After the economic impact of COVID-19 on small businesses across the country, how and where consumers choose to spend their money is important to their communities. With holiday shopping just around the corner, spending money at a small business could greatly help owners recover from devastating losses they faced in 2020.ìI am a big supporter of shopping local,î said Dave Ahrens, president of the Eastern Plain Chamber of Commerce. ìEspecially with COVID, there are a lot of businesses that are struggling very hard because they had to close their doors. I would recommend shopping at small shops. When you shop at a small shop and local business, you are supporting the owner of the company. The larger companies can withstand these storms much better than smaller businesses. But for the small business owner, they rely on all the business they can get to stay in business.îSmall Business Saturday is Nov. 28. The day, nestled between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, is an important shopping day for communities. ìI am supporting the local community because they support me,î Ahrens said. ìThey are my neighbors. It is important to support those people because they are a huge part of our local economy.îAhrens suggested perusing advertisements in the local paper to find local, small businesses for shopping purposes.Here are a few gift ideas.ArtThere are many local artists in the area. Whether itís photography, music, paintings or theater, there is something for every kind of art lover. Check out the business card ads in The New Falcon Herald.Food/beverageGifting a gift certificate to a local restaurant is a great way to support local restaurants.ExperiencesNot every gift has to be a tangible object. Find a way to gift an experience like guitar or skydiving lessons. Ask around for teachers who offer lessons out of their home or in a studio in the community.DonationsConsider making a donation in the name of a friend or family member to a cause they believe in.OnlineOnline shoppers rejoice! There are plenty of websites that support small businesses. Etsy comes to mind, but consider browsing Threadless (apparel by artists) or the Facebook Marketplace. Often, local people are using Etsy to promote their wares.
