Time to Shop Small! “Small Business Saturday” is Nov. 28 

Need a reason to celebrate? This upcoming Saturday, November 28 “Small Business Saturday” will turn ten! That’s right — ten years of the initiative that invites you to skip big box stores and tap into the endless potential and value of the businesses on your street or any streets like it, all throughout the country. Now more than ever, we’re doing all we can to help uplift and support local small businesses, in the face of a pandemic and generally a challenging year for all. Shopping local and supporting small is just one small-but-mighty of showing love this holiday season and beyond.

Here are five things you need to know about Small Business Saturday:

1. In 2019, U.S. consumers spent an estimated record high of nearly $20 billion at restaurants and independent retailers on Small Business Saturday.
2. And approximately 67 cents of every dollar spent at a small business remains in the local community.
3. 96% of consumers who reported shopping on Small Business Saturday said the day makes them want to shop local all year.
4. The more than 30 million small businesses in the U.S. account for 99.9 percent of all U.S. businesses.
5. As of July 2020, it’s reported that the number of women-owned businesses is growing two times the rate of all businesses nationwide, now representing 42 percent of the market.  

We absolutely love featuring products from small businesses right here in Central Indiana. Next time you Build Your Own box or want to support small with a curated box purchase, keep these amazing businesses and items in mind:

B.Happy Peanut Butter - as seen in A Little Prayer Gift Box

B.Happy Peanut Butter was started in 2013, as a way for owner Jon Weed to teach his kids what it was like to run a small business. The goal was to make a small batch peanut butter so good, so unique, and so addictive that you would want to “just eat it with a spoon.” Since then, they’ve been written up in newspapers and magazines, appeared on television multiple times, now sell their peanut butter at various locations around Indiana and ship B. Happy peanut butter nationwide.

Indie Coffee Roasters - as seen in But First, Coffee Gift Box

When we say this coffee is good, we mean good. Their team is all about handmade and roasted to order coffee, which is available for purchase at their shop and roastery in Carmel, Indiana. Their story starts as many others do — with a popcorn machine. This mad scientist method of coffee roasting is where Indie Coffee Roasters began in 2013. The rest, as they say, was coffee.

Just Pop In Popcorn - as seen in Back Home Again In Indiana

Dynamic twin sisters, Mandy and Carly created Just Pop In! in 2003.  Since then, they’ve set their intention to honor their declaration, “Celebrate Happiness”™. Inspiration stemmed from essential joy and particularly anticipated evenings spent popping with their Grandfather. In 2008, Just Pop In! earned the flagship space of terminal B in the new Indianapolis International Airport. It continues to be one of the only independent locally-owned & operated retail environments.  That same year, JPI was voted, “Best New Retail Concept” in all of North America by Airports Council International. Since then, they’ve opened their popcorn oasis in Broad Ripple, a must-see, must-experience, whimsical event space.

Bitchstix: as seen in Love You, Mean It

This line of cruelty-free lip and body balms are backed by a mission: To awaken people to their self-worth, and to encourage them to live boldly and courageously. We do this in two ways: By putting “BITCH” in the name of a product that soothes and restores. We’re appropriating a word that has historically been used to inflict shame, and attaching it to an agent of restoration. Also, by putting our money where our mouth is. BITCHSTIX donates to retailer-nominated nonprofit organizations that support survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault. 

Breathe Free Essentials - as seen in our Sit Back & Relax Gift Box

Because Something Splendid is such a cheerleader of self-care, it only seemed natural to team up with Indiana-based Breathe Free Essentials, to offer up 100% natural essentials oils, to lift the weight of everyday life and surround you with an instantaneous essential oils aromatherapy experience. Create your own personal spa - anywhere, anytime.

Sky Outfitters: as seen in Stashing Through The Snow Gift Box

This team’s mission is “to help meet the needs of homeless shelters around the country, equipping them sufficiently with some of their most requested apparel items.” Founded in 2016, founder Keaton Hendricks and his team love waking up every day knowing that they are able to work on something that impacts other people.

You can support even more Indiana companies when you Build Your Own, by including goodies from Rosie’s, Karma Candles and Kinds and Newfangled Confections.

So take our lead and shop small: today, tomorrow, on “Small Business Saturday” (Nov. 28) and whenever possible. Each time you support a local business, an owner does a happy dance.

Your shop small supporters,