Small Business vs. Commercial Tea
The holidays are among us and the first special day that we are celebrating here at Hackberry Tea is Small Business Saturday!
Small Business Saturday first started as a marketing campaign run by American Express in November of 2010. In 2011, it was co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration and the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution to support the cause and recognize it as an official day of celebration. By 2012, businesses in all 50 states were participating and since then, the Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP) organization has joined the forces, and the Small Business Saturday Coalition has formed. The day follows Black Friday and precedes Cyber Monday, placing it smack in the middle of the busiest shopping weekend of the year. It is a day of celebration for small businesses of all kinds, just like ours.
According to 2023 Chamber of Commerce statistics, there are 33.2 million small businesses in the United States. This astonishing number makes up 99% of all U.S. businesses and contributes to about 40% of the country’s GDP. Additionally, small businesses employ 61.7 million Americans and provide each of them with favorable working conditions. These numbers prove just how vital small businesses are to the nation’s economy. Now to show how important the holiday season is to these small businesses that act as the backbone of the country, take into consideration that 65% of small business sales in 2022 were generated during the holiday season. Small Business Saturday is just one day that commemorates this busy season.
As many of you already know, shopping small has many benefits for both you, the consumer, and us, the business. First of all, by shopping small you are able to give back to local communities. Seeing a business flourish in your community is always fulfilling. Even if you aren’t from Arizona, our hometown of Chandler is probably not that different from yours. Either way, small businesses tend to foster a better sense of community across the nation. They provide jobs with good working conditions, help promote local artisans, sponsor and host community events, and are more likely to give back. According to SCORE, small businesses donate 250% more than larger businesses to nonprofits and community causes. These causes include youth organizations, schools, churches, aid groups, shelters, and more. The healthy work environments that are found at small businesses also create happier employees who then provide better customer service, meaning you will have a more positive shopping experience. Additionally, small businesses tend to offer unique, customizable products and one-of-a-kind experiences that you just can’t get at Walmart or Target.
Shopping small can help decrease your carbon footprint. Small businesses are usually able to maintain a cleaner business model than large corporations that are producing unfathomable amounts of material and transporting it all in a fashion that focuses on cutting costs and increasing profits, not what is best for the environment. When looking at tea specifically, shopping small also means you have a higher chance of receiving a traceable product. Traceability is incredibly important because it means you can track your tea from where it was planted to how it ends up in your hands - holding every step of the supply chain accountable and avoiding unethical practices. If you are interested in learning more about Hackberry’s sustainability efforts, check out our Earth Day article.
To celebrate Small Business Saturday and kick off the holiday season, we will be having a 24-hour sale! Each of the teas that we serve at our in-store location will be 20% off on Saturday. The participating teas include:
Black Tea -
Green Tea -
White Tea -
Herbal Tea -
Thank you for being part of our community here at Hackberry Tea! Running a small business comes with many challenges, but our customers and community make it all worthwhile. We encourage you to continue supporting all of the amazing, hard-working small businesses around you as the holiday season continues and beyond.
Written by Kourtney Camm
