As large retail chains kicked off the holiday shopping season with Black Friday, small businesses in Atlanta followed suit with Small Business Saturday.
Atlanta Beltline Marketplace, which offers commercial space to small businesses on the Atlanta Beltline, partnered with Atlanta Indie Market to feature over 30 small businesses across three different locations on the Beltline Saturday.
Joggers and walkers along the 22-mile loop stopped by markets at the John Lewis Freedom Parkway Bridge, Pittsburgh Yards and Adair Park at Allene Avenue to browse items varying from homemade hot sauces, dog bandanas to wood burning art. Music played in the background as buskers played the drums and sousaphone, kids played games on the grass and vendors gave out free samples of red velvet flavored pecans and raspberry balsamic vinegar.
Credit: (Erin Sintos/Atlanta Beltline)
Credit: (Erin Sintos/Atlanta Beltline)
“Big corporations get a big big focus on Black Friday, so Small Business Saturday is a push to remind our communities and neighborhoods about the small businesses, mom-and-pops, because they’re really the soul of our city in Atlanta” said Kara Lively, director of economic development for Atlanta Beltline, Inc.
Small Business Saturday was founded by American Express in 2010 to encourage people to shop at small businesses as major retail chains drove foot traffic to their stores on Black Friday. The U.S. Senate passed a resolution the following year designating the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday.
“I like the concentration of small business support being on one day that people can remember, and the fact that it’s nationally supported by the Small Business Administration,” said Amichi Bertrand, director of the Atlanta Indie Market.
Atlanta Indie Market sets up on the Beltline every second Saturday of the month with local vendors, games, buskers and music.
“It’s not just, ‘Hey pop your tent up and go sell stuff,’ but we’re going to create an atmosphere that helps create this into a marketplace,” Bertrand said.
Credit: Erin Sintos
Credit: Erin Sintos
Small business owners say local markets such as these are essential to their business, especially as the economy has made it more difficult to afford supplies and ingredients, and as such, turn a profit.
“This year has been slower than others, whether it be because of the economy, or the election, or a combination of both,” said Steven Crews, owner of Wildman Woodburning.
Crews sells over 100 different coasters featuring wood burning art depicting famous characters and lines from fandoms including “Harry Potter,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and “Lord of the Rings.” Wood burning art, or pyrography, is made by decorating wood with burn marks using a heated pen-like tool.
He is hoping that business will pick up for the holidays as people shop for presents, and Small Business Saturday raises more awareness for mom-and-pop shops like his.
“[Small Business Saturday] has became a more prevalent thing over the years [and it helps] get my business out there for people to see, especially this time of year at the end of the holidays,” he said.
Louis Deas, 35, called it a “dream come true” to become a part of the Atlanta Beltline Marketplace.
Deas began his snack business Try Deas and Other Treats with two friends from Dunwoody High School in 2019. They sell different flavored nuts including cinnamon sugar cashews, red velvet cake cashews and raspberry spice pecans.
“We are Georgia-grown, Atlanta-based, so we’re proud being Georgia boys,” he said. “Atlanta is a place of innovation. You can be whatever you want to be here.”
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