Supporting Small Businesses
Disclaimer: All items mentioned in this post have been purchased by myself and there are no gifted items included.
Working for a small business in 2020 has been an exciting ride so far. As lockdown restrictions hit way back in March 2020 – doesn’t that feel like a different lifetime ago now? Demand for our little shop increased dramatically overnight. It was busy, challenging and exhausting. We made sacrifices we didn’t realise we would have to and my boss, myself and some of his family members jumped on board to help us out as we worked tirelessly to provide the residents of Wirral with fresh fruit and veg.
The UK was engulfed in a new found love for all things local. Local businesses, local jobs, local support. People were proclaiming they had turned a corner and shopping local was the only way forward.
Supporting Small Businesses All Year Round
Until it wasn’t and slowly business dwindled to pre lockdown levels and evened itself out somewhat. It was an eye-opening experience for me. I have been working in our local greengrocer shop for over four years now. I also worked there for 2.5 years when I was younger, leaving months before getting pregnant with Olivia.
However, this year I have decided that I need to put my money where my mouth is. If I am actively encouraging people to shop local and support small businesses, then shouldn’t I be doing the same? Championing those who work tirelessly to provide you with services or products on a smaller, more personal scale than giant retailers?
Cake box pictured ordered for a family birthday from The Little Cake Shed.
Sure, the bigger stores need our custom too, after all, if ASDA were to go bust overnight, there would be hundreds of thousands of people out of a job all over the country. But choosing to spend some money at local businesses will never be wasted money.
So this year I am determined to buy from as many small businesses as possible. There are some items I can’t buy locally, and I have already used the mighty buying power of Amazon for Olivia’s main present. However, for other gifts, I have been trying to buy from smaller retailers local to me and based in the UK.
I am hoping that once filled; my yearly Aunties Bags will be mostly filled with handmade and locally produced items from budding entrepreneurs. To add to the fun that is compiling these bags, I had decided to do one for everyone. And by everyone I mean;
- Olivia
- My three sisters
- My mum
- My mum’s partner
- My sister’s partner
- My sister’s partner’s daughter
- My best friend and her family
- My three niece’s
- My nephew
- 5 for Olivia’s school friends
What Small Businesses Am I Buying From?
So far, I have a small selection in mind, but honestly, I am not limited. If I see something I like, chances are I will buy it for a gift.
I have ordered some fantastic fragrance items from a friend who has started her own wax melt company with her friend. Check them out over at Scents of Glamour.
Personalised necklaces I ordered from a small independent American retailer arrived recently for my aunties bags and a surprise for Olivia’s homemade advent calendar.
I love The Chocolate Smiths who I came across on IG and featured in my Mother’s Day aunties bags this year. So I can see another order being placed with them for this year’s bags.
I have my eye on some shower bombs that would be ideal for the gift bags too. We don’t take many baths, so bath bombs are wasted with us.
Lastly, for the kids main presents, I have ordered them all one of these stunning name plaques from Beaumont Lane who I found on Etsy recently.
Shopping and Supporting Local Businesses this Christmas
As I buy more and more items, yes sorry there is a lot to buy. I am hoping to expand on my already extensive shopping list to include a few more retailers. The plan from now on is to look to feature them all in a post around November to give everyone ideas of where to look for Christmas gifts from small businesses. I will be sharing who I have been shopping with this year along with some great companies who I haven’t had the opportunity to buy from but could be of interest to you. I hope that this will be a useful guide.
