Whether you call tomorrow Small Business Saturday or Shop Small Saturday, that’s a suggestion we endorse. Channeling your spending power into local businesses and local makers supports the island economy and gives gifts a special appeal that comes with Hawaii ties.
It’s a fact that just about everything costs more this year — but the stats also show that we are eager to feel “normal,” visit with friends and family, and give gifts as a symbol of our love and friendship. The holiday season is meant to be happy, powering us through the days with the glow of feeling good.
So, first tip: Don’t stress. If you can’t afford to spend more than last year — don’t. If that means the presents you buy loved ones are smaller than last year, that’s OK.
Follow-up tip: Be strategic. Make a budget, and stick with it. Make a list, and be sure all purchases fit within it. Leave room within your gifting plan to give back to the community, and help those with the greatest needs. (We’ll have more on that next week.)
“Special” needn’t mean expensive — it can be special to get a pareau, board shorts or Hawaiian salt if the item makes the recipient’s life better. A hand-drawn card or handmade gift — by you, or from an arty shop — can mean more than an impersonal item.
Many of us are fortunate enough to have the necessities of life covered and shelves full as desired; these folks might be best served by a gift of food that can be enjoyed in the moment, such as Hawaiian chocolate, ‘ulu (breadfruit) cookies, apple banana bread or lilikoi butter.
Final tip: Make it count by buying local, and it will be meaningful.
The Small Business Administration (SBA), a federal agency, has a satellite office in Honolulu that has long provided services to the islands’ entrepreneurs and keeps stock of this part of the economy. It defines small business as a company with 500 or fewer employers.
The SBA’s latest statewide figures show that the 141,460 small businesses in the islands make up 99.3% of Hawaii businesses, by the numbers. These small businesses employ 272,459 people, who make up 49.3% of Hawaii employees.
It’s easy to see that supporting small business can make a difference, by keeping our money circulating throughout the islands.
Looking for ideas to support Hawaii’s own? Check out Made in Hawaii (invest.hawaii.gov/made-in-hawaii), the state’s portal to highlight Hawaii-made products and brands. Created by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), the site lists local retailers, restaurants, farmers and manufacturers that make more than 75% of their total product offerings in Hawaii.
Find links here to options such as the Hawaiian Farmers Market (hawaiianfarmersmarket.com), offering foodstuffs such as isle-grown chocolate and macadamia nuts, and House of Mana Up (houseofmanaup.com), an incubator for small business startups that features hundreds of food, fashion, home, beauty and art products.
Another impressive list of Hawaii businesses can be found at the Shop Small Hawaii website (shopsmallhawaii.com). Affiliated with the Made in Hawaii program and launched in 2017 by the Patsy T. Mink Center for Business &Leadership and its partners, Shop Small Hawaii is a goldmine of links to local businesses and gift opportunities.
Shop Small Saturday in Kailua this weekend — look for the tent at the Lau Hala Shops from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — is just one of the many holiday events and craft fairs being held across the state over the next several weeks.
“When you buy from Made in Hawaii companies, your money stays here at home, supporting local businesses, creating jobs and strengthening our island economy,” DBEDT’s Made in Hawaii website states. It’s a great way to give and give back at the same time.
