Shop Small, Shop Local Holiday Season With This Small Business Shopping Report

At schoolofbookeeping, we know first hand how Small Business is the backbone of our country. Small local businesses pouring the blood, sweat, and tears into making their dream a reality. The pride of accomplishment when the door opens, or the job is completed, is second to none. These are our friends, our neighbors, our community. Small business connects with our local economy so much more than any other type of business.

One silver lining of the pandemic has been increased consumer awareness about the importance of shopping small. In fact, according to the recent QuickBooks Commerce Small Business Shopping Report, a whopping 93% of consumers said that supporting small businesses is more important than ever this holiday season. Another lesser known byproduct of the pandemic was the overall erosion of brand loyalty. The QuickBooks study found that nearly half of consumers (48%) are more likely to try a new business than they were pre-pandemic. This number is even higher (63%) when looking specifically at millennials, the largest demographic group in the U.S.

These two trends dovetail nicely to create a massive opportunity for small business owners this season. However, though the appetite is there, many consumers still don’t know how to find small businesses to shop with beyond their immediate geographic footprint. To help address this, this year QuickBooks launched its first ever Small Business Holiday Shopping Guide featuring dozens of small businesses from around the country with gifts for everyone – from the style guru to the food and beverage connoisseur, pet lover, serious tailgater and more.

If you are a small business looking to adapt your business, but don't know where to begin, here are a few low cost options to get started