This month at KidSnips, we’re celebrating all the local small businesses and we hope you’ll do the same. One way you can do that is by booking an appointment at your local KidSnips for a haircut, or new style, or special holiday do. And while you’re here, be sure to check out our mom-curated, kid-appreciated selection of toys, games and more.
We know how it is around the holidays. You’ve got lists a mile long and not much time, and the “overwhelm” is off the charts. For so many of us, our first thought on how to keep it simple and get it all done is to head to those mega online retailers, and the big box stores and fast-food restaurants. Maybe even one of those quickie-cut franchise hair salons.
But, before we head down that path again this year, let’s all take a breath.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
That felt good, didn’t it?
The truth is, this is a season that’s meant to be savored. A season made for little moments that matter. A season to make memories. And for gifts that don’t have to be big or expensive – they just need to say, “I love you,” and mean it.
And this is a season when shopping at a small, local business can help you have those little moments and good memories. And put you in the holiday mood, in a big way. Faster than you can say “FA-LA-LA.”
Why? Because when you support a small business, you’re actually supporting your neighbors, your community, your city, the planet. And possibly your own family’s ability to enjoy the holidays.
Why is that? Why is shopping local small businesses such a good thing, especially during this season?
Going local means your money is staying where you live. It’s creating local jobs and bringing out your town/village/city’s local identity/personality. It reminds you, in case you’ve forgotten… and teaches your kids …that you’re a part of a community, a neighborhood. Not just some faceless order number.
When you shop small, local businesses, you’re helping keep our communities strong. For every dollar you spend in a small business, over half of it returns to the local economy.
Not to mention, the customer service you get locally!! Isn’t it great when you walk in the door, and everybody knows your name? And everyone is glad to see you? And wants you to leave happy? Nothing quite like it!
Buying local, eating local, and getting our haircuts local can also help us all reduce our carbon footprint and environmental impact. As parents we want to make sure the world our kids inherit is one they can actually live in, so shopping local not only helps with that, it also presents a great opportunity to talk to our kids about caring for the earth.
At KidSnips we believe in small businesses and in shopping local, not only because it’s good for people and the planet, but also because we ARE a small business. 25 years ago now – yes, we just celebrated our 25th anniversary! – two local moms, Kim and Jill, frustrated because they couldn’t find a family-friendly hair salon where their own kids could get a great cut and have a fun and relaxing kid-centered experience, decided to start their own.
Since opening in 1997, KidSnips has expanded to 8 locations across the city, but always remained a local business, not a franchise, owned and operated by those same two moms who make a point to only hire kid-loving stylists – many of them parents themselves.
The goal of these Momtrepeneurs who started KidSnips (before Momtrepeneurs was a word anyone used) remains the same as when they began – to be the kind of place where your kids can be themselves and feel seen and known and cared for, just as they are, in all their wiggly, squiggly, silly, sweet, wonderful kid-ness.
So, if the kind of experience you’re hoping to give your kids during the holidays is one that feels warm and human and personal, we hope you’ll stop by your local KidSnips. Along with a great haircut or holiday do, you’ll also find a festive selection of mom-curated, kid-tested toys, games and hair care products ready for wrapping or stocking stuffers.
And we hope you’ll support all kinds of other local small businesses as well. Eat local, buy local, style local, play local. We truly believe it will make the season brighter.
