Why should I shop at a Small Business? Why should I spend more money when I can get it cheaper elsewhere? What difference does it make if I shop at a mom and pop shop?
These are some of the common questions we hear here at The Honey Cottage. At first, I used to get sad that people did not understand what Shop Small Saturday really means. Yes, you can go shopping at big stores too, but this is the one day that really shows your appreciation for the mom and pop shops that are trying to make a go at having their own business. When we shop small, we are shopping with other small businesses because we know who they are!! We also support other small businesses and beekeepers.
What I really want you to think about this holiday season; as a small business we get to know our customers. We try to remember what honeys you like, how your kids are doing, how your job is going, and we get excited when your family and friends visit with you!! We are excited when you get to share your favorite things with them. We have had many customers and say you need to give them samples of this, this, and this. At The Honey Cottage we get the pleasure of watching our customers blossom. We get to see the good and the bad days. We get to show you the new things we have and the things we think will wow the people in your life. We get to watch the excitement of new customers opening up honey sticks for the first time or the families who are bringing in their 1-year old to try honey for the first time. The weddings, the births, and the friendships that happen over honey mean something to us! We go home thankful that we were able to get new customers, that the quality of honey speaks for itself.
I cannot stress this enough; cheaper does not mean better or good quality. When you come to The Honey Cottage you will notice that I am all about samples. You don’t know what you like until you try it!!! As consumers ourselves; we know the frustration of buying something and not enjoying it. Then it either sits as a constant reminder of what a bad decision it was and then gets thrown away. That is why we try very hard to have a sample of all the jarred honeys so that you can taste it yourself. We bee-live in try before you buy. What we have learned is that if you have a honey that you LOVE you will not only come back in for more, but you will use it. We don’t like hearing that honey has gone to waste because they bought it from someone and did not like it. What I love most is watching people light up when they find a honey they like. It makes a big difference when we can say we have helped people find something they actually enjoy.
Mom and Pop shops are the ones that take the time to talk with you. They take the time to know you, your friends, and family. We are the ones that get to hi five your kids when they have brought up their GPA, when they finally got the hang of potty training, or they took their first steps. We get excited with you when you find out you are pregnant, you finally got that promotion you have been waiting for, or the house you have been saving up for the last three years. We notice when you don’t come back in and you have been a monthly customer. We may not always have your name down to say “Norm”, but we know you by face and we get excited to see you.
At The Honey Cottage we are a family business and you the customer are apart of our family!! We hope you will buzz by November 30 and shop with us for Small Business Saturday!!!
From our hive to yours,
Bee Queen
