As I have attended holiday events around our region like our Downtown Winter Farmers’ Market presented by UnityPoint Health — Des Moines, the Holiday Promenade that we collaborate on with Historic East Village, and so many more, I am reminded of the power we have as consumers. The holiday season is the most important time of the year for the livelihood of many small businesses.

There are all the traditional reasons why those of us in economic development and chamber of commerce leadership roles encourage you to shop small. Local small businesses create jobs, grow the economy and add to the fabric of each community in our 11-county region. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, small businesses typically account for nearly half of the country’s gross domestic product and employment, and Iowa has the third-highest growth rate in the country for new business applications.

Another reason to shop small stands out to me as I meet small-business owners through our Partnership events and programming. Local small businesses are owned by our friends and neighbors. Supporting these businesses means you are having a direct impact on someone’s life.

Our team has the opportunity to develop relationships with small-business owners on a regular basis. In 2024, we have directly supported 85 businesses through our Spark DSM Business Incubator, Scale DSM Business Accelerator and one-on-one consultations, and countless more through our events and programming. One theme we consistently hear from small-business owners at our events is the “why” behind their business is about so much more than making a living. 

They want to make people smile. They want to give joy to their customers. They want to connect people through shared spaces and experiences. 

Those are people I want to support.

Our team takes pride in providing resources to help these businesses develop. We get to hear stories like that of Nadia’s French Bakery. Nadia Ahissou is an accountant by trade and began baking during the pandemic as she looked for other job opportunities. The hobby turned into an opportunity to earn income. To help jump-start her business, Nadia took classes through the Evelyn K. Davis Center and then learned about the Downtown Farmers’ Market. Through the Spark DSM program, which provides booth space for vendors who want to test their products at Partnership events, Nadia was able to experience the Downtown Farmers’ Market as a vendor in 2022 for the first time. A nearby church let her use its kitchen space to prepare.

Her 400 pastries sold out in an hour and a half at the 25,000-person event.

Nadia’s French Bakery returned to the Market in 2023 and now operates a storefront. I love the story of how our community wrapped its arms around this hardworking individual to help support her growth. Our entire community is better for it.

I recently had the opportunity to meet Gabe Garcia, a sophomore at Roosevelt High School who has been a vendor at the World Food & Music Festival and Winter Market. Gabe started Little G’s Treats during the pandemic making hot cocoa bombs. It was a way for him to stay connected with family and friends. Our team reached out to Gabe inviting him to be part of the Spark DSM program, and he has now been part of several of our events. (And yes, my kids can attest, his hot cocoa bombs are amazing.)

Gabe has said that Spark DSM has helped his business grow monetarily, connected him with resources, provided networking opportunities and given him exposure to customers. He notes that his success shows what small businesses can achieve when obstacles are removed. Sometimes a good idea just needs a little help to thrive. Because of the support Little G’s Treats has received from the community, we now have a talented, hardworking individual who is learning at a young age how to run a business and is more likely to stay here as an adult. 

We are all presented with choices on where to spend our dollars during the holidays, and every day. I encourage you to support entrepreneurs like Nadia and Gabe. Your support makes a difference.