Skip to main content.

Take a Virtual Tour Around Conroe!

  • Linkedin
  • Facebook
  • X-twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Search Icon
    Translate
    Conroe Economic Development Council Logo
  • Home
  • City
  • CVB
  • Chamber
  • County
  • Contact
    • Home
    • About
      • Contact Us
      • CIDC Board
      • CIDC Agendas and Minutes
      • CEDC Advisory Board
      • Meet the Team
      • Partnerships
    • Quality of Place
      • Cost of Living
      • Housing
      • Healthcare
      • Safety
      • Recreation
      • Entertainment
      • Arts and Culture
      • Shopping and Dining
      • Community Service
      • K-12 Education
    • Business
      • Business Retention and Expansion
      • Business Resources
      • Incentives
      • Entrepreneurship
      • Small Business Insights
    • Site Selection
      • Site Selection Resources
      • Location and Infrastructure Advantages
      • Community Profile
      • Sites and Buildings
      • Industries and Clusters
      • Demographics and Workforce
      • Compare Communities
      • Major Employers
      • Taxes
      • Recent Projects
      • Target Industries
    • Talent
      • Employment Opportunities
        • Submit an Employment Opportunity
      • Area Talent
      • Workforce Resources
      • Higher Education
    • Media Center
      • Virtual Tours
        • Conroe’s Business Parks
      • Podcast
      • More is Made Here
      • Conroe Kudos
      • Videos About Conroe
      • Newsletter Sign-up
      • Resources
    • Data Center
      • Community Overview
      • Demographic Data
      • Labor Force Data
      • Consumer Expenditure Data
      • Occupation Data
      • Business Explorer
      • Talent & Education
      • Mapping & GIS Data
    News Center for Conroe, TX EDC

    Media Center

     
    Shop Small to Help Make Entrepreneurial Spirits Bright in Conroe this Holiday Season main photo

    Shop Small to Help Make Entrepreneurial Spirits Bright in Conroe this Holiday Season

    November 22, 2021

    Conroe is a vibrant Texas community shaped by businesses of all sizes, from tourism, retail, and dining to distribution, manufacturing, and professional services. And like many communities across the nation, Conroe’s economic backbone is that of the small business. As the holiday season approaches, the Conroe Economic Development Council (CEDC) encourages our community to shop local beginning with Small Business Saturday on November 27.

    Why Small Businesses?

    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 reported small businesses 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. However, these entrepreneurs face a critical juncture as they begin their journey. Per the Office of Advocacy, 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.

    Support Small Business Saturday

    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! Visit Conroe is an excellent resource to help consumers direct their shopping to local, small businesses. 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 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. 

    Donate on Giving Tuesday

    Beyond shopping, another excellent option to help Conroe residents and organizations comes on November 30th 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. Hello Woodlands has an excellent list of community organizations to which Conroe residents can offer donations or their time.

    Patronize Local Holiday Shopping Events

    Conroe is home to several holiday extravaganzas, and here are a few to get the gift buying started:

    • November 27: Main Street Market (every Saturday)
    • November 27: Christmas Market
    • November 30: Christmas on Main Street in Historic Downtown Conroe
    • December 4: Holiday Sip N Shop Vendor Market
    • December 4-5: TCC Gingerbread Market
    • December 10: Uptown Christmas Festival & Market
    • December 11: Toby Powell Conroe Christmas Celebration
    • December 11: Montgomery County Mistletoe Market
    • December 18: Winter Wonderland & Artisan Market

    Tips for Small Businesses

    Businesses can prepare for Small Business Saturday and the extra traffic expected through the end of the year by following a few simple steps to help maximize the holiday season and hopefully keep the momentum going throughout the year.

    Define your brand as a small business
    Shoppers want to shop small this year, so it is a good time to showcase your identity as a local business! Create a story around your brand to tell people about how it all started and what makes it special.

    Offer customers a special gift
    As a local business, make it a point to stand out from the crowd by offering your target audience something appealing, something that they will cherish.

    Pursue email marketing
    Send out emails to remind people about the holiday season and any special plans and offers. Partner with other local businesses to tell customers where they could shop throughout the holidays and why shopping small is important to the community.

    Ready your physical store 
    Ensure stock and supplies are high and staff is scheduled to handle large crowds with a To-Do list prepared to keep everything on track during hectic times.

    As the holidays approach, the CEDC is proud to support the entrepreneurs and small businesses of the Conroe community. Looking for more information or assistance? Please do not hesitate to contact us.

    View Custom Report
    • Virtual Tours
    • Podcast
    • More is Made Here
    • Conroe Kudos
    • Videos About Conroe
    • Newsletter Sign-up
    • Resources

    How can we help you locate or expand in Conroe?

    Start a Conversation

    Fast Fact Photo
    Texas Tissue

    Texas Tissue project in Conroe Park North

    “Conroe had the available land and the necessary resources to build what we needed. And from a labor standpoint, Conroe is an attractive market to recruit talent. People want to live and work there.”

    Joe Suarez, Texas Tissue Chief Financial Officer

    Texas Tissue
    Fast Fact Photo
    Buske Logistics

    Buske Logistics project in Conroe Park North

    “The existing infrastructure in and around Conroe Park North creates a smart investment for us because the structure is there. The economics make sense versus competing parks in the area.”

    John Babington, Buske President and Owner

    Buske Logistics
    Fast Fact Photo
    VGXI

    VGXI project in Deison Technology Park

    “I cannot tell you how many people in Conroe have told us, ‘VGXI is exactly what we've been searching for to lead Deison Technology Park.’ We could not have accomplished this without the CEDC staff. Conroe has been so welcoming. It fills us with pride.”

    Dorothy Peterson, VGXI Chief Operating Officer

    VGXI
    Fast Fact Photo
    AFW

    American Furniture Warehouse project in Conroe

    “Conroe checks all the boxes for what we look for when we expand: accessibility to land, infrastructure, and people. The CEDC listened to our needs and moved quickly to connect us with important resources, and the City of Conroe has been incredibly hospitable.”

    Nolan Morrison, American Furniture Warehouse Executive

    AFW
    Fast Fact Photo
    Eleet

    Eleet Cryogenics project in Conroe Park North

    “Conroe Park North has everything we need. The infrastructure is in place, the Park is very well maintained, and we can be close to our customer base. I thought to myself on that first visit, ‘This is where I want to be.’”

    Garry Sears, Founder and President/CEO of Eleet Cryogenics, Inc. 

    Eleet
    Conroe Economic Development Council Icon
    Conroe Economic Development Council 936.522.3530 (phone) 936.756.6162 (fax) info@conroeedc.org 300 W. Davis St, Ste 510 Conroe, TX 77301
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Site Map
  • How to Use Our Report Maker
  • Board Login
  • Copyright © 2025 Conroe Economic Development Council. All rights reserved. Economic Development Websites by Golden Shovel Agency.