By Lily Allen-Duenas
While the first documented usage of Black Friday was in 1869, although it didn’t actually apply to post-Thanksgiving shopping, the concept of Small Business Saturday is much newer. The first official Small Business Saturday took place in 2010, during a recession, conceived as a way to focus on generating revenue and focus on America’s small businesses.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are centered on behemoth corporations like Amazon and Walmart, and giant retailers like Old Navy and Nordstrom’s. On the other hand, Small Business Saturday shines a light on the small businesses in our communities. It is our small, locally owned businesses that add color and flavor to our neighborhoods. If all our local cafes, restaurants, and boutiques suddenly disappeared, you would definitely notice. It would leave a throbbing void in our towns. There would be a tangible difference, and it certainly wouldn’t sit well with us.
Every time you choose to shop small and buy a homemade candle at a local artist’s online shop, or buy a handcrafted piece of artisan jewelry, or snag a croissant from the local bakery; you are making a real difference—not just to the small business itself, but to your community as a whole. While Small Business Saturday takes place the Saturday after Thanksgiving, whenever you shop small, your impact is truly big.
Claire Wieger of Bloom With Claire.
Across our nation, it is no surprise that there is an inspiring amount of women-owned small businesses out there. We wanted to highlight a few notable ones to provide some inspiration for your holiday shopping this year.
Claire Wieger is the one-woman show behind Bloom With Claire, the online shop that launched in the middle of the pandemic in July 2020. Her Etsy and online shop are predominantly focused on whimsical doormats and stickers, although she dreams of branching out into mugs, T-shirts, and outdoor gear in the following years. By using popular television and movie icons, she plays with shapes and visual weight to create designs that are characteristically Claire. With a keen eye for design, humor, and cultural relevance, Bloom with Claire’s products are witty, eye-catching, and fun.
“I’ve done all of my holiday shopping at small businesses. What I really like about the small business community is it’s not all about your shop, but it’s also promoting other small businesses and just kind of sharing the love,” says Wieger with gratitude in her voice. While she has already noticed a substantial uptick in sales in the week prior to Small Business Saturday, she is forecasting a greater influx of sales on Small Business Saturday itself.
By day, Wieger is a senior product analyst in software development in Omaha, Nebraska, and by night she’s a burgeoning small business woman who pours a little bit of herself into every handcrafted product.
“Whenever someone places an order, I love knowing that I get to ship happy mail. I am literally sending gifts to people,” Wieger says. Find the perfect gift at Bloom With Claire on Etsy, or at BloomWithClaire.com. You can also find Bloom With Claire on Facebook and Instagram.
Megan & Co. Herbal Apothecary and Clinic
Megan & Co. Herbal Apothecary and Clinic, run by Megan Fuhrman-Wheeler (featured in top image).
Megan & Co. Herbal Apothecary and Clinic is located in Spirit Lake, Iowa and is owned by Megan Fuhrman-Wheeler, a native to northwestern Iowa. Megan & Co. crafts small batches of herbal formations, all made on-site by Fuhrman-Wheeler and her talented staff of women. Her products range from candles to lotions to teas to elixirs. By using the power of botanicals, herbs, essential oils, and crystals Fuhrman-Wheeler strives, above all else, to help others heal.
She grew up with epilepsy and was in and out of hospitals as a child.
“My parents were always searching for something else, for another way to help me get better,” says Fuhrman-Wheeler. When she was 25 years old, she found herbalism and began treating and healing herself with herbs. “That is why I choose a rural community as the place to open my store. I know what it feels like to not have access to alternative methods and medicines,” she explains.
With anti-viral cold and flu teas and elderberry syrups, Fuhrman-Wheeler’s community has turned to her shop to help them be well and stay well during the pandemic. “Here at the apothecary, we try to be very community-oriented and strive to educate our community on the benefits of herbal medicine while supporting each other’s emotional health through this trying year,” Fuhrman-Wheeler says. If you are looking for the gift that should be on everyone’s list this year in addition to following medical advice so we can all get through this pandemic, head to Megan & Co Herbal Apothecary’s online shop. Find them on Facebook and Instagram.
Hush Up Boutique and Hush for Kids
Marie Esposti-Winter, owner of Hush Up Botique and Hush for Kids, and her family.
Hush Up and its sister store, Hush for Kids, are two clothing boutiques located in Sonoma County, California and owned by Marie Esposti-Winter. In fact, the stores are practically right next to each other on the Windsor Town Green. She first co-owned a hair salon and then made the transition to retail in 2019 after her salon burned down in the 2017 Tubb’s Fire.
“I never wanted to be a business owner,” Esposti-Winter admits. However, when opportunity has knocked, she has always answered. As an active volunteer, Esposti-Winter prioritizes serving her community. She has helped serve meals for first responders, has styled firefighters for Catwalk for a Cure, and provides racks of clothing to a local hospital each year during National Nurses Appreciation Week. For Small Business Saturday, Esposti-Winter emphasizes, “I feel like a lot more people are supporting local, now more than ever.” While she hopes that the Small Business Saturday is a smashing success, she also is grateful for the support that she has felt from her community throughout the pandemic. Her mantra is “bringing fashion to wine country,” and now with a store dedicated to kids, Hush has made your holiday shopping list a little more…adorable! To shop online for clothing, toys, and gift items visit HushUpClothing.com. Find them on Facebook and Instagram.
Wherever you live and whatever piques your interest, we invite you to support the small businesses in your area or online, on Small Business Saturday and all year long.
