A lot of people in our area already choose to "shop small" every day. But Small Business Saturday puts an emphasis on buying local this holiday season.
In Georgetown, two businesses celebrated milestones on Saturday.
One of them is Georgetown Antiques and Artisans on the corner of Main and 8th Streets downtown. Owners Russ and Linda Dickson are celebrating four years of being open.
“The community has made it possible for us to get to our four-year anniversary,” said Russ Dickson. “It's like seeing all your good friends come in over and over and see you on the weekends. And the community has been super supportive."
Linda Dickson is a glass specialist who worked at another shop for 14 years before she and her husband started their own artisan shop.
"Our dream was to bring in 20 different businesses to share in our dream,” Linda Dickson said. "In our store we have 20 different vendors of artists and antique dealers."
A few blocks away from their shop, Brenda Massey celebrates her first small business Saturday on Austin Avenue. She opened "Sip and Stain" in September.
"Decided after working for 12 years in Leander ISD to quit my job and start my own business,” said Massey. “I'm a cancer survivor, so I wanted to do something different with my life. So this was it."
Sip and Stain is a shop where people can create wood paintings while sipping wine.
"I just fell in love with the whole concept,” said Massey. “Went home to my husband and told him this is what I want to do and he said let's do it.”
Both business owners said Georgetown has fostered a great environment for mom and pop shops. And Small Business Saturday?
“It makes a huge difference,” said Russ Dickson. “The money stays right here in the community. And gets spent right here in the community.”
Georgetown Antiques and Artisans said they had about 1,250 people in their shop Saturday, which the owners said is on par with a holiday weekend.