Request Local

Let's face it... "shopping season" is upon us. I have heard holiday music, I have seen a Santa on the TODAY show. That means, whether you like it or not, it's time to pick up gifts.

In the past, I have talked about my love for shopping small, supporting independent businesses and being as local as possible. I'm taking it one step further this year: I'm requesting local.

This started when my dad asked what I wanted for Christmas. This is a yearly request, as my parents desire to get me something i definitely will use rather than to surprise me with a cool but useless something.

However, I quite like surprises... but I truly need very little at the moment (aside from a giant bag of cash). I was talking to Emily about what I should request... and she suggested that I have them pick me up something from a local shop. They live in Brooklyn, and there are tons of cool places for them to check out.

Now, I figure that instead of just saying "buy me something local to you!" I would narrow it down for them. Thanks to Google Maps, you can search nearby any place in the world to find shops and businesses in the area. I know they live near Prospect Park, so I centered my search there, and thought "okay, I like music, books, comics, stuff like that." I did a few minutes of narrowing down, scoping out the book shops and music stores that popped up, and then picked a few out that had nice web sites, looked like they had a good selection of stuff, and were close to where they lived. Easy!

I know not everyone is a shopper, but I think that everyone loves getting out into their neighborhood and meeting people. Online shopping is good (and sometimes the best way to connect with independent artisans), but it's too tempting sometimes to take the easy route and just hit up Amazon and call it a day.

So, if you're looking to support small businesses beyond shopping small yourself, try Requesting Local this holiday season! Get your friends and family to check out some of the cool little shops in their cities and towns.

Point people to small businesses in their area!