Happy Box Blog — Small Businesss
5 Ways to Support Small Businesses (Without Spending a Penny)
As we’re in the middle of the biggest shopping days of the year, we wanted to share some ways you can support small and local businesses, without ever spending a penny! While some of these actions seem tiny, they can make a big difference and go a long way to help drive exposure to small businesses.
We're Celebrating International Women's Month
March is International Women’s Month! This is super important to us as a women-owned small business. We make it part of our mission to support other women-owned businesses year round. This month, to celebrate, we’ve partnered with some incredible women and organizations. Check out all that we have planned and the ways you can contribute to some amazing organizations that support women.
These Stickers Give Back: Happy Box + Feminist Voice Supporting Planned Parenthood
We've partnered with Feminist Voice - one of our fave Instagram accounts that is all about empowering women - to create fun, empowering stickers that you can add to your Happy Box for a limited time. With each purchase of the 3-sticker pack on our Box Builder, we will be donating a percentage of the profits to Planned Parenthood.
International Women’s Month Curated Gift Box Collection
To honor and highlight the achievements and progress of women everywhere, we have created a curated collection of gift boxes that supports women owned businesses and female entrepreneurs!
“Who Run The World” Box: Features several best-selling, women-owned gifts. From March 1-31st, 2022, 10% of all profits of this box will be donated to Girls Who Code, an organization on a mission to close the gender gap in tech. Learn more about GWC here.
“Carla Marie’s Small Biz Picks”: Small business owner and advocate Carla Marie chose her favorite small business-owned items from our gift selection to create this amazing care package, so by purchasing this box you are supporting various small businesses!
Girls Night In Box: Essentials for a fun and relaxing night in with the girls. These gifts were hand-picked by Happy Box co-founders (and sisters) Hannah & Ariel.
Corporate Focused Boxes
Sending a gift to your team or client? Check out our corporate curated gift options that are full of products sourced from women-owned businesses!
As always, we’ve have many women-owned gifts on the Box Builder!
As a women-owned business, we make it a priority to support and source other women-owned businesses. Be sure to visit the Box Builder and select the “Women Owned” filter to see all of the gift options and make sure to add these products to your next care package!
Keep an eye out for a special sale on International Women’s Day…
On March 8th, we will be offering a special discount so be sure to keep an eye out for a discount code on our Instagram and in your inbox! Sign up for SMS alerts if you haven’t already!
Small Business Saturday with Happy Box
With holiday shopping close to reaching its peak, it’s important to remember to shop small this holiday season--and every season! As a small, women-owned business that invests in other small businesses, Small Business Saturday is very important to companies like Happy Box as it gives local businesses increased exposure to help consumers find new, great brands and companies.
For this year’s Small Business Saturday we wanted to highlight just a few of the amazing small business vendors we source some of our products from, and we wanted to hear from them why it’s important to shop small this holiday season!
Wax Cabin Candle Co.
Founded in 2016, Wax Cabin Candle Co. seeks to light up the room – your room – with your favorite scents. Scents that make you feel lovely, cozy…and even boozy!
Jennifer Gunn, founder and chandler of Wax Cabin Candle Co. says it’s important to shop small because “Small businesses build products with sweat and yes… sometimes tears! They have heart and hope in each product and a sale contributes directly to the strength of my business and family.” You can shop her candles on our Build a Box option and on her website here! Fun fact: we started a podcast about business and beyond with Jen called the Totally Happy Podcast. We’d love it if you had a listen!
Gumball Poodle
Just in time for the winter season, Gumball Poodle creates fun and creative socks that “lets you tell the world what you think without saying a word.” Their snarky sayings on their socks are what differentiates them from other brands and makes them so popular.
According to Gumball Poodle’s founder Erica Easley, “Independent brands are led by artists, hustlers, and dreamers. They are the vibrant connection between humanity and industry. There is no better way to support creativity and community than shopping small!” Shop Gumball Poodle on our Build a Box option or on their website here!
Copper Cow
Copper Cow is on a mission to bring you barista-free lattes that are made with carefully vetted Vietnamese coffee beans and whole, natural ingredients.
Debbie Wei Mullin, Founder, says “Small-business founders are passionate about what they do and how their work makes a positive impact. When you support Copper Cow Coffee, you’re supporting a woman-owned business and sustainable coffee farms in Vietnam.”
Shop Copper Cow on our Build a Box option AND Curated Gift Boxes or on their website here!
Faithwaites
Faithwaites is a York, UK-based design shop making fun stuff for you, your home or the people you love. They have the cutest products that are perfect for anyone on your list this year from totes, to tee-shirts, and children’s clothing!
Cat Spilman, founder of Faithwaites says, “Supporting a small business isn't only about financially supporting someone's hard work, it's about making interpersonal connections that are too often overlooked today. You're connecting with a maker, and helping to build a chain of thoughtful interaction which is rewarding on so many levels.” Make sure to include some of the onesies we offer in your next gift box when you build your own or shop them on their website here!
Astor Chocolate
Astor Chocolate is a family owned business that began in 1927 in Czechoslovakia and moved to the US in 1950. Four generations of chocolate making! What makes them so successful is that their chocolate is a combination of European quality and American innovation!
Tori Halfon, Director of Sales and Operations believes supporting a small business is important because “small businesses are the lifeblood of our nation. Small businesses employ over half of the total workforce in the US and supply half the GDP for our nation; yet they are more fragile and reliant on support than mega-companies. Small businesses can’t survive long in the face of disaster, and the past 2 years have been disastrous for most small businesses in multiple complex ways. It’s more important than ever to shop small”. Make sure to include one of their many Moodibars when you Build a Box with us or you can shop their products on their website here!
Binnie & Clode
Binnie & Clode is a small startup with both a passion for creating candles and home products with a minimalist design and for giving back to the earth and its inhabitants. They create beautifully designed and scented candles. Did we mention that a portion of proceeds from every product is donated to animal rescue and environmental organizations?
Federico Schauvinhold, owner, says he loves running a small business because “it allows me to give back to my community. I enjoy connecting with my customers and hearing their thoughts on my products. As a small business, I'm able to pivot much more easily based on customer feedback.” Shop their products with our Build a Box option or view them on their website here!
We hope this list has given you some gifting suggestions if you are trying to shop small this year!
Read more:
5 Ways to Support Small Businesses (Without Spending a Penny)