With the holiday season just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to spread some joy – to your community and to your favorite local businesses! A simple way to make a difference? Shop small and support local.
Whether you’re taking advantage of Small Business Saturday or exploring nearby shops, restaurants and services, every purchase you make from a small business helps build a stronger, more vibrant community. This holiday season, let’s celebrate our small businesses whose hard work and creativity make our neighborhoods unique – and ensure their success continues all year long.
Support Small Business Saturday
Launched by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday supports small businesses by encouraging consumers to shop locally over big-box retail or online mega-retailers.
Falling between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this day provides shoppers the opportunity to keep their holiday spending closer to home. Many businesses will offer discounts, free samples and a festive atmosphere to make holiday shopping more enjoyable and meaningful.
Explore the Winter Market
One of the best ways to kick off the holiday shopping season is by visiting the Downtown Farmers Market’s Winter Market. Held at The Gateway on Saturdays from November through April, this market is a hub for locally made products, fresh produce, artisan foods and unique crafts.
As part of the Downtown Farmers Market’s commitment to supporting local vendors, the Winter Market provides an ideal setting to shop for holiday ingredients, decorations and gifts that are truly one-of-a-kind.
Visit the Winter Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday of the holiday season at The Gateway (32 North Rio Grande Street).
Discover women-owned businesses
Supporting small businesses is an honorable holiday goal; supporting small, women-owned businesses is just extra credit! You can do both with the help of the Utah Women-Owned Business Directory from the Women’s Business Center of Utah.
Supporting women entrepreneurs across the state, this directory connects you with a variety of businesses—from beauty and wellness to technology and consulting— all owned by women.
By shopping at women-owned businesses, you’re supporting entrepreneurship and strengthening the local business community.
Shop local for gift cards
Any savvy shopper knows that gift cards are the go-to solution for those last-minute gifts, especially for recipients who are hard to shop for. Why not make it an opportunity to support local businesses?
Many Utah restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques and service providers offer gift cards that make ideal holiday presents for family and friends. A gift card from a local business often gives the recipient an experience unique to the area — whether that’s dinner at a beloved local restaurant, a yoga class or a day at a nearby spa.
What’s more, gift cards not only help boost a business’s bottom line during the holiday season, but also help them generate business during the new year, when sales tend to slow down.
Invest in subscriptions or memberships from local businesses
A more creative way to support small businesses this season is by gifting subscription boxes or memberships to local Utah vendors. Several companies in Salt Lake City and Utah Valley offer subscriptions for everything, from specialty coffee roasts to fresh produce to ready-made freezer meals.
Not only is a subscription or membership a unique gift, but it also offers recipients the opportunity to discover local products and services all year long.
Spread the word on social
If you’re looking to support local businesses in a less conventional way, consider using social media. Many small businesses rely on word-of-mouth and online reviews to attract customers, so posting your positive experiences and tagging your favorite local spots may encourage others to shop small as well.
You can also support local businesses by following their social media accounts, sharing their posts and recommending them to friends and family. This simple act of promotion costs nothing but can lead to significant benefits for small businesses struggling to get the word out during a busy shopping season.
Consider long-term impact
As the holiday season approaches, it’s easy to be drawn in by flashy sales from national retailers, but the impact of those dollars spent often leaves the community. By contrast, shopping small keeps money in the local economy, supports entrepreneurship and contributes to a vibrant and resilient local business community.
Supporting small businesses this holiday season not only helps you check off your gift lists, but also fosters a connection to the local community. By making a deliberate choice to shop at small, independent businesses, you can celebrate the season with gifts that tell a story, support local talent and invest in a more robust local economy for years to come.
