Why Shopping Small, Minority and Women-owned Businesses Matters

As an artist and small business owner, this is a topic that I’m really passionate about! It’s so important to prioritize shopping from small businesses, especially when it comes to handmade products or art. When you invest in independent artists and small businesses, you’re ultimately investing in someone’s dreams. It is so much more meaningful than buying mass-produced products from large corporations. It’s also a great way to support your local economy and increase minority communities’ wealth. 

Here are a few ways shopping small makes a difference:

It’s Personal

I enjoy browsing Target decor as much as the next person, but it’s ultimately all the same. There’s nothing special or intimate about another Target planter or generic wall hanging. 

When you shop from small artists and creators, you’re getting more than just a product - you’re investing in someone’s passion and purpose. 

For me, making art is exactly that - my purpose - and it always stems from something I’m passionate about. I love sharing the inspiration and narratives behind my art on Instagram. It’s not just a random amalgamation of stuff I thought looked cool - each piece is intentional, meaningful and has a story behind it!

The ultimate goal of creating and sharing art is human connection. When you buy from local artists or creative entrepreneurs, you are getting something completely unique and deeply personal. You can be confident that a lot of love was put into the product by its creator. You’re so much more likely to find gifts that have true meaning between you and your friends and family. 

It’s Ethical

We all know the big corporations don’t support ethical business practices. Their products are cheaply mass produced with the goal of making as much money as possible. Many of them use foreign factories that have horrible working conditions, don’t pay ethical wages, crooked business tactics and some even employ child labor. 

Last year, as a part of my own commitment to making more ethical spending choices, I canceled my Amazon Prime subscription for many of the reasons listed above. I was worried it would be hard to let go. Truth be told, I was an Amazon package junkie (that 2-day shipping convenience had me hooked!), but I learned a long time ago that convenience is kryptonite to growth so I knew it was the right choice. It’s been a great decision for me because not only do I feel better about where my money is going, but it’s also been helpful to cut out the addictively easy consumerism.

There is a huge movement among small businesses today to be as ethical and eco-conscious as possible. Using ethically sourced materials and keeping eco-friendly practices are both important values that my shop is committed to. Avoiding mass production makes buying from small businesses a much more mindful way to shop. You can shop to your heart’s content without worrying about what kinds of unethical practices your dollar might be supporting, because with small businesses it’s very easy to get to know the face behind the brand!

It Can Support Minorities

Speaking of the faces behind the brands, women, African Americans, the LGBTQ+ community, and other minorities are underrepresented in successful long-term businesses. It’s not for lack of ingenuity or business smarts. More often than not, it’s because of structural economic obstacles (like less generational wealth and other capital constraints), they lack supportive business ecosystems (like difficulty getting loans and finding mentorship) and consumers are always being pulled away by cheaper mass-produced goods. 

According to the 2019 Annual Business Survey, only 19.9% of all businesses are owned by women, and only 18.3% are minority owned. There are only 124,000 businesses owned by African Americans and that needs to change!

Now think about the fact that these statistics are from the pre-pandemic days - there are 37.5% fewer small businesses open today than there were in January of 2020. Many small businesses just didn’t have the resources to stay afloat that big businesses had, and we all got hit hard. This makes it even more important than ever to shop small and local!

When looking for small businesses to support, I always seek out those that are owned by minorities. Larger companies often ultimately line the pockets of already wealthy white men (usually one guy at the very top gets most of the profit), however when you invest in minority businesses, it’s not just benefiting a single person. It often trickles out across their communities because their success creates abundance for them to hire more people (usually from their community), increases the prosperity of their families (helping to close the wealth gap), and opens doors of opportunity for others like them (representation matters - our youth can only be what they have seen). 

My Favorite Small Businesses to Shop

There are so many amazing minority-owned small businesses to support. If you’re hoping to shop from small businesses for the holidays this year, I wanted to share with you all some of my favorites! I wrote a whole blog on my favorite small businesses last year, which you can read here, but here are a few others you should check out:

• Liv & Dom - ceramic artists and twin sister duo that create decorative nude pieces that celebrate the female figure. I absolutely LOVE my incense holder. Woman-owned.

• Kristina Micotti - goofy and playful animal illustrations that are sure to make you laugh on goods from glassware to scarves to custom pet portraits. I always get compliments on the bright yellow dog beanie that I got last year. Woman-owned, minority-owned.

• Sonya Renee Taylor - Best selling author of The Body is Not an Apology and spoken word poet. You won’t catch her on IG anymore, but you can join her community and support her work on Patreon. Black-owned, woman-owned, queer-owned, social change maker.

• Rukmini Poddar - artist and emotional wellness educator with products like illustrative emotion art prints and Obscure Emotions Deck of Cards. Woman-owned, minority-owned.

• Lil Chotchke - whimsical ceramic creatures by artist Li Sha Tan. Her pieces are hard to catch and sell out quickly! I haven’t yet been able to snag one of her pieces yet but been eyeing them for a while. Woman-owned, minority-owned.

• L.O.M. Fashion - self described as luxury party wear for the bold and eccentric designed by Louise Mahoney. I’m currently counting down the days till my package comes in! Woman-owned.

• Gentle Thrills - more quirky animal art products by LA artist Isa Beniston. Woman-owned.

• Timothy Goodman - NY muralist and designer whose typographic art speaks openly and vulnerably about feelings, mental health and therapy. I wear my “Caring About People is Dope as Hell” shirt with so much pride! It was only available during his gallery show this fall, but here’s a print of the piece. Social change maker.

• Rachel Burke - Australian artist known for her totally inspiring, always magical, crafty creations from tinsel jackets to light up “feelings” headbands to pipe cleaner tiaras. Woman-owned.

• Morgan Harper Nichols - I love sharing her watercolor poems on my story! Bring her uplifting messages into your life with products from Garden24 and preorder her new book coming out in February. Black-owned, woman-owned.

• Adam JK - More typographic feelings. Check out his Unsolicited Advice Weekly Planner. Queer owned.

• Sunwoven - stunning, colorful handwoven textiles. Woman-owned.

• PONY-O Hair Accessories - cool, innovative ponytail holders and accessories. Woman-owned.

• TOMO Jewelry Japan - lovely jewelry, all handmade! Woman-owned, minority-owned.

• Erika Rae Heins - quirky and spooky art for the nerd heart. Her calendars are fantastic. Woman-owned.

I’d also be so grateful if you took a look at my shop - I hope you find something that speaks to you to elevate your space or to give to a loved one this holiday season!