Small businesses need support more than ever this Small Business Saturday.
Small businesses across Johnson County have suffered during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic from closures and reduced capacities. This weekend provides an opportunity to help those small businesses make up lost ground and savor what makes downtown Franklin and Old Town Greenwood unique, organizers say.
Small Business Saturday was created by American Express in 2010 to promote holiday shopping at mom-and-pop shops during the Great Recession. In today’s complicated economic climate, that message rings true, as the pandemic makes small business futures tenuous.
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Locally, the Franklin Chamber of Commerce and Restore Old Town Greenwood, Inc. have both veered from their traditional Small Business Saturday celebrations to make this year’s shopping experience safer.
Restore Old Town Greenwood will continue with its in-person kick-off event, while the Franklin Chamber chose to have a two-week long virtual scavenger hunt to promote shopping online and businesses’ social media pages.
The Greenwood kick-off event is scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m. at Whispering WillowTree, 50 S. Madison Ave. By starting there, shoppers are centrally located to walk to many of the 21 participating shops, restaurants and service providers to buy holiday gifts or treat themselves.
At the event, the first 50 attendees will receive a tote bag containing goodies from local businesses, said Darcy Miles, treasurer of Restore Old Town. The first 30 gift bags will contain “Old Town Dollars,” a special currency that shoppers can exchange for goods and services at participating businesses on Small Business Saturday and throughout the week.
Restore Old Town lined up a diverse array of local businesses to participate in the event. Shoppers are encouraged to check out local offerings on everything from home decor at Take Root Country Store and clothing at Abby’s Closet, to tattoos at Salty Siren and free morning fitness classes at Studio 317 Fitness and Cycling, Miles said.
The goal of the annual event is to bring more people to Old Town, not just to holiday shop, but to learn about local services and visit local restaurants on Small Business Saturday and beyond. Shopping small all year long supports the community, she said.
In Franklin, a small business scavenger hunt continued virtually this week after the kick-off last week. As part of the online event, winners had a chance to win gift cards to local businesses, which the chamber funded with their “Support Small” t-shirt sales earlier this year, said Rosie Chambers, executive director.
Taking the event virtual allowed the chamber to shift its focus away from Small Business Saturday and more on supporting local businesses every day, Chambers said.
The event highlighted the importance of staying in touch with local shops and restaurants virtually, whether pre-shopping via Facebook Live new merchandise drops, or visiting restaurant websites to check out a menu, she said.
“There is more of an emphasis on shopping small all year long,” Chambers said. “Small Business Saturday is more than a day; it is a way of life.”
Traditions: Safely but surely
Local businesses got creative this year, helping shoppers enjoy a traditional holiday shopping experience during the pandemic. Several offered week-long sales, gifts with purchases, prize drawings and other promotions throughout the week.
Debi Pierson owns Toodleydoo Toys, a specialty toy shop in downtown Franklin.
Recognizing that traditional Small Business Saturday crowds are inherently not pandemic-friendly, Pierson decided to make her planned promotions available all week. That way, she said, shoppers have longer to take advantage of them and don’t feel pressured to come out on Saturday.
To kick-off the holiday shopping season this week, Toodleydoo is offering free gift wrapping, gifts with purchases and rewards coupons called Toodleyloot, which give customers a discount on a future purchase, Pierson said.
Eclectic Jade, a downtown Franklin boutique, also offered extended promotions. Instead of just a handful of days, promotions were planned all month long, with special emphasis on Black Friday and an extended Shop Small weekend, owner Christy Norton said.
Black Friday shoppers at will get 10% off the entire store, either in person or online, Norton said. And for Shop Small weekend, Eclectic Jade is offering a gift with purchase on Saturday and Sunday while supplies last, and planning a Facebook Live event at 3:45 p.m. Sunday for those who would like to shop from home, she said.
Eclectic Jade is not the only small business taking to Facebook Live on Sunday. Several Franklin boutiques are planning to do the same in back to back events. Other participating stores are Vintage Whimsy, Salvage Sisters, FarmGirl Mercantile, Possibilities: Reimagined and Madison Street Salvage.
Before each Facebook Live, employees will number items in the store. During the event, they will walk around the store showcasing each item and sharing details about it. People watching at home can comment on the video with the item number and their email, and customers will receive an invoice for the item and instructions for curbside pickup, Norton said.
Old Town Greenwood businesses are also coming together for an in-person shop and sip crawl, scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Studio 317 owner Shannon Grove said she organized the even to draw more attention and support to local businesses, and build community at a time when there’s not a lot going on.
Shoppers can meet at the studio, 500 Polk St. Suite 24, with plans to crawl from Root2Rise Coffee and Juice Bar, Gigi’s Boutique, Vino Villa, Take Root, Jade Stone Boutique and Planetary Brewery, ending at Revery or Jockamo’s Pizzeria.
Before the crawl, Studio 317 is offering free cycling, Body Pump and Strong 45 classes in the morning, and encourages anyone who wants to participate to sign up on their website at studio317fitness.com/first-class-free.
Alternatives to stay afloat
Beyond Saturday, small businesses had to creative to stay afloat during the pandemic, changing their business models.
Pierson made modifications that highlight alternative ways to shop during a pandemic, including home delivery within 30 miles, private in-person shopping appointments, curbside pickup and shipping, she said.
Toodleydoo was already offering many of these services before the pandemic, but by promoting them, Pierson was able to protect profits and continue to serve customers during the shutdown in the spring, she said.
Eclectic Jade added a website and got creative, using Facebook Live events to sell merchandise during the shutdown, Norton said. In fact, the shop had a record month of sales during the shutdown, she said.
Studio 317 added Zoom workout classes to help members stay fit from home, Grove said, and the studio is still offering a hybrid, with 12 virtual classes available for those who want to stay home and 25 in-person classes for those who prefer in-person workouts, she said.
“We aren’t Peloton or anything like that, but we want to keep our members motivated and help keep our doors open, too,” Grove said.
For small businesses, keeping their doors open is a year-around effort. Owners emphasized that supporting small businesses shouldn’t be a one-day-per-year activity. Old Town Greenwood and downtown Franklin have a lot to offer, and the prices are more reasonable than some may think.
“It has always been our mantra,” Pierson said. “I love the excitement that comes with a day like Small Business Saturday. But people can’t just go out and do their shopping on that day and pat themselves on the back.”
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Here is a look at events scheduled this Small Business Saturday in Franklin and Greenwood:
Restore Old Town Greenwood Small Business Saturday kick-off event
What: Small Business Saturday goody bag give away, while supplies last, and information about local small businesses.
Where: Whispering WillowTree, 50 S. Madison St., Greenwood.
When: 9-11 a.m. Saturday
Small Business Saturday Sip and Shop Crawl
What: Go with others to local shops and restaurants in Old Town Greenwood in celebration of Small Business Saturday.
Where: Studio 317 Fitness and Cycling, 500 Polk St. Ste. 24., Greenwood.
When: Meet Saturday at 1 p.m., tour concludes around 5 p.m.
Downtown Franklin Holiday Vintage Facebook Live
What: Watch Facebook Live events by Franklin boutiques and shop from home.
Where: Store Facebook pages.
When: Sunday at the following times: Salvage Sisters noon to 12:30 p.m.; FarmGirl Mercantile 12:45-1:15 p.m.; Vintage Whimsy 1:30-2 p.m.; Possibilities: Reimagined 2:15-2:45 p.m.; Madison Street Salvage 3-3:30 p.m.; Eclectic Jade 3:45-4:15 p.m.
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