fonts, graphics, and templates. And a secret between you and me? Every Monday they offer six free products for you to download and use.
Personally, I’ve bought so many beautiful things from Etsy that it’s hard to know where to start! But I love that the shops that are owned by the people making and selling their own creations. A few of my faves are:
- Phoenix Botanicals and Green Beauty Cosmetics
- Country Creek Seeds and Valley Variegations
- Sunshine Sticker Co and Planner Kate
- Smoldering Creations and GRN House of Glass
I just love a good subscription box. I have tried so many over the years but some of my favorites have come from Cratejoy. It’s time to discover 1,000’s of subscription boxes as unique as you are! Whether you want fun coloring books or tasty coffee or pretty soaps or even planner stickers (yay!), there is a subscription box for that. And the best thing about Cratejoy, you get one of these wonderful packages created and sent to you on schedule from these amazing creative geniuses!
When I think about why you should support small businesses, it comes back to being connected. When I buy a plant from an Etsy shop, it’s amazing to me that the same person who grew the beautiful little plant in their own greenhouse is the same person who put him in his pot of soil, carefully boxed him up, and took him to the post office. I feel connected to that plant and that gardener so much more than if I just bought the same plant from a massive home-and-garden store. And I feel so much more excited when that plant grows because it feels like that connection with the gardener is thriving along with the plant.
Frequently Asked Questions
3 reasons why you should support small businesses
- You can make an impact in someone’s life. You will be directly affecting someone’s livelihood.
- You can make an impact in your community. Your community farmers at the market appreciate your business in a much different way than the mass market grocery store does.
- You can make an impact in your own life. Many times, the products and services are more customizable, more personal, and more cultivated with you in mind.
Why are small businesses so important to the economy?
In addition to creating millions of jobs all over the country, small businesses create growth and innovation to almost any industry. And small businesses support each other. Owners of small businesses tend to support other small business owners and freelance entrepreneurs.