Supporting Small Business At Christmas

As Christmas approaches, it's more important than ever to support small, creative businesses. A bad Christmas can mean missed opportunities the following year, a big dent in someones confidence or can even be make or break for some makers.

Supporting these small businesses can be done in many ways, and isn't just about parting with your hard earned cash (although you can never go wrong with a few virtual gold coins!)

Let's start with the obvious, buying from makers. Obviously, it's not always feasible to do all of your shopping with people like us, as we don't produce the latest all singing and dancing piece of flashy tech that the kids want these days but we can help with other things. Stocking fillers, thoughtful personalisations, the hard to find gift for Auntie Maureen who doesn't seem to like anything (or anyone for that matter) but her cat or the perfect card for that person who just can't stand Christmas. We can provide a personal and friendly service that you don't always get from big street chains and you get the satisfaction of not only a great gift but also knowing that you've helped someone live their dream of being self employed or have helped to put food on the table that day. Every purchase counts, big or small and the earlier you can make those purchases the better. As most things are handmade, there maybe a little more time needed to make your order and we wouldn't like you to miss out on giving it as a gift. Not only that, but cash flow for makers is a real problem at Christmas, so if sale are spread out then it makes things soooo much easier to manage and means that we can afford to buy in stock earlier. It basically makes life so much easier!

If for what ever reason you can't shop with small businesses this year, that's fine, don't worry, you can still help! A lot of us rely heavily on social media and word of mouth, to drive people to our online shops. If you find something you really like but can't buy, share it to Facebook, Instagram or even Pinterest. Or create a board on Pinterest and pin all your favourite makers direct from their online stores. This is an example I've made, Gifts For Makers By UK Makers. Every little helps.

If a friend or relative is struggling to find a present for someone and has asked you if you have any ideas, are there any makers you can recommend? Any local, independent gift shops that may have the answer? Or perhaps, point them in the direction of Etsy? There are millions of people over there who could be grateful for that recommendation. Just ensure they are aware of the country it's being sent from, we don't want any gifts turning up late!

If you're going to be purchasing from makers this year I've put together the above image that you can share on social media to show your support to the maker community. Simply click here or click the above image to save and share with the world! As always, thanks a million for your support of my creative business and for all of my fellow makers too. You're an ace human! <3