

5 ways to support small businesses during the holiday shopping season
Small businesses long have been the heart and soul of local communities. There is something to be said about being on a first-name basis with a local restaurateur or another small business owner, as such familiarity often translates into exemplary service.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses account for 99.9 percent of companies in the country, due in large part to the broad definition of small businesses (those with fewer than 500 employees). However, the vast majority of businesses in the United States have a staff that’s smaller than 20 workers, according to the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. These firms employ nearly 60 million workers, says the SBA. Despite the prevalence of small businesses, fewer than 80 percent of entrepreneurial small business ventures make it beyond their first year, and only around half make it beyond five years.
Consumers who want to help their favorite small businesses survive can use the holiday season and beyond to set the course for success. Consumers
can make a concerted effort to fuel this important cog in their local economic engines.
• Shop local. The concept is simple but effective. Opting to shop in local stores over larger conglomerates and franchises can help small businesses take root. Before making holiday shopping lists, visit local stores and base gift ideas on items they have in stock. Chances are those gifts will be one-of-a-kind.
• Purchase gift cards/certificates. All businesses have slow periods, and post-holidays is often a time when sales stagnate. Gift cards may bring new customers into local businesses who might otherwise not have patronized them, potentially creating new repeat customers.

• Cater holiday meals and gatherings. The holiday season is chock-full of entertainment opportunities. Individuals can rely on nearby restaurants and other food and beverage businesses to cater holiday parties. Some businesses also may be willing to discount or donate food for nonprofit group activities, such as church holiday bazaars, school holiday concerts or fundraising fairs.
• Mention small businesses on social media. The holiday season breeds excitement. Therefore, when shoppers are in local stores, they can snap pictures of products and overflowing shopping bags and post them online while praising local businesses.
• Think about subscription gifts. Enrollment in a health club or a massage therapy service are gifts that keep on giving for the recipient, but also help ensure consistent incoming cash for the business providing the service. When shopping this holiday season, consumers can look to the small, local businesses in their communities that help make towns and cities unique.
Shopping local more crucial than ever
The importance of shopping locally has been emphasized with increasing urgency in recent years. Events like Small Business Saturday and Plaid Friday have brought some much-needed attention to the importance of shopping local, which is even more crucial now as so many small businesses try to survive the pandemic.
A poll from the trade group the National Federation of Independent Business reported that about half of all the businesses in the survey reported a 25 percent drop in sales since the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, and roughly one in five businesses have seen sales decline by more than 50 percent. If the economic climate does not radically improve, 20 percent of
small businesses won’t survive.
According to NBC News, small businesses employ 60 million people in the United States, almost half of the nation’s private-sector employees. In addition, small businesses generate tax revenues that help communities by funding schools, maintaining parks and contributing to public safety programs. However, based on research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, even before COVID-19 spread across the world, only 20 percent of healthy small businesses had sufficient cash reserves to continue to operate if they experienced a revenue loss for two months. Some have been shuttered for much longer.
Individuals looking for everything from

clothing to home improvement services to office supplies can look to small businesses to fill those needs.
• Look for small businesses for any and all of your shopping needs.


Chances are items sold by big box retailers also are sold by small businesses. When the options are the same or similar, purchase from a small business instead of its big box competitor.
• Readily provide recommendations of small businesses with which you have done business. Too often people are quick to complain about places that have failed them, but those same
people don’t think to say kind words about companies that went above and beyond. Share great experiences on social media or through word of mouth.
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Why supporting local small businesses matters
The holiday season is a time of year when shopping takes center stage. While online giants and big box retailers seem to be everywhere, offering an endless array of products with the convenience of low prices, small businesses provide a range of benefits that go far beyond the ease of a mouse click or mountains of merchandise. Shopping local retailers is more than just a transaction — it is crucial for maintaining the economic foundation of local communities. Let’s take a look at the many ways it pays to shop small businesses during the holidays and all year long.
• Strengthen the local economy: A large percentage of the money spent at small businesses stays in the community. That’s because these businesses often are owned and operated by local residents who are invested in the community themselves. Various studies indicate that for every $100 spent
at a small business, roughly $70 stays in the community.
• Enhanced customer service:
Owners and employees of small businesses have a keen interest in keeping customers happy. They often do so by providing superior customer service. Tailoring recommendations, exhibiting a willingness to accommodate special requests, offering a more engaging shopping experience, and being more friendly and connected with regular customers sets many small businesses apart.
• Support the community: Small businesses serve the community through the products and services they offer, and many give back in other ways as well. Small, locally owned businesses often sponsor schools, sports teams and charities. This helps foster a sense of belonging in the community.
• Innovative offerings: Small businesses are not beholden to corporate policies or franchise re-
strictions, so they can more readily bring new life to existing ideas and trends. Small businesses can offer customers different options that larger retailers cannot match.
• Job creation: Small businesses employ a significant percentage of the workforce and frequently provide jobs that might not be available in larger corporate settings. The U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy says small businesses have generated 12.9 million net new jobs over the past 25 years, accounting for two out of every three jobs added to the U.S. economy. Keeping residents working helps strengthen local communities. There are numerous benefits to shopping at small businesses this Small Business Saturday and throughout the year. Such firms help to establish a more resilient, diverse and bustling local community.
The importance of shopping locally for the holidays and beyond
Various components come together to make the holiday season a festive time of year. There is a lot to get done in a short amount of time during the holiday season, and part of that includes shopping for all of the family members and friends on your shopping list. Shopping can be a complicated process that involves identifying which stores will be the best places to shop. Local retailers make the perfect place to shop for holiday items.
According to the American Express Business Economic Impact Study, more than two-thirds of every dollar spent with a local business stays in the community. Indeed, shopping local benefits consumer and community alike. The following are some of the many perks to shopping locally throughout the holiday season.
• Personalized attention: Small businesses are known for their personalized customer service and owners and staff are often lauded for taking the time to interact and learn about their customers, a dynamic that is impossible at larger retailers.
• Meet and interact with people: Shopping in-person at local stores, you’ll see faces from your community and become better known in the local area.
• Shorter lines: Local stores are bound to have smaller crowds and thus shorter lines. That translates to less stress and hassle when it comes to getting in and out with holiday gifts.
• Smaller carbon footprint: Pollution, traffic congestion, habitat loss, and resource depletion may not occur on the same levels when shopping locally compared to patronizing big box stores. That’s because local retailers tend to create or source their products locally, whereas many big box stores secure their goods overseas.
• Easier parking: This goes hand-in-hand with smaller crowds, as shopping locally does not typically require driving up and down endless aisles at malls or standalone retail stores in an effort to find a parking spot. Local retailers in town may have on-street parking or closed lots that are convenient to shoppers.
• Small batch shopping experience: Consumers can secure items in small businesses that are not carbon copies of those found across the country at major retail chains. When seeking a unique, thoughtful gift, shopping locally is the way to go. Shopping locally this holiday season provides an array of benefits to consumers, and helps to solidify a strong Main Street in communities.
5 fun gift exchange ideas
Gift-giving is a significant component of the holiday season. Families can embrace traditional gift-giving, but those who want to add a touch of whimsy to gatherings with loved ones can consider these five creative and fun ways to exchange gifts.
1. Play the plastic wrap game. To exchange small stocking stuffer gifts, compile gift cards, cash, small toys, candy, and even some larger gifts (all participants can chip in and one person shops for the gifts). The designated person in charge begins rolling up the gifts in the plastic, adding one every few rolls. Turning the ball 90 degrees while wrapping helps make a more round, finished gift ball. To play, the person with the ball puts on oven mitts and tries to unwrap as much as they can to access the gifts, while the person to the left is attempting to roll doubles on dice. When doubles are made, that person passes the dice to the left and starts his or her own attempts to get at the gifts in the plastic
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ball. The game ends when all the gifts are revealed, whether everyone has had a chance to unwrap or not.
2. Plan a white elephant gift exchange. A white elephant exchange is like a secret grab bag. Everyone brings a wrapped gift, and then takes turns choosing a gift based on the number they’ve been given. When the gift is chosen, the person opens it. The next player can select a fresh gift or steal one of the presents that’s already been opened.

3. Host a makeand-take craft party. With this type of exchange, participants will engage in some form of crafting for the duration of the event, whether it’spottery, painting, epoxy resin pouring, or even knit crafts. At the end of the night everyone can swap their creations with another or keep their own crafts as gifts.
4. Give the gift of a group outing. Instead of exchanging material gifts, focus on sharing experiences with friends and family. A trip to watch a sports game or a theater performance can be an excellent way to spend time together, and something a person may not be inclined to do on his or her own.
• Talk to small businesses owners first if you have an issue. It’s tempting to go directly to social media to complain about something, but such complaints can have a dire impact. Always take issues to the manager or business owner first to see if a resolution can be reached. A manager may not be aware of an issue at all. Give small businesses a chance to make it right before taking things public.
• If you own a small business, rely
on other small businesses to fulfill your needs. Order supplies from fellow small business owners, seek the help of local financial advisors and tax professionals and use local suppliers and delivery personnel.
Small businesses have experienced unprecedented setbacks due to COVID-19. By supporting small businesses, communities can help them regain stable footing.
5. Host a DIY cookie and cocoa exchange. Cookies, cocoa and the holidays are a perfect combination. A gift exchange where participants supply ingredients for these sweet treats, share their favorite recipes and then put together the finished products can make for an entertaining and festive afternoon. Each person can fill a cookie tin with baked cookies to take home and mason jars filled with homemade
cocoa
and marshmallows can be an additional gift to enjoy later on a chilly evening. There are plenty of fun ways to exchange gifts during the holiday season.
PERFECT GIFT FOR THAT ONE ON YOUR LIST THAT IS HARD TO BUY FOR!!!

Certain venues will offer discounts on group tickets, so everyone can pool their resources.
How businesses can make the most of Small Business Saturday
Sales and consumer holidays compete for shoppers’ attentions every year between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Such events save consumers billions of dollars every year, but small business owners know it’s no small feat getting holiday shoppers to part with their hard-earned money.
Competing for holiday shoppers is hard work, but those efforts can provide a big payoff. According to Finder’s Black Friday Statistics 2022, 55 percent of men and 52 percent of women planned to shop Black Friday sales in 2022, when men planned to spend $465 and women intended to spend $300. If small business owners are concerned they can’t compete on Black Friday, they can always look to Small Business
Saturday, which encourages holiday shoppers to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are small and local. Competition can still be steep on Small Business Saturday, but the following are some strategies business owners can employ to make the most of this unique event on the holiday season calendar.
• Update your website. The Small Business Administration recommends that small business owners consider a digital makeover for their websites. Even though Small Business Saturday encourages individuals to shop in person, modern consumers typically peruse online offerings first. Updating an outdated website or simply reviewing all information, including product details, on the website to ensure it’s up-to-date can help
small businesses make a strong first impression with holiday shoppers.
• Promote Small
Business Saturday. Though it’s been around for more than a decade, Small Business Saturday

is not yet the household name that Black Friday has become.
Small business owners can drum up interest in Small Business Saturday by promoting the day on their social media channels. The SBA recommends business owners encourage shoppers to snap selfies and tag their businesses on their own social medial accounts, which can increase engagement and potentially attract new customers.
• Sell and promote gift cards. Gift cards help national retailers generate substantial revenue each year, and there’s no reason why small businesses can’t get their piece of the gift card pie. Gift cards remain wildly popular, as a recent survey from the National Retail Federation found that 54 percent of participants
identified gift cards as the most-wanted gift of the 2022 holiday season. Small businesses can offer discounted gift cards on Small Business Saturday and promote those efforts on their websites and via social media.
• Open early and close late. Small Business Saturday, which occurs on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, is a great opportunity for small businesses to start the potentially lucrative holiday season off on the right foot. The SBA urges small businesses to open early and close late on Small Business Saturday so they can capitalize as much as possible on this popular retail holiday.
Small business owners can embrace various strategies to make the most of Small Business Saturday.
The benefits of shopping local during the holiday season
Millions of people enjoy shopping for gifts and loved ones each holiday season. The spirit of giving is alive and well each December, and that can extend to giving back to one’s own community.
In addition to supporting local charities when making donations during the holiday season, shoppers can patronize small local businesses over big box retailers and national chains. The decision to do so can benefit communities in myriad ways.
• Small businesses inspire young entrepreneurs. The United States Department of Commerce reports that nearly half of all small business owners in the U.S. in 2018 were 54 or younger. Six percent of those owners were 34 and under. Young entrepreneurs at the helm of thriving local businesses provide inspiration to the next generation of innovators.
• Thriving small business owners can send a
Shop Historic Downtown Waxahachie
The Christmas shopping season is in full swing.
Be sure to visit Historic Downtown Waxahachie to find unique, one-of-a-kind gifts that’s sure to please.
• 15 (Fifteen)]
• Ark Country Store
• Atelier Antiques
• Blume
• Board & Brush
• Boyce Feed & Grain
• Cheyenne Ranch
• Copper Rose Boutique
• Doves Nest
• Downtown Waxahachie Farmer’s Market
• Eubank Florist
• Ewe2Yarn
• Farmhouse
• Gingerbread Antique Mall
• Kick Rocks Cowboy
• Kimmy’s Boutique
• Latitude Cigars
• Meat Church
• O’Brien’s Bookshop
• Paper Leaves
• Post & Saddle Bike Co.
• Red Barn Flea Market
• Rockin Royalty
• Southern Mercantile
• Southern Revival Marketplace
• That Gibson
• The Crafty Scrapper
• The Oily Bar
• The Shop
• The Velvet Angel Boutique
• Vaqueras Boutique
• Waxahachie Architectural Salvage
• Waxahachie Coins & Comics
• Westbound Trading Company
• Wirth Collecting
• With Willing Hands
Also, be sure to stop in some of the great downtown restaurants to take a break from all that shopping. For information about the Waxahachie Downtown businesses, visit www.downtownwaxahachie.com.
positive message to traditionally underrepresented groups. The National Women’s Business Council Annual Report for 2022 indicated women-owned employer firms increased by nearly 17 percent between 2012 and 2019. Similarly, the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 Annual Business Survey found that there were more Hispanic-owned and minority-owned businesses in various sectors than a decade earlier. The success of women- and minority-owned businesses sends a positive message to young entrepreneurs and locals who are part of groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in business. That can help to create a more diverse and inclusive Main Street, the success of which depends heavily on locals’ willingness to patronize locally-owned businesses.

• Shopping local supports many small business owners. Family meals and social gatherings with friends and coworkers are a big part of the holiday

season, and it’s not uncommon to break bread and share a few drinks during a night on the town. Choosing to gather at a locally owned restaurant or tavern instead of a chain restaurant can have a ripple effect on an assortment of local businesses. Local restaurants often source their ingredients from local farms. A family meal at such a restaurant benefits both the restaurant owner and the hardworking local suppliers of the food that ends up on the plate. Local restaurants also are more likely to list locally produced wines and craft beers on their menus than national chains. That adds to the ripple effect of celebrating the holidays at a locally owned restaurant.
A thriving small business sector is vital to a strong local economy. Shoppers can keep that in mind and patronize local businesses during the holiday season.






