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

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.