Small Business Saturday: Our Day

Here it comes: the holiday shopping season…whether you are ready or not.

For me, it’s almost appalling that it’s already Thanksgiving. Where did the summer go? I was busy with new job, new fiance, new-old hometown, new schedules and new worlds. But here we are, less than six weeks away from Christmas.

For the first time in nine years, I’m not working either in retail or hospitality. But a lot of people are. In this economy, many are under-employed. Many are working 50+ hours/week in the next two weeks. On their feet. If you’ve done it, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, please remember the following:

These people are working, so that we can be shopping – please don’t forget that. Take a moment and say thank you, acknowledge their hard work. Many are overworked and underpaid and pushed to the edge of exhaustion for the next six weeks.

When you go to Walmart at 8 pm on Thanksgiving Day Eve, just remember that they are there and not with their families. So maybe consider doing something different this year. Thanksgiving. Small Business Saturday (November 24th)is the perfect antidote to the hectic holidays. And it’s not just small businesses in your area. Don’t forget about the wonderful Etsy sellers, the artists and the writers online. Your purchase to them means everything. A few eye-opening facts:

* Small businesses are 99.7% of all employers.
* Small businesses employ roughly 50% of all private sector workers
* Small businesses create 75% of the net new jobs in our economy.

You can go here to find local businesses to support in your area:  
Shop Small

So shop small and local! Show your support – shop Small Business Saturday. It’s our day.

I have created a list of some of my favorite authors, writers, artists and small businesses online. Please consider patronizing them this holiday season!

Authors:

A.E. Howard (Flight of Blue) – http://amzn.to/TaOqPx

Becca J. Campbell (Foreign Identity) – http://amzn.to/TaM3wa

Cameron Lawton (Witch, Nun, Shaman’s Drum & Yours to Command) – http://amzn.to/TaPlQ3

Cara Michaels (Gaia’s Chosen Series) – http://amzn.to/TaOPBs

Diane J. Reed (TWIXT) – http://amzn.to/TaLTEN

Dionne Lister (Shadows of the Realm) – http://amzn.to/TaMkPI

Elise Stokes (Cassidy Jones Adventures series) – http://amzn.to/TaLLFi

Gary Henry (American Goddesses) – http://amzn.to/OTYlqK

James W. Hazzard (Dead Sea Games) – http://amzn.to/WmChuI

Jessica Grey (Awake & Views From the Tower) – http://amzn.to/TaLFO0

Justin Bogdanovitch (Sandcastles & Other Stories) – http://bit.ly/SANDCASTLE

Laura Benedict (Devil’s Oven & Isabella Moon & others) – http://amzn.to/TaLmCN

Sophie Moss (The Selkie Spell & The Selkie Enchantress) – http://t.co/pjp9OBlJ

Tristan J. Tarwater (Valley of Ten Crescents Series) – http://amzn.to/TaLjHp

Artists:

Angie Richmond (artwork) – http://www.etsy.com/shop/angierichmond

Cindi Cusick (pottery) – http://etsy.me/TaNGtx

Rachel Stanley (jewelry) – http://tocatchahummingbird.etsy.com

Tracy McCusker (book cover design) – http://bit.ly/TaPtyS

Musicians:

Anna Meade (Annasongs) – http://www.fiverr.com/ruanna3

Paul Ramey (Veil & Subdue) – http://www.veilandsubdue.com

Small Businesses:

Anna Meade (Super Secret Spy Girl) – http://www.zazzle.com/supersecretspygirl* 

Marilyn Dieckmann (wild rice & fairy treehouses) –
http://www.momswildrice.com
http://www.weetreehome.com

This is not an exhaustive list, by any means.

For the first time ever, I am inviting you to include a link in the comments to the post. If I forgot to include you, my apologies (it’s almost 1 am!).

Please include your name, your talent (writing, art, music, small business, Etsy, Fiverr) and a link where people can shop for your work this holiday season.