Making an Impact on Your Community | An Opportunity to Shop Local
In June of 1963, President John F. Kennedy addressed Frankfort and stated, “As they say on my own Cape Cod, a rising tide lifts all the boats.” The latter of this quote has been embraced and could well be on the flag that is raised with pride in the heart of every small business. You’ve probably even seen these words splayed across the walls in your favorite local small businesses or gracing the digital walls of the makers and artists you support on Instagram and Facebook. Serving as a depiction of general prosperity affecting individual prosperity, this sentiment is one of the many reasons I love to support other local and small businesses.
Shopping and supporting local, for me, is about relationships and making a concentrated positive impact. I know many of the people behind the products and services I support. I know their family is affected by the ups and downs of income, and I know their success will mean the eventual success of my city, Winston-Salem North Carolina. That’s why, when Jen Brown the founder and owner of Fearless Winston Salem, told me about an idea pitched to her by Danielle Hoover the owner of Southern Comfort Boutique, to help uplift and support lesser seen small businesses I knew I wanted to be involved.
In the world of social media, ecommerce and their ever changing geography of algorithms, small businesses can be drowned out. Danielle, as she herself runs her boutique online, has a heart for other entrepreneurs, solopreneurs and micropreneurs in the same position. She desires a platform for herself and those like her to be able to be more visible to the public and therefore consumers. Jen was the perfect person to connect with. She is involved with the Small Business Center, the Launch Challenge and makes her living giving people courage and confidence to speak on and represent their work and dreams. (Check out Engaging Educator to see how she does this). She also recently opened a women’s space built as a source of community and relationships called Fearless. Here, women can build connections with each other and delve into relationships in a way our city had been previously lacking. Together, Jen and Danielle decided to create a vendor fair. Shortly after they met, Taryn Jerez, the owner of One Crafty Miss, and I were brought on board and we founded Small Biz Crawl.
Small Biz Crawl is the perfect place to support local businesses around the holidays. There will be 17 vendors with an array of goods and services as well as 10 brick and mortar businesses offering gifts and goodies for the holiday shopper who likes to shop local. It is a great opportunity to connect with our community and a true example of the good that can happen when people work together and put competition aside. If you love to shop local like me or just want to see what the event is all about, feel free to come and visit us!
“A rising tide lifts all boats”
Vendors and Businesses You’ll see involved at Small Biz Crawl 2018
Annabelle Beet Designs
BowBow by Kyle
Camel City Goods
Camel City Hemp
Collage
Colony Urban Farm
Fearless Winston Salem
Honey and Woodbine
Janet Holmes, Artist
Jasper & Fern
JZumps Creations
Knitting Nurse
Lucky Duckling Baby
Mossy Rock Massage
ReLove It Clothing
Sass & Ink
Sassafras Family Farm
Scented Balance
Southern Comfort Boutique
The Humble Bee
The Sweet Truth
The Tap West End
West End Coffeehouse
