Small Business Saturday is a great reminder to shop small and spend locally. But what about the other 364 days of the year? As a business that shares the work of female makers in Texas, we may be a little biased. Just because we're biased doesn't mean we're wrong, though! Today, we're diving into the importance of shopping small and the benefits it offers your community, your wallet, and the planet!
Welcome to Mosaic Makers Collective, where you can shop small, female-owned Texas businesses
What exactly is a small business?
The U.S. Small Business Association defines a small business as an independent business with fewer than 500 employees. Under this definition, there are 33.2 million small businesses in the US.
According to the US Chamber of Commerce, small businesses are very much *not* a small deal. Between 1995 and 2021, small businesses created 17.3 million new jobs (63% of the new jobs) in this country. That's pretty astounding, considering the fact that 80% of small businesses are run solely by the owner, with no employees.
Cards made by small female-owned businesses
Small business' BIG local impact
When you shop from big businesses or online retailers, your carbon footprint extends far beyond the walk to your front porch to collect the box or the drive to the store to buy a product. The items you purchase come from sellers worldwide and have traveled on planes, trains, and trucks to make it to store shelves. Then, the dollars you spend get sent back around the world, with only a small percentage going back to better your community.
When you shop small, your dollars stay where you spend them. The local business you support pays taxes that make your city or state a better place while directly impacting a local family. Plus, you reduce your carbon footprint by purchasing products that don't need to travel around the world to get to you.
Impact goes both ways!
When you shop small, you matter. The feedback that customers give our makers has resulted in new product lines, new scents, and new designs. Love the product you bought? Want more? Let the makers know, and you may just be the inspiration for their latest hit product!
Mosaic Makers Collective display of locally-made products in the Bishop Arts District
Does Amazon give you warm fuzzies?
I didn't think so. Shopping from big brands may give you a temporary boost of dopamine, but it's fleeting. In our Meet the Maker series, we hear time and time again how much the makers care about their customers. Here are just a few examples:
Candyce from Love Bug Luv makes all-natural, vegan-friendly aromatherapy bath and body products with skin-loving additives, and says, "I love hearing how happy people are after using my products and learning about the struggles they had before my products and how I have helped them."
Casey from Miss Modi shares a time when she received an email from a customer who recently put down their family's bulldog. "As part of their daughter's Christmas wish list, she wrote down 'bulldog earrings.' Upon receiving our bulldog earrings, the mother was brought to tears when she opened the package. We were touched by the message and glad we could be a part of her daughter's healing and good memories of their bulldog."
Kayla from Krew Designs says, "I've had people wear my hats in their weddings which is such a great feeling. It's so neat to see your work be a part of someone's pictures and memories forever."
These local makers are a part of their customers' good and bad days and care on a personal level that big stores and online retailers can't match.
Price + quality ratio
If you're comparing apples to apples (or generic bath bombs), you can usually find what you're looking for cheaper from WalMart. But what *actually* goes into the bath bomb you'll soak yourself (or your child) in?
When you shop small, you can get high-quality ingredients without paying all the middleman pricing and overhead costs of a big box business.
Kids toys made by small businesses in Texas
When you want products that will last and items made with ingredients you can pronounce, shopping small is the biggest benefit for your health and your wallet.
Customer care
At Mosaic Makers Collective, our shop is staffed by makers, so you can get an introduction to the locally-made items we stock by the women who make them.
Don't wait for Small Business Saturday to support your local small businesses. Be a part of the movement that's shopping small, reducing their carbon footprint, and bettering their neighborhood. The little you may lose in convenience will return to you tenfold in the community you're building.
Want to learn more about the small businesses at Mosaic Makers Collective? Check out these additional resources:
- Visit our shop in the Bishop Arts District
- Meet more of our Mosaic Makers on the Blog
- Join us as a maker