The COVID-19 pandemic confirmed the critical role small businesses play in our daily lives. It sounds cliché, but locally owned small businesses truly are the heart and soul of our cities and towns. The holiday shopping season is a crucial time for small retailers and restaurants that depend on the boost in sales between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Not so long ago, it was an American tradition to shop and play at the local mall or small business district downtown.
Brick-and-mortar businesses would promote their best deals of the year in hopes of luring shoppers to make a purchase or at least browse their merchandise.Today, online shopping has become the preferred way many Americans shop for holiday gifts. Given the dramatic shifts in the retail environment over the last 20 years, those holiday scenes and traditions are in danger of passing into the realm of nostalgic folklore. The results of recent surveys show that more than 80 percent of shoppers make regular online purchases throughout the year. 

To compete, small business owners have become more innovative in the ways they sell and promote their products and services. An encouraging trend born out of the pandemic is that many small business owners pivoted operating models to include e-commerce platforms or changed product offerings to meet the demands of online consumers. Still, others have brought back the traditions of  providing one-on-one assistance to customers and selling locally produced niche items. Cottage businesses have started in record numbers as people realized their dreams of small business ownership could start in their basements and garages.

If you’re an entrepreneur and need some advice, consider exploring the tools and resources offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration and its partners, including the Small Business Development Center in Grand Junction. Small business owners also can get involved with such local support organizations as chambers of commerce, business districts and associations.

The holiday shopping season exerts huge effects. Colorado’s 691,000 small businesses create two out of every three net new jobs and deliver essential goods and services. They employ more than 1.2 million Coloradans, give back to their communities and make the state a better place in which to live.

This holiday season, join us in making purchases from locally owned small business in your city or town. These business owners are the true super stars of our communities and deserve our support, thanks and appreciation.

Happy holidays.