Credit: Wisconsin Small Business Association
Small Business Saturday isn’t the only day to consider supporting your local mom-and-pop shop! Doing so helps them and you. Just take a quick look at the numbers:
✅ 99.7% of all US businesses are considered “small.”
Small businesses created 64% of all new jobs between 1993 and 2021.
✅ If you spend $100 at a local business, roughly $68 stays in your city.
Spend the same at a large business, and only $43 stays local.
✅ Small businesses donate 250% more than larger businesses to nonprofits and community causes.
As of 2023, Wisconsin is home to more than 450,000 small businesses, employing nearly 1 million people in the state.
Yelp is a helpful tool to find a great small business you’ve never heard of near you. Just type “small business” in the search bar and enter your zip code.
TRY IT! Find a Highly-Rated Small Business Near You
Here are 3 woman-owned Madison-based shops–all less than five years old–that we recommend and also sell online:
🛍️ Every Bitch Needs a Scrunchie
Run By: Kenzie Beam
Launched while Kenzie was still a student at the UW-Madison, this shop specializes in one-of-a-kind scrunchies (yes, those ‘90s-esque hair ties are back!), as well as mini scrunchie “scarves,” apparel, stickers, and more.
🛍️ Quarter Life Leap
Run By: Kaitlin Esche-Lyon
Started during the pandemic when Kaitlin, like a lot of us, was having a quarter-life crisis, the shop’s hand-made, eye-catching, colorfully-modern quilts spread joy and comfort. She also takes custom orders.
🛍️ Second Breakfast Bakery
Run By: Andrea Magee
Once a month, Magee prepares small and regular-sized boxes (which feed four to six people) at a north side Madison commercial kitchen filled with made-from-scratch baked goods–from apple fritter loaves to pecan pie granola. The boxes are available for pickup, local delivery, and/or via monthly subscription.
Second Breakfast has an especially meaningful backstory: its owner, Magee, previously worked in the pediatric ICU at Madison’s American Family Children’s Hospital. Read more here.
MORE: Your Guide to Wisconsin-Made Gifts That Give Back
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