Shopping Small: Businesses for Creatives
With COVID-19 still ravaging across the country, small businesses need our help more now than ever before. People have poured their livelihoods into the little shops you see while traveling through your community, and the holiday season is one of the most critical times of the year for them. Small businesses often have high quality, handmade, and healthy products that come with a personalized experience every time you step through the door. Whether it be for your creative friends, family, or, yes, even yourself, this year is the year of small businesses, and this article is the creative’s guide to shopping small!
Stay until the end to see some of my favorite small businesses that I’ve shopped at this year!
So, how do you find small businesses?
Etsy is the place for handmade, unique gifts for any creative. Each business has its own page that you can explore and discover almost anything you can think of. Communication with the shop owners is speedy and easy with a chat function on each page. Since you’re communicating directly with the owner, responses are accurate, friendly, and productive the first time around. (Personal endorsement time! I have never waited longer than five hours to hear back from anyone I’ve reached out to on Etsy.) Don’t know what to get someone? Etsy has gift cards! Make sure to leave a positive review after you receive your product, and share the store on your social media to help them gain traffic!
Redbubble is a goldmine for any fandom-loving creative with a passion. Like Etsy, each creative has their own store from which you can make purchases and send messages; Redbubble also has gift cards if your gift-giving creativity runs out. This website is specifically for independent artists looking to sell their designs and spread their work worldwide. Speaking of the products, they are wonderfully nerdy, high-quality, and incredibly diverse. You can find anything and everything on Redbubble while supporting the creatives themselves. Make sure to leave a positive review after you receive your product, and share the store on your social media to help them gain traffic!
Looking for some cute DIY ideas for gifts or holiday dinners? Pinterest is the place to go! Not only do they have the ideas, but the creatives themselves also sometimes sell the supplies needed to get the job done. If not, Pinterest is usually linked to social media, which allows you to post pictures of the finished product and share your support for the creative across all platforms. Sometimes exposure is just as crucial as actually purchasing something. (Another way of saying: make sure to leave a positive review after you receive your product or complete the project, and share the store on your social media to help them gain traffic!)
Online Directories
Many states, counties, and towns have directories that list local businesses, such as bookstores and equipment repair shops. You can look through these and see who you can support in your community. Since walking around in the cold during a pandemic might prove to be less than ideal, utilizing these directories can help you find websites of small businesses you can order from. You can also use this directory to create a list of places you want to shop, making the trip quicker and therefore safer. Make sure to leave a positive review after you receive your product, and share the store on your social media to help them gain traffic!
As I have been reminding you throughout this article, leaving reviews and sharing the businesses on your social media accounts are essential to small businesses’ success. Here are some of the shops I have found and purchased from this holiday season!
1. Magicalribbons (Redbubble)
This small business has the cutest handmade, originally-designed hair bows, bow ties, and many other kinds of accessories for anyone looking to spice up their outfits. This shop also carries Disney-themed t-shirts, phone cases, and stickers, so all your magical needs can be met!
2. LazyBeamArte (Etsy)
This Latina-owned small business is the perfect spot for abstract, unique, and meaningful pieces. With stickers, prints, buttons, and so many other products, you will definitely be able to find the design you love on the product that best works for you.
3. MegssDesign (Etsy)
Know someone who loves photography, but you don’t know enough to buy them any equipment? Look no further! This small business carries unique, handmade camera straps, patches, stickers, and so much more! These products would be perfect for any nature photographer or anyone who enjoys smelling the roses with an outdoorsy theme.
4. Sheree Brand Paper Co (Etsy)
Looking for beautiful artwork to give to your best friend or to put up around the holidays? This is the place for you! This Black-owned small business has themed, original art prints for almost any occasion. They currently have a “Holiday Goodies” section filled with beautiful pieces perfect for the holidays.
5. allyhom (Redbubble)
Got a new laptop coming for Christmas? Know someone who is? Help them accessorize! This artist creates cute, witty, originally designed stickers perfect for laptops, water bottles, or anything else you can stick things to. They also have wall art, clothing, and a special department for children and babies!
6. Chief Lady Bird (Directory)
Want a way to honor your relatives but don’t have any drawing or painting skills? This Indigenous-owned small business is the perfect solution! The artist takes commissions and creates beautiful, illustrated portraits that capture the person’s soul and life. They also do more abstract pieces, so it’s all up to you to decide what you want.
7. DigitalArtistStore (Etsy)
This small business designs high-quality accessories and equipment for graphic designers or anyone who creates digitally. With customizable art gloves, you can design the perfect gift for your fellow creative (or for yourself!) This business also carries digital art-themed face masks and t-shirts!
8. Kamama Bead Work (Directory)
If you are a fashionista or know someone looking to bring some pop to their next photoshoot, a pair of earrings from this Indigenous-owned business is the perfect gift! The hand, traditional jewelry from this shop is astounding. With commissions open every so often, you can help in the design process!
9. Natural Arts Supplies (Directory)
The name of this business pretty much says it all. They sell all-natural, non-toxic, and recyclable art supplies for any fine art creative looking to help the environment. Utilizing old production methods, these products are guaranteed to be high-quality, eco-friendly, and carry a story waiting to be told.
10. OMG Pop Prints (Etsy)
Looking for something to brighten up your empty walls? This small business is definitely the place to go. Their colorful animal prints definitely pop and will make a beautiful addition to any home. As always, they are high-quality in both production and framing, and with a large variety of animals to pick from, there will definitely be something for you.
