Small Business Christmas Challenge

As we're gearing up to tackle the holidays head-on, we're usually saving money ahead of time, shopping early or spreading it out, using layaway or any other method we can to ease the emptiness of our wallets that buying gifts for everyone entails. We're scraping together money and.... blowing it at big department stores.

 Now, don't get me wrong: I love my trips to Meijer with Aria, as my regular readers know, but when you think about it, wouldn't it be awesome to be supporting other people's Christmas shoping by simply doing our own Christmas shopping? Instead of running to Walmart, Meijer or Kmart, check out that family owned bookstore or toy store. Give a gift certificate to a local non-chain restaurant (they usually have better food anyways!) Or (my personal favorite!) find direct sales reps. in your area that can help you out. Between Avon, Mary Kay, Dove Chocolate, Thirty-one, Scentsy and Uppercase Living you can get tons of your gifts crossed off your list, and help a work-at-home-mom provide for her family's Christmas (and yes, most of these companies now offer some great gifts for men and kids as well!) If you click on the names of the direct sales companies I gave above, they'll take you to the sites of ladies I like to work with and my own site.

Now, you may feel as though I'm tooting my own horn here, but what I'm really saying is support any small business out there. You don't have to buy from my particular small business (although I appreciate it!) - just find one that you'd like to support. Ladies that run their business remember their good customers, and trust me, the service you get from them will be far better than what you get at a chain department store, because they need your business and will work hard to keep it!

My challenge to you is to find at least one gift on your Christmas list from a small business, whether it's a family owned shop downtown or a friend from college who sells from her home. Then share here! Tell me what you bought and about your experience - will you do it again? and why?

Remember, small business ownership is one of the things that makes the economy of our country work. So put it to work for you! :)