Saturday is Small Business Day
By Christina Winter, Allied Member ASID
I have to admit that I have never been out on Black Friday. I am not a person for crowds when I shop and I try to avoid the mall at all costs, even if its not the holiday season. I am person who loves small boutiques where you can stumble across the rare find. I am not a person of mass produced goods and have always enjoyed buying the last of something and knowing there is not more in the back room. Below are a few shops where I like to spend my time and money. I love walking into a store and taking a deep breath and know that I could spend a few hours in here. So instead of black Friday I am going to show my support on Saturday for small business day.
The Round Barn Potting Company is a store located in the northern suburbs. I have been coming to this store since I was a young child. Each time I visit new merchandise is has arrived. The owner does a supurb job finding treasures that are unique and one of a kind. The holidays are my favorite time of year to visit because no matter what you feel like before you enter the store when you leave you feel calm, relaxed and joyous!
My new favorite boutique store is Taj Boutique. I am blessed to know one of the owners and I have to say she has a good thing going. New shipments of merchandise come in everyday and once it's gone...it's gone! It is a connected to Taj Salon so you could kill two birds with one stone...get your hair done and do some shopping! Their motto is to Live Life beautifully. I couldn't agree more and as an added bonus their walls are painted LiLu Blue!
My other favorite small business to support is Ten Thousand Villages. Although it is one of the world's largest fair trade organizations the store located in St. Paul is small in itself. The company strives to improve the livelihood of tens of thousands of disadvantaged artisans in 38 countries. Ten Thousand Villages accomplishes this by establishing a sustainable market for handmade products in North America, and building long term buying relationships in places where skilled artisan partners lack opportunities for stable income. Product sales help pay for food, education, healthcare and housing for artisans who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed.
