Now that the ghosts of Halloween have past and we’re thinking about over eating pie, it’s just a matter of time before we start to think GIFTS. If you’re like me, you put a lot of thought into the people you care about when purchasing holiday gifts. This year, I challenge you to also think about the local businesses you want around when making your holiday purchases. We need you.
Business Owner Paula here with a message that is uncomfortable as hell to share. I’ll be frank, we are still “recovering” from 2020. All small business are. “Covid” was a much more devastating hit than anyone who doesn’t see the books of a small business can understand and worse, it is still having trickle over effects making the “recovery” much slower than it looks on the outside. Small business are surviving, but it is a constant effort and scary “challenge”.
Why share this? Because YOUR dollars make a difference. How you choose to spend every dollar of your holiday shopping budget matters. If you buy mom a $25 nick nack that will make her smile and she’ll put on a shelf with the other 6 you got her in years past, great; but if you buy her a $25 aerial yoga class to take WITH you then you’re also helping Aerial Dance, making her smile AND creating an awesome memory together when you attend! With our range of classes and options, surely some of your holiday spending can be done in our doors.
Ugh. I hate saying this. I truly hate writing this. But EVERY SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IS THINKING THIS. We are all praying that the consumer will be conscious of us this holiday season. For me personally, I will be buying gift cards to the local restaurants I love for people this year because I want to support them. I will be buying experiences at local places because I want to support them. For family out of the area I am asking them what business I SHOULD be supporting in their community before making my purchases. This is a deliberate and conscious spending of my holiday dollars at local small businesses where people I care about live.
If Aerial Dance is one of those businesses you want to support with your holiday dollars, here are some ways to do so:
- Booking a party with your friends instead of buying them gifts
- Taking a one time class with a family member (don’t forget we have co-ed classes too).
- Buy a single class gift card for a co-worker.
- Buy a workshop gift card for a friend.
- Buy a 5-pack for a sister, mom or friend to attend a few classes with you.
What doesn’t help Aerial Dance is when someone you love buys you a gift card for your membership costs; instead used that gift card to take a workshop or a private lesson or something you wouldn’t normally do! The accounting is simple, we’ve already budgeted for your membership payment so if someone else pays it, that helps you but not the company. If you instead spend that gift another way at the company that isn’t already budgeted it DOES VERY MUCH help the studio.
Any time you spend money with us that isn’t part of your normal membership or buying habits it is super helpful to Aerial Dance. As holiday spending approaches, every dollar you spend for someone else at the studio will help Aerial Dance.
As you are thinking of holiday money spending, consider what small businesses you want to support. We need you!