For small businesses Black Friday is certainly a black day but November is fast becoming the darkest of months. The pressure to discount all month is overwhelming and although I've taken part in previous years, I have decided not to participate going forward in the same way. As a small business (just me) I cannot compete with the big corporations, as to continually and heavily discount my products, it devalues my craft can make those many hours I spend making products worthless and believe me...I spend a lot of hours making beautiful pieces that I am proud of.
I totally understand the draw of Black Friday as a consumer but as a small business owner its a tough one to navigate. £12.3bn is spent on Black Friday yet half of UK small businesses face closure. Mental right?
If you could buy just one thing from a small business in November this year (not necessarily mine - there are so many talented designer/makers out there) then between us we can redistribute some of that £12.3bn to a few of the little people.
So for me community is the way forward, to nurture and cherish those people that like your posts and subscribe to your mailing list.
This year I will reward my loyal The Faraway Gang community as much as I possibly can and be happy to do so, thanking them for shopping small.
