Breaking Down the Barriers to Shopping Small
Every year artists, writers, and makers make the same plea. They call out in chorus: Shop small! Shop local! Shop indie! Every year I feel the pull toward small business. I want my money to go toward creative, entrepreneurial people instead of massive, unethical corporations. As I daydream about handmade ceramics, I also feel the barriers that block me. How do I sift through the internet to:
find items that I appreciate
from makers I trust
at prices I can afford?
Shopping local can feel challenging. However much I want to demand that you shop small, I have to ask the question of myself first. How can I remove the barriers? How do I make this process easier so even people like me—distractible, penny pinching, easily overwhelmed, picky—can support small businesses. Two answers come to mind.
FIRST! Take the Search off the Internet
When you shop in person, a stressful task transforms into a chill holiday outing. Cocoa in hand, you browse vendors. You discover items that you’d never find elsewhere, never needing to worry about paying for shipping or about how long it’ll take to get to you. From the artist’s table to your bag—done. Check, check, check, your shopping list disappears.
My co-organizers and I have created a Holiday Market to bring local talent into the spotlight. We celebrate their creativity, we celebrate this community, and together we celebrate Christmas!
The Holiday Market is Sunday December 7th, from 12pm-3pm at Redeemer Church in La Mirada.
Before you do anything else: tap that date into your phone.
Done? Amazing. Text a friend asking if they want to join. It’s coming up soon! We will have food, drinks, free crafts, and of course vendors to browse. Scroll down to see a few of the makers we’ll have at the market! We’ve got Christmas crafts, jewelry, books, coloring, baked goods, art of many forms. It is going to be so lovely.
How else can we remove the barriers between you and shopping small?
SECOND! Play the Long Game
If you want to create a habit of supporting small business, you need to play the long game. Pick up business cards from people’s tables. Follow them on instagram. Join newsletters. Create a simple spreadsheet for yourself simply listing makers, events, or shops that delight you. Keep it in your Christmas Planning file. Next year, you won’t be stuck in the lurch.
If you hear this and think “ugh, I will never be able to do that.” Don’t worry, I feel like that too half the time. That’s why I’m already brainstorming my own small business list as I type.
I think of:
PB Corner, with her fantastic custom stamps and signs.
Hello Heart Creative Studio, where you can gift art classes.
Shelley Couvillion, a really wonderful artist.
The list could and should go on. Maybe I’ll add to it. Ok, I will add to it. One more:
Sarah L. Yoon, coloring book designer ;)
But for serious, I should keep adding to this list. There are so many people worth buying from. We don’t have to default to big box corporations. I’d love to see you at the market this December and of course I’d love to share an even bigger list with you in time. Sign up for my newsletter if you’d like to see that list, along with all sorts of other event and project updates.
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