Whether you’re starting to think about Christmas (it’s alright, you’re allowed. Halloween is over.) Or whether you’re just looking for ways to treat yourself or your loved ones through this latest lockdown (if you’re in the UK. Insert whatever Corona-restrictions apply where you are). In fact, whatever it is you’re buying, whatever the occasion, consider this your rallying call to do something that can, and if we all get behind it, will, change shopping, and potentially society, for good (and for very good).

As tempting and easy as it is to lunge to Amazon for whatever you’re looking for (and God knows, I’m as guilty of this as anyone), please take a moment, and consider giving your precious custom, and much, much more needed cash, to a small/independent/local business.

A passionate small business supporter

I had reason to be talking to the force of nature that is Holly Tucker this week (I’ll tell you why in next week’s blog). She’s the founder of Not on the High Street and now Holly & Co, which supports people building and running small businesses. To say she’s passionate about small business would be a major understatement.

Holly Tucker has an infectious passion for small businesses

Here’s what she has to say about the change in consumer behaviour she’d like to see prompted by Covid and why:

“I hope there is a revolution after Covid and a new found place for small businesses in society and our hearts. Small businesses are the backbone of our country. They bring a tapestry of colour, uniqueness, thought and passion to our everyday lives. I feel the future is a better, more sustainable, passionate, purposeful place when its underpinned by small businesses, from what we eat to what we consume.”

Holly believes consumers are increasingly valuing small retailers they can connect with

It’s a change that Holly believes is already happening. “The dinosaurs are leaving the high street,” she said “and consumers are valuing those they can connect with.”

I don’t know if it’s a little too soon to write off the high street dinosaurs entirely (though seeing that M&S just posted its first pre-tax loss in 94 years as a listed company was pretty shocking), but I do know that there’s very little that beats the pleasure of buying something from a small business.

Not just because you know your custom is helping to sustain the dedication and (in the current times ridiculously) hard work of somebody who really appreciates it, but also because you’re far more likely to get a product that’s that little bit different from what you’d find in the endlessly repetitive, chain-store high street giants, made or sourced with that extra bit of care and passion. And how is that not a win-win?

Independent retailers could become the backbone of our high streets if we give them the chance to

I could go on about the ways that buying small, local and/or independent is good for the soul, the economy - and the future face of our towns, cities and high streets - for every £1 spent with a local, independent business, between 50p-70p circulates back into that local economy - but you’ll be glad to know I won’t.

What I will do is to point you in the direction of some of the ways you can find and patronise wonderful small businesses and support the enterprise and economy of your local area.

A taster list

This really is just a taster list, but I hope it inspires you to discover and buy from people running the myriad of ‘backbone businesses’ as Holly calls them, and who need our support more than ever right now.

Of course I couldn’t start with any other than the small-business-boosting behemoth that is Not on the High Street. If you don’t know that the site offers thousands of products from thousands of wonderfully talented creators and businesses, really where have you been since 2006?

Etsy is another marvellous market place for fabulously varied small independent creators and vintage curators. Products include toys, jewellery, homeware, collectables and many more.

A website offering a wide-ranging directory of small companies - supplying everything from food and drink, to pet care and sports equipment - is Stock Up Small. Enter the category you’re looking for and you’ll be given a list of small suppliers many offering discounts to people coming to them from the site.

IndieRetail is a site that supports independent retailers and offers a searchable (by brand, product or location) directory of UK shops and small businesses still open and operating responsibly during Covid.

Instagram is an absolute treasure trove of small, independent businesses. Searching the hashtags #shopsmall, #shoplocal and/or #supportsmallbusiness will bring up quite literally millions of options. But you can refine your choice with product, event or location hashtags. I heartily recommend having a rummage through #shopsmallthischristmas

Small Business Saturday is exactly what is says on the tin. Each year for the past five years, this non-commercial campaign highlights small business success and encourages consumers to shop small and local. The event is always on the first Saturday of December (so Dec 5th this year) and there are loads of small businesses that take part by hosting events (maybe not so many of these this year, sigh…) and offering discounts.

As I said, this is only a taster list. Please do add to it if in the comments you have any recommendations or suggestions, either for wonderful small businesses that you’ve bought from, or ways people can search for/find independent gems in their areas.

Be in no doubt

And if you were in any doubt about just how much your custom matters to small business owners, look at this card that arrived with a (very excellent) knife sharpener I ordered from a family-owned company I discovered on-line.