Shop & Give Local this Holiday Season

As temperatures drop in Minnesota and fall becomes winter, Shoreview residents turn their attention to the holiday season. After nearly two extremely difficult years impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, families are undoubtedly eager to enjoy a typical holiday shopping experience. The City of Shoreview knows the small businesses and charitable organizations of Shoreview need their community’s support more than ever. Whether it's shopping at local stores or giving to local charities, Shoreview residents have the ability to showcase their kindness and community spirit that has led Family Circle Magazine as one of the “Ten Best Towns in America to Raise a Family.”

Shop Local

Saturday, November 27 is Small Business Saturday in communities across the nation. The event is the perfect opportunity for holiday shoppers to visit small businesses, familiarizing themselves with the people who bring their products and services to benefit customers all year long. The National Federation of Independent Business reported that from 2010 to 2018, $103 billion in sales has been generated for small businesses on Small Business Saturday. In 2018 alone, it reported 104 million shoppers spent $17.8 billion!

Small businesses fill a critical role as a primary player in a community’s employment base. The Office of Advocacy reports small businesses have accounted for 62% of net new job creation since 1995. Most small businesses hire employees who live close to their operations, so that job creation is an incredible boost to local economies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed small business operations forever. The U.S. has seen a surge in business starts, with applications for new ventures increasing more than 15% in Minnesota in 2020 over 2019, according to data from the Census Bureau. Shoreview is part of Ramsey County, which had 6,125 starts, a nearly 19% increase! As these entrepreneurs begin their journey, they face a critical juncture. The Office of Advocacy reports that from 1994 to 2019, approximately two-thirds of new employer establishments survived at least two years, with the five-year survival rate approximately one of every two businesses.

With so many new businesses cropping up, it is more important than ever to support them during their critical startup phase. Small Business Saturday is an excellent time to begin! 

Give on a Tuesday!

Beyond shopping, another excellent option to help Shoreview residents and organizations comes on November 30 as Giving Tuesday. The day is a global movement of generosity that encourages people to give whatever they can, be it donations, time or community activeness. Residents can search such community organizations within Shoreview with the City of Shoreview website. Those wishing to volunteer their time can find a list of community partners here. 

Other ways customers can help small businesses throughout the year include:

• Engage on Social Media - Retweet and Like your favorite business or charity. Post to your neighborhood Facebook page.
• Purchase a gift; then buy a gift card to use later in the year.
• Dedicate your time - Yes, purchasing from the small business goes directly to their bottom line, but visiting these establishments regularly is just as critical. Small businesses and charities often have only a few employees who work long hours without a chance to get out to other parts of the community. Stopping in for a 15 minute chat will go a long way to letting them know their services are valued.